Animal Abuse Offender Registry

On April 9, 2019, Metro Council passed an Animal Abuse Offender Registry Ordinance. This ordinance went into effect October 22, 2019. Louisville Metro Animal Services (MAS) will be operating the Registry for offenders.  The following information was sent to us from MAS.

Prior to selling, transferring, exchanging, or adopting an animal to a person you can check the registry.

  1. You will need the name and address of the person receiving the animal.
  2. Go to www.louisvilleky.gov/animalservices and click on the Animal Abuse Registry box.
  3. Once on the site, you will enter the person’s name in the search box. If the person appears on the registry, they cannot receive the animal. If nothing comes up, you can proceed to step 4.
  4. In the search box enter the address where the person resides. If the potential adopter, buyer, etc. lives in the home with someone who is on the registry, they cannot receive the animal. If no address is found, they may receive the animal.

You can read more about this at https://animalabuseregistry.louisvilleky.gov/documents/AnimalAbuseOrdinance.pdf.

ANIMAL ABUSE OFFENDER REGISTRY

91.170 ANIMAL ABUSE OFFENDER REGISTRY.

  1. Louisville Metro Animal Services (“MAS”) shall develop and operate an Animal Abuse Offender Registry for offenders.
  2. Upon conviction, an offender shall be required to register with MAS. The period of time for said persons to remain on the Animal Abuse Offender Registry will be two years from the first day of release of confinement, or the beginning date of probation or conditional discharge.
  3. It shall be the duty of MAS to inform any person required to register pursuant to subsection (B) above.
  4. Any person required to register pursuant to subsection (B) above shall be required to pay an annual registration fee of $100 to MAS. The fee shall be recorded by MAS into the Animal Abuse Offender Registry account. Pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Director, MAS may waive or reduce the annual registration fee for the offender due to financial hardship or on the basis of income level.
  5. A person who establishes residency in Jefferson County and who, in the last two years, was convicted of an animal abuse offense in another Kentucky jurisdiction, or in another state with substantially similar animal abuse offense statutes, on or after the effective date of this subchapter, must, within ten business days of establishing residency in Jefferson County, register with MAS. Said persons will be required to remain on the registry until two years have lapsed since the first day of release of confinement, or the beginning date of probation or conditional discharge.
  6. MAS, with the assistance of the Department of Information Technology Services, shall establish the Animal Abuse Offender Registry website and make it available to the public. The website shall display offender information and shall be updated at least once every 30 days.
  7. MAS shall promulgate administrative regulations to establish and operate the Animal Abuse Offender Registry, including but not limited to policies and procedures:
  1. For compiling, publishing, and maintaining offender information;
  2. For how an individual may be removed from the Registry; and
  3. To ensure compliance with all other local, state and federal laws.
  1. Any employee of MAS who disseminates, or does not disseminate, registrant information in good-faith compliance with the requirements of this subsection shall be immune from criminal and civil liability for the dissemination or lack thereof.
  2. Any person required to register under subsections (B) or (E) must, within ten business days of change of residency, amend his or her registration with MAS.
  3. Any person required to register under subsections (B) or (E) who fails to do so or who knowingly provides false, misleading, or incomplete information shall be subject to a civil penalty under § 91.999(B).

(Lou. Metro Ord. No. 45-2019, approved 4-25-2019, effective 10-22-2019)

91.171 ANIMAL ABUSE OFFENDER REGISTRY PROGRAM.

  1. The Animal Abuse Offender Registry Program is established for purposes of collection of fees and administration of an online registry pursuant to § 91.170(D) and shall be used to develop and operate the Animal Abuse Offender Registry in accordance with § 91.170. MAS shall administer the program.
  2. Any moneys in the program shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year.

(Lou. Metro Ord. No. 45-2019, approved 4-25-2019, effective 10-22-2019)