A new law creating an animal abuse registry will be discussed by the Chautauqua County Legislature this month.

County Executive George Borrello announced the proposal last week to create an online registry that would identify any Chautauqua County resident who has been convicted of animal abuse crimes. Such crimes mentioned in the legislation include abandoning, injuring, overdriving or torturing animals; failing to provide proper sustenance; poisoning or attempting to poison animals; harming service animals; and injuring or killing a police animal. Borrello said a recent case involving a severely neglected dog that occurred in Jamestown and another incident involving the poisoning of feral cats spurred the development of the registry law.

He said the registry would work much like the sex offender registry, and any agency that sells or adopts out pets would have to check the registry before any pet could be sent home with someone. The registry would keep animal abuse offenders from adopting, purchasing or obtaining animals from any shelter or pet seller.

This may seem like a simple agenda item for legislators, but in reality it is anything but.

County officials should take care to make sure the registry remains private. After all, how is animal abuse worse than some crimes for which no such registry exists. Our society is one that, by and large, believes once someone has paid their debt to society for a crime the offender should have an opportunity to change their behavior and begin their life anew. Publicly tracking those convicted of animal abuse, publicizing their names and addresses long after they’ve fulfilled their legal obligations, would seem to be an undue hardship.

We hope county officials are also wary of adding new positions to a Sheriff’s Department that is already stretched thin. Lastly, we would hope the registry would show differences in classifications in animal abuse crimes so that someone who makes a mistake with an outdoor shelter for their dog isn’t held to the same long-lasting penalty as someone convicted of a crime like dogfighting.

Abusing animals is unacceptable behavior in a civilized society and we agree with the thought behind the county’s proposed animal abuse registry. We hope legislators realize there are many questions to be asked and answered before rubber-stamping the legislation.