SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It was back in January that Sparky was rescued from a backyard in Onondaga on a frigid winter day.
Today the Onondaga County Legistlature decided to table voting on an adrian's law, a local bill that aims to protect dogs like Sparky from the extreme temperatures-both hot and cold.
This tweaked version of the bill changed the length of time a dog is left outside before it becomes dangerous, to take into consideration different types of dogs.
"It's changed significantly, and the original law was just 30 minutes so we changed that threshold for two hours," said Legislator Chris Ryan, "tethering of dogs. In my opinion, and a lot of others that if a dog is out, it's tethered, it can't come inside or seek shelter, it shouldn't be left out in the cold and we defined the weather."
The Onondaga County Sheriff supports Adrian's Law-and so do Syracuse Police.
Among those who spoke out in today's session-animal cruelty investigator Becky Cosgrave, who responds to heartbreaking calls where dogs don't make it.
"Adrian's Law would help me protect animals before they get injured, before something happens," said Officer Cosgrave.
Right now, legislators are calling for a public hearing on the bill,and a more collaborative discussion with others who support it before a vote.