NYC Parks Department proposes new fines for abandoning pets in public parks

NEW YORK - The New York City Parks Department has unveiled some new proposals that would punish people for ditching their animals at the city's public parks.

The proposed rules come in the wake of a tragic incident earlier this year when a five-foot-long alligator, nicknamed "Godzilla," was rescued from a lake in Prospect Park. 

The alligator, which was found to be suffering from extreme cold, later died. An autopsy revealed that she had swallowed a four-inch-wide bathtub stopper. 

Under the new proposal, anyone caught abandoning an animal, whether it's an exotic pet like an alligator, or a more common pet like a dog, could be fined $1,000.

While New York State already has laws in place to prevent animal abandonment, this new rule would allow city park rangers to issue citations for the act.

"We get dogs, we get rabbits, and on occasion we get turtles," said Marc Santiago, a Deputy Chief Park Ranger.

According to Santiago, dumping domesticated animals is not only dangerous for park goers, it is almost certainly a death sentence for the abandoned pet. 

"A lot of times it's dogs. Folks don't want their dogs, and they just let them go in the park, hoping someone who wants a dog will find it and take it. That's not exactly the way it usually works out," Santiago said. 

City parks are carefully designed for New York City's native wildlife and plants.

City officials say that if pet owners are unable to care for their animals, they can surrender them to one of the city’s Animal Care Centers, which provide a safer alternative than releasing pets into the wild.

In addition to fines for pet abandonment, the new rules propose raising the penalties for illegal dumping in city parks. Fines could increase from $1,000 to as much as $5,000 for a first offense, and up to $10,000 for repeat offenders within the same year.