Latest news with #Penny'sLaw
CBS News
17-05-2025
- CBS News
New York lawmaker pushing new bill in response to vicious dog attacks
Proposed "Penny's Law" would hold New Yorkers accountable for their pets' actions Proposed "Penny's Law" would hold New Yorkers accountable for their pets' actions Proposed "Penny's Law" would hold New Yorkers accountable for their pets' actions A New York lawmaker has introduced new legislation in response to two vicious dog attacks in the city this year. Two large, aggressive dogs are accused of attacking two smaller dogs in separate incidents. One died and the other was seriously injured. 2 aggressive dogs accused of killing small dog, attacking another Lauren Claus said her 10-year-old dog, Penny, was attacked, unprovoked, by the aggressive dogs on an Upper West Side street earlier this month. "The owners did not have full control over their dogs," Claus said. "After they mauled my dog, they just were able to walk away. The only people that were even trying to hold them accountable were bystanders." The 20-pound chihuahua mix still has bandages and stitches for her lacerations and puncture wounds, and her owners say they're on the hook for almost $11,000 in vet bills because of the attack. Another dog owner said the same two dogs mauled her 17-year-old shih tzu mix, named Grover, to death in Central Park in January. Local leaders say police have been in touch with the owner of the two large dogs, but police haven't been able to do anything further because under New York law, pets are considered property. "Penny's Law" cracks down on pet owners' accountability "Pets are not property, they are family," State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said. She has introduced a bill called "Penny's Law," which, if passed, would hold negligent dog owners criminally accountable for their pets' actions, especially in cases of attacks. It would also impose more serious penalties for leash law violations. "This is long overdue. There were over 3,000 complaints to 311 about off-leash dogs," Rajkumar said. A rally in support of the bill was held Friday near City Hall. "We need action now, so we are going to keep the pressure on the DA," New York State Assembly Chief of Staff Gregory Kirsopp said. Local leaders are hoping to get the bill passed this year. Penny's owners say they are working with lawyers, hoping for legal resource in civil court.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- New York Post
Grisly NY dog attack inspires new bill ‘Penny's Law' to hold negligent pet owners accountable
New York dog owners would be held criminally accountable if their dog harms another animal under a new proposed state bill — which advocates say would close a legal loophole and help get justice for mauled pooches. 'Penny's Law,' introduced by Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar this week, seeks to create criminal offenses for careless owners — including 'cruelty to animals through negligent handling of a dog' and 'leaving the scene of an animal attack.' Advertisement 4 New York State Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar introduced 'Penny's Law' this week. Stephen Yang The new bill is named for 16-pound Chihuahua pup Penny, who was attacked by a pair of pit bulls on the Upper West Side Saturday. The 16-pound pooch was left with multiple puncture wounds after the ambush, in which one of the dogs also bit a woman who tried to rescue the pup, PIX11 reported. Advertisement The same pit bulls are believed to have killed a dog in Central Park earlier this year while the dogs were illegally off leash, Rajkumar's office said. The state legislation would also impose harsher penalties for those who repeatedly violate city leash laws. 'This lack of accountability has permitted numerous dog owners to allow their pets to attack other dogs,' she added. 'The same owners will allow the behavior repeatedly, often dismissing it as 'playing' or 'a dog being a dog.'' 4 16-pound Chihuahua Penny was mauled on the Upper West Side by two pit bulls last week. Instagram/directorchick27 Advertisement The weekend attack left Upper West Side locals fuming, prompting a town hall attended by hundreds of concerned locals Wednesday. City Council member Gale Brewer, who is drafting similar legislation at the local level, confirmed at the meeting that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office is investigating Penny's case. '[From] East Harlem to Brooklyn, there are people who came from all over the city there … because they have the same concern: somebody has dogs who attack other dogs and nobody does anything about it,' Brewer told The Post. 'The agencies try, but they operate in a silo. We need to have everyone working together.' Dogs are considered property under state law, and police often don't get involved unless a human is attacked or a human owner participates. State Assembly member Linda Rosenthal is separately seeking to change that by pushing a bill to swap the 'property' classification to 'sentient beings.' Advertisement 4 Callie, a beagle, attended a town hall on Wednesday night on the weekend mauling of Penny the Chihuahua. Helayne Seidman Penny's tragic case is far from isolated, Rajkumar's office added. On Thursday, a dog and person were injured by an illegally off-leash dog at Riverside Park, whose owner fled the scene. Roughly 1,300 reports have been made to 311 regarding off-leash dogs this year alone. A German shepherd that mauled several dogs and killed one on the Upper East Side struck again last summer after its owner said she planned to put it down. Rajkumar's own staff member was attacked twice by the same dog, including once in which the attacking dog was illegally off leash. Last year, The Post exclusively reported the case of an unlicensed dog boarder who is still operating despite at least three dogs being killed by raging mutts while there, according to grieving owners. 4 Jurga Stankeviciute-Evans (pictured), who is allegedly running an illegal dog boarding business in South Slope, Brooklyn. Gregory P. Mango 'Everywhere I turned, I was told there's nothing that can be done,' lamented one of the tragic Brooklyn dogs' owners. A rep for the NYPD told The Post at the time that 'harm or death to an animal caused by another animal is not a criminal matter.''
