Keeping Pets Safe!

Last August, there was an incident of a dog in a hot car, over 90 degrees heat, direct sunlight for over an hour until the police arrived.

As part of the City of Hudson’s Legal Committee, I asked our City attorney, what were the consequences. There is a state AG Markets law that would give the man a $50 fine. I felt that that was not sufficient. I wanted a stiffer penalty.

Over the next couple of months, we created a City law, similar to the state law, but the fine is now $250. I pushed this through the legal committee and council (there was no opposition). This was recently signed by the Mayor.

This is an editorial in the Register-Star. City needs a law to keep pets safe.

In January, in New Lebanon, a dog froze to death. “Scrappy” was kept in a metal cage, no food, water, or bedding, in sub-zero weather.

It’s not right. It’s inhumane and immoral.

Now, that the law is passed, there can be an educational campaign, at least in the City of Hudson, about pets in extreme conditions. Even if the state does not have a law to bring pets inside in cold conditions, we could pass something like that in the City.

Keeping pets safe is an issue, that I feel all of us – Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever – can agree.