Expands aggravated cruelty to animals to include all animals

This bill (S 6560) expands the definition of "aggravated cruelty to animals" to apply to all animals, not just companion animals like pets. It removes the previous restriction that limited the law to "companion animals" in the Agriculture and Markets Law. The bill maintains the existing definition of "aggravated cruelty" as conduct intended to cause extreme pain or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner. This change means the law now covers all animals - such as livestock, wildlife, or farm animals - under the same heightened cruelty standards. The bill was referred to the Agriculture committee on March 17, 2025, and takes effect immediately.