ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Animal rights advocates gathered outside Rochester City Hall to protest what they see as a lack of action from local law enforcement in handling animal abuse cases. The protest followed a landlord’s video on Facebook of dogs being kept in poor conditions by a tenant on Third Street.

“I live in the city. So I’m just appalled at how they’re treating this,” said protester Cierra Dailey.

Suzanne Nugent from the Passion in Action Advocates for Rochester’s Animals (PAARA) described the conditions as “horrific.”

“They have been in those crates for God knows how long and for them to have chewed the plastic and the metal to the point where they squish their head out and they’re actively bleeding,” she said, describing the video taken by the landlord.

Nugent says despite the presence of six Rochester Police Department (RPD) officers and three Humane Society officers at the scene, no dogs were removed.

News10NBC asked the Rochester Animal Services and RPD about the case. Both said Lollypop Farm serve as the lead on animal abuse cases such as this.

In a statement online, Lollypop Farm stated in part, “While our investigators may personally recognize and even express concerns over certain conditions, they are legally bound to operate within the framework of New York State animal welfare statutes. These laws dictate when intervention, including seizure, is permissible. Acting outside of those boundaries can jeopardize cases, the long-term ability to hold offenders accountable, and may result in an animal being returned to the very situation we aim to remove them from.”

Lollypop Farm mentioned two proposed bills in the state assembly aimed at allowing earlier intervention in animal cruelty cases, Assembly Bill A1609 and Assembly Bill A6602.

Matt Albert, an animal rights lawyer, told News10NBC “Humane law enforcement may enforce animal cruelty laws. And when they charge someone with animal cruelty, they have every right to seize the animal in harm’s way. And any other animals that are in the vicinity as well.”

He also emphasized that under State Agriculture & Markets Law 371, police officers are required to intervene in animal cruelty cases. “They don’t have the discretion to say, ‘oh, we’re going to cut this guy a break,’ they must make that arrest,” said Albert.

At a city council meeting, protesters voiced their concerns. Councilmember Bridget Monroe, who oversees Rochester Animal Services as Chair of the People, Parks, & Public Works Committee, acknowledged the need for better enforcement.

“I think the significant part is making sure that what we already have out there is enforced,” said Monroe. “We do see finger pointing, I’ve watched the things on Facebook Live. And we’ve got to do better. We’ve got to clear this up.”

The post ‘We’ve got to do better’; Protesters criticize law enforcement’s response to alleged animal abuse appeared first on WHEC.com.