Bill to increase penalties for drivers who injure pets

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---One newly introduced state bill aims to amend traffic law, by increasing penalties for reckless driving that results in the injury or loss of a pet or service dog.

In New York City alone, there are over a million households pets. To help keep them safe, Assemblymember Tony Simone sponsored a bill called Protecting Animals Walking on the Street, also known as the PAWS Act.

The bill would amend vehicle and traffic law to include the category of companion animals. It would also raise the penalty for hit and run incidents involving pets and service dogs.

"A lot of our community members who are disabled, depend on service dogs and service companion dogs," explained Simone. "We want to make sure we value them so we want to raise the fees and educate folks to slow down and pause for the paws."

The penalty for killing a pet with a motor vehicle and leaving the scene is equivalent to a fine for making an illegal U-turn, which the assemblymember said is about $50.

His bill would increase that to $200 for a first-time offense. Repeat offenders could pay as much as $750 dollars. The fines are even higher if the pet is a service animal.

"It just makes it more financially liable and responsible for the person driving the car to not hit an animal, " said Libby Post, Executive Director of the New York State Animal Protection Federation. She supports the bill and thinks it is a good start, but would like to see stronger penalties for other crimes against animals including abuse and neglect.

Assemblymember Simone believes his bill will gain bipartisan support.