Legislature adopts local law creating Tompkins County animal-abuse registry

The Tompkins County Legislature adopted Local Law D (2026) on Sept. 1 to establish a county-run animal-abuse registry. The measure, introduced by Christie, would require individuals convicted of certain animal-abuse offenses to register; the registry would be maintained by the Sheriff's Department and make information available to the public to inform adoptions and sales.

At the public hearing, Cynthia Massey — active in animal rescue and therapy-dog work — urged the legislature to adopt a local registry in the absence of a statewide system: "Until New York State establishes a statewide registry, we have to have something in place because something is better than nothing," she said. Legislators discussed enforcement mechanics, penalties (the draft includes civil fines up to $500 per day for willful failure to register), and whether the sheriff's office should proactively add county convictions. County legal staff and the sheriff's office were involved in drafting and vetting the law; given substantive changes would require another public hearing, the ordinance uses the sheriff's follow-up and statutory penalty provisions to encourage timely registration. The local law passed unanimously.