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Penny's law': NYC dog attack inspires legislation to hold owners accountable
Ken Philipps, known as "the dog bite attorney," joins NewsNation to weigh in on a dog attack that's sparked national outrage. In New York City, a 16-pound Chihuahua named Penny was mauled by two pit bulls in an attack caught on camera. Bystanders rushed in to help, but Penny suffered serious injuries, including multiple puncture wounds and two six-inch gashes. Her owners say it's a miracle she survived. Police told them they couldn't take action because, under New York law, dogs are considered property, making the incident a civil matter. Now, state lawmakers are proposing "Penny's Law," which would criminalize negligent dog handling and penalize owners who flee the scene of an attack.
New York Post
07-05-2025
- New York Post
Dog mauled to death by two pit bulls in the Bronx: ‘What is it going to take to get these dogs taken off the street?'
A small dog was brutally ripped apart and killed by two pit bulls, according to its heartbroken owner, who asked: 'What is it going to take to get these dogs taken off the street?' Monica Reyes told WABC that she and her daughter were walking their 8-year-old Lhasa apso, Juju, last week when they were set upon just yards from her front door in the Throggs Neck Houses — with one of the pit bulls grabbing the helpless pet in its mouth and refusing to let go. 'I was trying to get him out of the pit bull's mouth while my daughter was crying, and I was trying to protect the kids from getting attacked,' Reyes said. Advertisement 5 Bronx dog owner Monica Reyes had her pet mauled to death in front of her. ABC7 A passing NYCHA worker tased the main attack dog, which only then dropped Juju's mangled body, his horrified owner said. The man and woman with the pit bulls then ran away, Reyes said — with the man yelling, 'I'm so sorry, call 911.' Advertisement Juju later had to be put down, and Reyes said she was left with little more than a piece of his tail to remember him by. 'That could have been anyone's family member, anyone's kid. Like, who's next?' Reyes asked. 'What is it going to take to get these dogs taken off the street?' 5 Her Lhasa apso, named Juju, was killed by two pit bulls before the owners ran away. ABC7 Advertisement She filed a police report, but under current New York law, dogs are defined as property, and as such, an attack by one animal on another is regarded as a property crime and not a criminal matter, she noted. 5 A piece of Juju's tail is all that Reyes has left. ABC7 The attack came days before two pit bulls savaged a Chihuahua in a separate attack on the Upper West Side. 5 It comes as Penny the Chihuahua was savaged by two pit bulls on the Upper West Side. Gabriella Bass Advertisement Horror footage filmed last weekend shows the small dog, Penny, being mauled while the pit bulls' owner does nothing to help before walking off. Penny survived, but her owner, Lauren Claus, has called for a change in the law to find owners of aggressive dogs liable in such attacks. 5 The attack, caught on video, has sparked fresh calls for a law change to clamp down on negligent dog owners. Now a new law, named after Penny, has been introduced by New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar. 'Penny's Law' will criminalize negligent dog handling in the case of a dog attack, as well as criminalize leaving the scene similar to a hit-and-run case, while cracking down on owners who illegally let their dogs off-leash. 'Currently, people get away with letting their dogs attack or kill other dogs. Often it is the same people again and again,' Rajkumar told PIX11.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Horrific' UWS dog attack inspires legislation to hold owners accountable
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – After an Upper West Side attack left a small dog fighting for her life, lawmakers are working on legislation to hold 'negligent' pet owners accountable. A small chihuahua named Penny is recovering after being attacked by two pit bulls near Columbus Avenue and West 85th Street on Saturday evening, according to her owner, Lauren Claus. The 'horrific' attack was caught on video and has inspired legislation. More Local News 'People are scared to death that those dogs could return to the streets, I agree… They should not be roaming the streets,' said City Council Member Gale Brewer, who is drafting legislation related to dog attacks. 'It seemed like something the police should get involved in.' New legislation would create criminal consequences for owners in dog attacks like Penny's, according to Brewer and Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, who is proposing similar legislation at the state level. Rajkumar's bill, dubbed 'Penny's Law,' will criminalize negligent dog handling in the case of a dog attack. It will also criminalize leaving the scene – enforced similarly to a hit-and-run – and crack down on owners who let their dogs off-leash illegally. 'Currently, people get away with letting their dogs attack or kill other dogs,' Rajkumar said. 'Often it is the same people again and again.' More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State At the city level, Brewer is drafting legislation that would create punishments for dog attacks similar to animal cruelty, she said. As it stands, there isn't much recourse in an attack like Penny's. An owner's best bet is suing, according to the lawmakers. After a dog attack, the NYPD puts the aggressor into custody with Animal Care Centers of NYC for a 10-day rabies evaluation period. The Department of Health has the authority to determine whether and how the dog is released to its owner, according to the city's health code. If the dog is deemed 'dangerous,' the Health Department can require humane euthanasia or certain release conditions, like a muzzle in public spaces or confinement on the owner's property. 'For cases where a dog bite is severe or if the dog has a bite history, the Health Department investigates and may take enforcement action against the dog owner, including to impose conditions on the dog. If a dog poses an immediate danger, call 911,' said a spokesperson for the department. But these enforcement measures go out the window if the NYPD doesn't show up or the owner leaves the scene of the attack, like in Penny's case, the lawmakers said. Locals have recognized the dogs in Saturday's attack, and say they've been involved in other violent attacks. In that case, 'Penny's Law' would have prevented Saturday's attack from happening, Rajkumar said. After a long surgery, Penny is still in the ICU but on the road to recovery. Hundreds of people have rallied behind the chihuahua's family, donating over $24,000 to a GoFundMe page. The Health Department suggests anyone who has been bitten by a dog consult with a health care provider and report the bite to the Health Department online or by calling 311. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
