Advocacy Archives | Lollypop Farm

Humane Law Enforcement at Lollypop Farm Helps Lead the Charge for Stronger Animal Protection Laws in New York

Lollypop Farm — Wed, 07 May 2025 12:28:11 +0000

At Lollypop Farm, our mission to build a more compassionate world for animals goes far beyond our shelter walls. Every day, our Humane Law Enforcement investigators work to investigate and stop cruelty, neglect, and abuse across the Greater Rochester region— but their work is also reaching the New York State Assembly.

Thanks to the advocacy efforts of our team and the leadership of Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, two new pieces of legislation are now up for a vote that could dramatically strengthen protections for animals across the state.

These proposed laws—Assembly Bill A1609 and Assembly Bill A6602—are critical next steps in preventing cruelty and ensuring that those who harm animals are held accountable.

Legislation regarding criminal reporting

Designates a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals as a qualified agency for the purpose of allowing access to the division of criminal justice services central data facility.*

The first piece of proposed legislation is for SPCA officers to have access to the New York State central database, which contains information such as criminal records, photographs, fingerprints, and other information.

This legislation also means that Lollypop Farm and other animal welfare agencies would be able to report into this system, providing better reporting of animal crimes to other agencies. This would help keep track of those who have committed acts of cruelty or neglect towards animals and provide agencies like the FBI with important information to help prevent further crimes.

Research suggests that there is a link between human and animal violence, and animal abusers are more likely to commit harm to other people. This legislation would help to prevent further crimes against animals and people.

Impact at a glance:

- Improves tracking and sharing of information about animal abuse offenders.
- Supports better coordination across numerous agencies.
- Aims to interrupt the cycle of violence by identifying repeat offenders, recognizing the link between animal abuse and human violence.
Legislation regarding endangering the welfare of a companion animal or farm animal

Establishes the crime of endangering the welfare of a companion animal or farm animal in the first and second degree.

Endangering the welfare of an animal in the second degree involves reckless conduct that will ultimately cause harm to a companion or farm animal. In the first degree, it includes intent to harm, which would be a felony under the law. Currently, most laws involving animal cruelty are misdemeanors in New York.

“We have been working on this for some time now,” states Reno DiDomenico, VP of Humane Law Enforcement at Lollypop Farm. “We hope that taking a more proactive approach to animal cruelty will give us more of an ability to prevent crimes instead of having to react to them, and ultimately help us save more animals.”

By formally recognizing the severity of these crimes, this legislation brings long-overdue accountability and reinforces the importance of animal lives under state law.

Impact at a glance:
- - - To be more preventative and give officers the ability to act sooner in situations involving cruelty.
    - Includes the mental culpability of the defendant, making it harder for the defendant to justify their actions.
    - Encourages stronger deterrents and allows for more significant legal consequences.
    What can you do?
    
    Head to the New York State Senate website using the links below and write in your support. There is a button on the right side of each page asking, “Do you support this bill?” which you can click on “Aye.” You can also receive alerts by providing your email address or by creating an account. Let New York State know that you support these pieces of legislation to help protect animals!
    
    For bill A1609 regarding reporting, visit this page.
    
    For bill A6602 regarding endangering the welfare of a companion or farm animal, visit this page.
    
    We would like to thank Assemblyperson Jen Lunsford for sponsoring these vital pieces of legislation. Lollypop Farm extends its gratitude to Assemblymember William Conrad, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, and Assemblymember Maritza Davila for cosponsoring Assembly Bill A1609, as well as Assemblymember Micah Lasher and Assemblymember John T. McDonald III for cosponsoring Assembly Bill A6602.
    
    These legislative efforts reflect a major step forward in protecting animals across New York. They also strengthen the foundation of our humane law enforcement work, giving our officers the information, recognition, and legal support they need to do their jobs effectively.
    
    Together, we’re creating a safer, kinder world for animals—one law at a time. Thank you for being part of this life-saving mission.
    
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Humane Law Enforcement Update

Lollypop Farm — Fri, 17 May 2024 11:46:15 +0000

I am so proud of the work done at Lollypop Farm every day. Tuesday, April 16th, marked a particularly momentous time for our shelter.

As part of an ongoing investigation, Lollypop Farm Humane Law Enforcement officers executed a warrant at a residence on Leopard St. in the city of Rochester. Working alongside Lollypop Farm’s own Animal Emergency Response Team (AERT), Humane Law Enforcement Investigators seized 120 dogs from the property. The dogs were brought to Lollypop Farm and greeted with the loving care and medical support they needed.

Since then, our Humane Law Enforcement Investigators have been working with the owners and their lawyers to attempt to get custody of the animals in our care. We are happy to share that as of Friday, May 10th, this was accomplished for all but two of the dogs involved in this case. With full custody, our shelter and staff can begin readying these dogs to find new homes and a second chance.

This does not mean the hard work is over. This is the first time in our shelter’s history that we had such a large group of dogs who have never known or felt the benefits of human affection. However, I am again moved by how our staff, volunteers, and community rise to the challenge. Our shelter staff are working with stressed and fearful dogs. Our veterinary clinic is working to examine, care for, and spay/neuter dogs who have never been touched, let alone received a vaccination. Our Humane Law Enforcement department continues to diligently work the case to find the right balance between justice and compassion for a person we hope receives help. It is a long road ahead, and those interested in giving one of these dogs a home are encouraged to keep an eye on our website, which will be updated as these friends become available.

