Libre’s lesson
A rescued dog galvanizes Pa.’s animal cruelty law
Despite the dog-eat-dog political climate, Pennsylvania lawmakers from both parties and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf found something important upon which to agree: animal abuse is wrong and should be punished more severely than it has in the past.
After the measure received a 49-0 vote in the Senate and overwhelming support in the House, Mr. Wolf on Wednesday signed House Bill 1238 into law. It’s called Libre’s Law, named for the Boston terrier who became the poster dog for stronger animal cruelty provisions.
After almost dying last year from starvation, skin infections and other ailments at a breeder’s place in Lancaster County, Libre, then a pup, has fought his way back to health. He’s now a celebrity. His recovery made international news, and his inked-up paw print joined Mr. Wolf’s signature on the new law. His mug was captured with those of the state’s top officials in photos of the bill-signing ceremony.
Lawmakers and Mr. Wolf rightly described the ceremony as a celebration of the most comprehensive animal protection bill in state history. Pennsylvania long has been too soft on animal abusers. It was one of only three states that did not have a felony charge for cruelty offenses. The new law streamlines animal abuse cases into three categories, neglect, cruelty and aggravated cruelty. Offenses in the aggravated cruelty category, including torture and causing the death of an animal, will be third-degree felonies.
The law requires offenders to forfeit their animals in certain cases, gives civil immunity to veterinarians who make good-faith reports of animal abuse, criminalizes the sale of horses if they are too sick or lame to be used for lawful purposes and makes it a third-degree felony for anyone to stage animal fights. From now on, it will be illegal to work an animal for more than 15 hours in a 24-hour period or more than 90 hours a week, and the law restricts the declawing of dogs and the cropping of dogs’ ears and tails. The law also sets requirements for tethering dogs outside, such as requiring access to drinking water, limiting the tethering time to 30 minutes in temperatures of 90 degrees or higher or 32 degrees or lower, and requiring that the tethering be done in a way that prevents entanglement.
Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, sponsored the legislation, saying he was troubled by mistreatment of a wide variety of animals, including reports of turtles blown up with M-80s and horses beaten after collapsing in the summer heat. But Libre is credited for galvanizing much of the action.
There are many Libres still out there in need of a rescue, medical treatment and a loving family. This law should help to protect some of them.