Is it Time for an Animal Abuse Registry?

A warning sign for many criminals is a history of cruelty to animals, and legislators in California want to keep track of animal abusers through a registry, much like they keep track of sex offenders.

The goal of this registry would be to more effectively prevent repeat offenses. The names and photos of people convicted of felony animal abuse would be put online with this registry, allowing people selling or adopting out any kind of animal to ensure that they won’t be going to someone who may abuse them. California Senator Dean Florez proposed a bill that would require this, and says he will push it as far as he can, despite difficulties it is facing.

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of registering pet abusers is the money. The project would require at least $500,000 to $1 million to launch, and after that would take several hundred thousand dollars a year to maintain. The proposed way to fund this would be a small tax on dog food, but this portion of the bill has caused many people to balk. Taxing dog food would be punishing the animal owners who are taking good care of their pets, some already struggling to do so in a down economy.

Jennifer Fearing, the California senior state director for the Humane Society, told Time Magazine: “”I would be shocked if this legislature is prepared to enact any tax this year, much less one levied on pet owners who are struggling to care for their animals, when many of them are dropping them off at shelters.” Many say an animal abuser registry would benefit everyone, and pet owners shouldn’t have to fund the project on their own.

The difficulty is obviously where to get the money, but there may be other possibilities than a tax on pet owners. Charging people who have been charged with animal abuse a certain amount of money towards the registry is possible, though there may not be enough animal abuse cases to fund it entirely. While the basis for funding of this registry may need to be changed and more thought out before the bill could pass, the idea behind it is something that should be enacted in all states. Not only do animal abusers affect animals, but many animal abusers go on to crimes against people as well. Having knowledge of who has been convicted of serious animal abuse could prevent future animal abuse and potentially attacks on the lives of humans.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has launched a campaign to encourage all states to propose and pass bills similar to the one in California.

“Such registries would protect animals, pet guardians and communities by preventing repeat offenses from anyone with a known history of abusing animals. This could include violence (torture, mutilation, intentional killings, etc.), sexual abuse, and animal fighting as well as neglect (such as hoarding).”-The ALDF

They are encouraging people to sign a petition and ask their state legislators to propose such a bill, as well as to report known animal abusers near them.

Leave a comment with your thoughts on the matter, whether you think the registry is a good idea or not, or with your ideas on how to fund it.