Protecting animals
Abuse, torture of pets needs to be a felony
The abuse and torture of animals is a crime, both literally and figuratively. It soon should be a felonious one.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed by a unanimous voice vote the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture act, violations of which can bring a seven-year prison sentence. The Senate should now act on the same bill without delay. U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R.-Pa., has introduced the Senate version of this bill, which was approved in the last two sessions of Congress but not by the House.
Abuse or torture of pets and other animals is offensive and immoral and deserves to be prosecuted under federal law so that no one can find sanctuary for such behavior in any state.
The bill would exempt practices that are not intentionally cruel in agriculture, hunting, livestock slaughtering, and medical or scientific research, as well as conduct that is unintentional, is aimed at protecting the life or property of a person, or involves the euthanizing of an animal.
The U.S. House bill expands on a law from 2010 that banned so-called crush videos which show animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled or subjected to other forms of torture. In some of the videos, women with their faces hidden could be seen stamping on rabbits with spiked high heels.
That law bans the production and distribution of such videos but — ridiculously — not the behavior shown in them. The pending legislation was sponsored by U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch, D- Fla., and Vern Buchanan, R-Fla.
Mr. Deutch commented, “This bill sends a clear message that our society does not accept cruelty against animals.” The law, he said, will serve to protect living things that do not have a voice.”
The House bill is broadly supported by animal rights activists but also law enforcement and domestic violence prevention groups. It needs to be supported as well by the U.S. Senate and become the law of the land.