The two dogs in question will stay in Lollypop Farm’s care as we await court proceedings to determine if the judge will award our shelter custody or order us to return them to their owner. We understand that this can be a long and challenging time full of uncertainty, but we want to assure you that we are fully committed to providing them the love and care they deserve. We will keep you updated on any developments in the case.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our community for supporting our shelter during this case. We could not do what we do without the support of our donors, foster families, volunteers, corporate partners, and people like you who have given pets like these a second chance.

With Lollypop Love,

Alice Calabrese, CAWA

President & CEO

Lollypop Farm

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A Friend to All Animals: Jenna

Lollypop Farm — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 13:45:05 +0000

Imagine this: An animal lover who has been part of the animal welfare community since she was born. A toddler who has met countless foster animals. A five-year-old who asked her friends to donate supplies to her local humane society instead of buying her birthday presents. A six-year-old feeding neonatal kittens under her mother’s supervision.

Who is this incredible kid? Her name is Jenna.

The importance of being kind to animals began at a young age for Jenna thanks to her mother, who has been a Veterinary Technician at Lollypop Farm, a non-profit animal shelter, for over 20 years now.

Now, at just 11 years old, Jenna is a friend to all animals. However, it’s clear that one animal, in particular, has snuggled their way deep into her heart: rats!

Jenna has had four rats up to this point, all unique in their own way. “Pua” would love when Jenna let her roam around her dresser drawers. “Nate” enjoyed belly scratches. “Teddy” loved snacks and hanging out in Jenna’s sweatshirt pocket. “Gouda” is her latest addition who loves learning new tricks like giving paw.

There are countless stories of how Jenna has helped people change their mindset on how they view rats. Her compassion for these little friends has helped many people realize how great rats can be as companions. For example, did you know that some rats enjoy snuggling up for a nap with their caretaker? Or that they experience emotional connections with other rats and form strong bonds with each other?

Jenna participated in Lollypop Farm’s summer camp for three summers and would bring her pet rats with her to let the other campers meet them. Many campers had never met rats before or were even a little wary at first, but by the end of the camp week, the group loved Nate and Teddy, and some campers were even asking their parents if they could adopt a pet rat!

When Lollypop Farm was faced with its largest Humane Law Enforcement seizure to date, where over 800 animals were rescued from inhumane conditions, Jenna was ready to help from the beginning. She would come in to clean mice tanks, give rats fresh water, and make sure these small friends were well taken care of.

Once the animals were in Lollypop Farm’s custody and available for adoption, Jenna was at the forefront of the marketing efforts. She was in a promotional video, went on the local news, and posed for photos, all in an effort to promote an upcoming adoption event called “It’s a Small World, Afterall,” where hundreds of rats and mice would be waiting for homes. She was pivotal in spreading awareness about how amazing rats are as pets.

On the day of the adoption event, Jenna proudly brought her two rats, Nate and Teddy, and offered the community meet-and-greet opportunities with them. Whether someone had never met a pet rat or they were an avid rat-lover, everyone who visited Jenna, Nate, and Teddy that day left the room smiling.

Looking to the future, Jenna is interested in a career in the animal welfare community, specifically humane law enforcement, where she can not only help animals in need of life-saving care but also help educate pet-loving community members who need guidance on how to care for their pets.

Jenna is a spectacular 11-year-old and we cannot wait to see the amazing things she’ll continue to do for animals in the future.

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Progressive New Animal Welfare Legislation

Adrienne McHargue — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 21:29:06 +0000

We’re thrilled that Governor Hochul recently signed two important animal welfare bills into law! Lollypop Farm actively supported these bills through meetings and writing letters to regional representatives, and launching a board and community action alert in support of the bills. After the bills passed both the state Assembly and Senate, we reached out to the Governor to urge her to sign them into law.

The first piece of legislation, S.5023A/A.5823-A, requires veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty.
“Veterinarians are in a unique position to see when pets are being mistreated. By protecting the working relationship between veterinarians and Humane Law Enforcement, this bill ensures there is another partner to fight animal crimes and bring perpetrators to justice,” explains Reno Di Domenico, Vice President for Law Enforcement at Lollypop Farm.

Making the case against animal abusers requires collaborations across disciplines. S.5023A/A.5823-A will protect the relationship between veterinarians and humane law enforcement.

The second, S.4254/A.4075, prohibits insurers from refusing to issue or renew, cancel, or charge or impose an increased premium for home insurance based solely on the dog breed.
Alice Calabrese, President & CEO of Lollypop Farm, says, “I extend my thanks to Governor Hochul for signing the bill to ban dog breed discrimination in home insurance policies and to all of our representatives who supported the legislation. For far too long, caretakers have had to choose between a beloved member of their family and access to fair home insurance coverage. I am thrilled that there is now one less barrier to keeping dogs safe and happy in their homes.”

No one should have to choose between their beloved dog and insurance coverage. S.4254/A.4075 will ensure that dogs will stay safe and happy at home with their beloved families.

We’d also like to thank the New York State Animal Protection Federation, of which Lollypop Farm is a founding member, for being instrumental in writing, advancing, and building support for this progressive legislation. Both laws will be instrumental in keeping pets happy at home and fighting animal crimes!

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