NY lawmakers vote to strengthen animal cruelty penalties

People convicted of extreme animal cruelty would be prohibited from owning a companion animal under legislation passed by the New York state Senate. The Senate also voted to increase potential jail time and fines for aggravated animal cruelty and require offenders to undergo psychological testing.The measures were passed on the Legislature's annual animal advocacy day, which brought several dogs, captive owls, hawks, reptiles and one pony to the state Capitol for a day of lobbying and outreach.