Suffolk County in New York was the first government entity to pass a law establishing an animal abuser registry. There have been more than a dozen states that have begun the work to follow suit but Suffolk was the very first.
The registry is a database of convicted animal abusers that are 18 years old or older. It will include a photograph and any aliases they may have used. Their names and information will be on the books for five years. It is very similar to the registry required for sex offenders. If a convicted abuser fails to register they can face jail time and a hefty fine.
It is well known that almost every serial killer began with torturing animals. There is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and violence. It is the hope that this law will not only protect animals from cruel human owners, it may also end up protecting the lives of humans.
The website will be available to the public so that individuals will know if there is an animal abuser living in their neighborhood. Some of these abusers steal their neighbor’s pets. The registry will enable people to be more cautious if they find themselves living near a registered offender. Future legislation may enhance the law so that anyone on the registry will be prevented from buying or adopting a pet from a shelter, breeder, or pet store.
Officials state that some abuse is motivated solely by cruelty; other abuse cases are instigated by the poor economy. For example, people that are losing their homes sometimes leave the pets behind to fend for themselves. As you can imagine this is a bad idea.
For example, Detroit Michigan has hit on hard times in the past few years. This area has been hit by high unemployment which in turn has fueled foreclosure problems in the city.
The poor economy also led to a problem with overflowing animal shelters. As a result, an abnormally high number of cats and dogs were put to sleep due to a limitation on resources. So many of the homeowners that found themselves losing their homes felt that letting their dogs and cats loose gave them more of a chance of living. These domestic pets are left on their own.
Another sad scenario of abuse is when elderly citizens are forced to choose between feeding and taking care of their animals and feeding and taking care of themselves. They become overwhelmed with the responsibility and their problems and at times seniors neglect their animals without cruel intentions.
Hopefully more states will follow suit and enact similar protection for innocent pets. Animals are helpless and they need us to do our best to protect them.
No related posts.
