A Southern Tier lawmaker wants harsher penalties for causing harm to police animals.
Republican Senator Catharine Young of Olean has scheduled a news conference Monday in Albany to promote legislation that would create a new felony offense for intentionally causing serious physical injury to a police work dog or police work horse. Her measure also would increase the offense of killing a police work dog or police work horse to a class D felony.
The bill is named Mitchell's Law for a Jamestown Police Department German shepherd that suffered life-threatening injuries while apprehending a suspect in a slaying last November. The bill has passed through a Senate committee and has been added to the upcoming floor calendar.