Proposed bill will increase penalties against drivers who injure or kill a pet in New York
CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- Pet owners and lawmakers gathered in Chelsea on Tuesday to back legislation to help better protect pets when it comes to accidents involving animals.
Vehicle law, as it stands now, protects pedestrians, cyclists, sheep, cattle and goats. Supporters of a new bill say that law is antiquated.
The PAWS Act, which stands for Protecting Animals Walking on the Street, that was introduced Tuesday would increase penalties against a driver who injures or kills a pet.
There are over 1.1 million household dogs and cats in New York City. Under the current law, hitting or killing a pet or service animal with a vehicle results in a fine equivalent to an illegal U-turn.
The new bill proposes increasing the maximum penalty from $100 to $500 for hitting a pet and leaving the scene for a first-time offense.
It would increase the minimum fine from $50 to $200 for a second offense and the maximum fine under the bill would go up from $150 to $750 for a second-time offense.
For a hit-and-run involving a service or guide dog, the bill would raise the minimum fine from $50 to $250 for a first-time offense.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and and Assembly member Tony Simone, the co-sponsors of the bill, say pets are family to so many New Yorkers and it is time they are treated as such according to the law.
"We don't do enough to protect people on our streets from road violence and we certainly don't do enough to protect our four-legged friends as well and the harm caused to them is just as great as if it were to happen to a child, a senior, a parent, an adult -- and it should be a lot more than a $50 fine," Gournardes said.
Gounardes says the law that exists provides protection for "domestic animals" such as sheep, cattle and goats -- but adding "companion animal" to the language of the statute allows for greater protections for cats and dogs.
"It's not just cars, it could be any kind of vehicle, it could be scooters, electric bikes, but with some of those vehicles especially, people can be reckless, but also with cars, and the fact that the penalty was so low if someone were to hit or kill a dog, that was really surprising," said pet owner Jason Dilmanian.
The bill will be voted on in the next legislative session sometime next year.
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