Posted: | March 18, 2015 02:24 PM |
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From: | Representative Ryan A. Bizzarro |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Legislation Amending Title 18 (Crimes & Offenses) Cruelty to Animals |
In the near future I will be introducing legislation amending Title 18 (Crimes & Offenses), Section 5511 - Cruelty to animals. This legislation will require that after an animal abuser is convicted, the victims of that abuse will be forfeited to an animal shelter. In several recent cases, judges have chosen to award animals back to their abusers after conviction. In addition to the stress to the animals, allowing the animals to return to their abuser virtually guarantees that the animals will again be placed in jeopardy, necessitating another costly seizure or at the very least frequent checkups from law enforcement. Anyone convicted of abusing an animal should not be afforded the opportunity to resume the abuse, especially not after the shelter caring for the animal has invested countless charitable contributions into rehabilitating the physical and emotional damage inflicted by the abuser. Please join me cosponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB869