Assemblyman Alexander B. Pete Grannis
Democratic Candidate for State Assembly
65th Assembly District - East Side Manhattan
Assemblyman Pete Grannis could well be considered the dean of animal welfare legislation in New York City's delegation to the state legislature.
He's been a leader on animal issues for the last 30 years, voting consistently for bills to enhance the care and protection of animals and taking the lead in a 10-year fight to push through the state's toughest animal cruelty law. In 1996 the ASPCA awarded him its prestigious Public Service Award for his long-time work promoting animal welfare.
Mr. Grannis supports the two bills AFNYC feels are essential to securing the homes of New Yorkers with pets:
- Housing for senior citizens with pets. A1080 would protect people 62 years or older from being denied housing in, or evicted from, a multiple dwelling on the sole ground that they keep a common companion animal such as a cat or dog.
- Fair insurance for homeowners with dogs. A6761 prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against homeowners with certain breeds of dogs.
- In fact, as Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, Mr. Grannis has already moved the insurance bill one step closer to becoming law by voting it favorably out of the Insurance Committee.
Mr. Grannis won a significant victory this year as primary co-sponsor of an important bill defining "dangerous dogs," which passed both the Assembly and Senate. The bill specifically allows judges to determine whether a dog is dangerous based on the individual dog, not its breed. It puts the legal responsibility for a dog's behavior on its owner and includes serious penalties when a dog found to be legally dangerous injures other animals, including companion animals. This extends legal protection available to people to companion animals as well - a meaningful step.
Last year, another key bill authored by Mr. Grannis - a bill to protect veterinarians from civil or criminal prosecution for reporting abuse or neglect of animals they treat - was signed into law.
Mr. Grannis is also the sponsor or co-sponsor of bills that would:
- Dedicate funds raised from dog license fees for low-cost spay and neuter programs.
- Expand the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include reckless conduct that could lead to serious injury or death, such as allowing a companion animal to starve or freeze to death.
- Prohibit the sale, barter, transfer, exchange and import of wild animals as pets.
- Require proper outdoor shelter for dogs.
- Prohibit animal fighting and make it a felony to breed, sell, offer for sale or purchase any animal with intent to use that animal for fighting.
- Ban canned hunts.
