Lollypop Farm backs two proposed state animal welfare laws

Lollypop Farm is among the animal welfare organizations calling on state officials to strengthen New York's animal protection laws.

Staff from the organization on Wednesday joined the New York State Animal Protection Federation, a group representing animal shelters across the state, for its annual advocacy day in Albany.

They focused on two pieces of legislation:

• A bill in the Assembly and Senate that would give any animal welfare agency designated as a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — Lollypop Farm is one of them — access to state Division of Criminal Justice Services data, including criminal records, photographs, and fingerprints. Humane law enforcement officers would also be able to report animal-related crimes directly into the system. A news release from Lollypop says improved information sharing "will improve coordination with state and federal law enforcement and help track individuals responsible for repeated acts of cruelty or neglect."
• A bill in the Assembly and Senate that would create new criminal offenses of first- and second-degree endangering the welfare of a companion animal or farm animal. The first-degree charge would be a felony.

Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, D-Perinton, sponsors both bills in the Assembly — Lollypop Farm is in her district — and Assemblymember Sarah Clark, D-Rochester, co-sponsors the criminal offense bill. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, co-sponsors the criminal data access bill in his chamber.