If you’re an avid reader of iHeartDogs.com, you’ve probably read your fair share of stories about unthinkable animal cruelty. Dedicated people across the country have been fighting to impose harsher penalties for acts of animal cruelty. This week, they were rewarded with a historic new legislation.
Following its passage in the Senate, a bill making acts of animal cruelty a felony was just signed by President Trump. It’s official!
Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) who co-sponsored the bill called the bill’s passage a “major victory.”
“Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer. Evidence shows that the deranged individuals who harm animals often move on to committing acts of violence against people. It is appropriate that the federal government have strong animal cruelty laws and penalties.”
About The Bill
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, as the bipartisan bill is called, criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The House of Representatives approved the bill in late October 2019. The bill passed in the Senate unanimously on Nov 5, 2019.
The PACT Act will officially make it a federal crime for “any person to intentionally engage in animal crushing if the animals or animal crushing is in, substantially affects, or uses a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce.”
The Bill’s Reception
A lot of people are celebrating this momentous occasion! In a statement, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, Kitty Block, offered praise about the new law.
“PACT makes a statement about American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level. The approval of this measure by the Congress and the president marks a new era in the codification of kindness to animals within federal law. For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality.”
The head of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Sara Amundson, also expressed joy and relief following a long fight for justice.
“After decades of work to protect animals and bearing witness to some of the worst cruelty, it’s so gratifying the Congress and president unanimously agreed that it was time to close the gap in the law and make malicious animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction a felony. We cannot change the horrors of what animals have endured in the past, but we can crack down on these crimes moving forward. This is a day to celebrate.”
Animal cruelty is a serious issue. If you witness any acts of abuse, report it. Learn more about what to do here.
H/T: ABC
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