Proposed law would make animal cruelty a felony

[yortsed snacilbuper]

Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives re-introduced a bill last week that would make malicious acts of animal cruelty a felony nationwide. A person convicted of the crime could face a fine or up to seven years in prison, or both.

The bill, known as the Preventing Animal Cruel and Torture (PACT) Act, is co-sponsored by Democrat Ted Deutch and Republican Vern Buchanan. PACT would criminalize "crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling animals." The measure would also address bestiality and other attempts to sexually exploit animals.

Deutch tweeted, "We will get this done. It's bipartisan, common-sense policy that will protect our animals."

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[Downtown Hound]

1. Good. Some of the things people can do to animals is horrific

And they often get very light punishments for it. That needs to change.

[calimary]

19. It absolutely needs to change!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. Not soon enough

[superpatriotman]

3. So brave

This is a head-slapping ‘why is this even necessary?’ bill

[UniteFightBack]

4. Thank you...you made my night !

Thank you Congressman Deutch
Phone: [phone]

Thank you Congressman Vern Buchanan

[Lithos]

5. Should be criminal

Yet, must include some medical intervention. I do not see this ending well - having these types of borderline psychopaths spending time in prison.

L-

[Duppers]

21. Prisons are already full of them. nt

[Bayard]

6. About time

[Doremus]

7. Surely there's no opposition to this. What could be the rationale for not supporting. nt

[thesquanderer]

12. Possible issue could be federal vs state jurisdiction.

By analogy, there is generally no federal law against murder. Exceptions need some additional rationale... some interesting info at https://www.wklaw.com/10-ways-murder-becomes-a-federal-crime/

[Duppers]

22. All states should pass this!

But we could guess the ones who wouldn't touch it.

[jberryhill]

16. Not federal subject matter

[jberryhill]

26. And what's your point?

Yeah... research, transport, dealers.... INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

This is not that. Perhaps you’d like to explain the basis for federal jurisdiction here.

[Duppers]

27. Sorry and you're right!

It only seemed that if they could intercede an animal's welfare in these cases, it would be some grounds for a law regarding others, proving some precedent.

[jeffreyi]

8. Works for me.

[lagomorph777]

9. About time!

[ProudLib72]

10. I met a woman at the dog park who had a rescue doggie

It seems the previous owner of the rescue doggie had drilled holes through her toes!

I met another woman with rescue Samoyed. Of course I petted the Sammi. The owner said the dog didn't usually let anyone near her because she had once been set on fire.

I could go on with the stories of animal cruelty, but I think you get my point. This shit happens too often. Personally, I'd like these people to get more than any seven years.

[Marie Marie]

11. This is great news but I wish it would also include the cruelty in the meat industry.

But it is a start so I hope it passes.

[Mickju]

18. I do too!

But i won't hold my breath.

[NotHardly]

13. Average sentence for federal offense of rape is 3 years with max sentence of 10 ... just say'in

[AlexSFCA]

14. Those who can be hurt pets can also hurt humans

making this a felony may help prevent crimes against humans too. I’d be curious to see who is going to oppose the bill.

[Duppers]

24. +1000 !!

[ancianita]

15. Vern Buchanan, how laughable. After thousands of dead turtles and dolphins washed up on his

Gulf Coast beach at Longboat Key here on Florida's west coast this past year.

NOW he cares about cruelty to animals?

And guess who won't be liable to be charged with felonies?

Fictional personhoods that pollute animal environments and kill those animals!

Does it include industrial torture of animals -- pigs, chickens, cattle? The killing of mammalian fish in oceanic large scale fish netting expeditions? Does it indict the polluters who create oceanic dead zones?

To me this sounds cheap and cosmetic. It's a law meant for the rest of us, not Big Extractor Transnationals. It's to stop puppy/kitty mills. Granted, better than nothing, right? And it will save mass cruelty to pets.

Fine, as far as it goes. But the rest of the animal world won't be touched.

One test of this law: on the ground, just go out and try to stop any corporations who ruin animal habitats, whether they're in forests or oceans, and watch who gets falsely arrested as terrorists.

Don't trust one damned thing Vern Buchanan supports. He's an enabler of launderers and drug transporters. He runs private jet and yacht leases all around the Caribbean. And the FBI should be investigating him since years ago.

[jmowreader]

17. This needs to be done as a series of uniform state laws, not a federal law

I thoroughly expect Trump to allow this to go into law without his signature. Days after that happens, a Deplorable will video himself drowning cute puppies and will post it on YouTube under his own name. He'll appeal the conviction all the way to Trump's Supreme Court on grounds that drowning cute puppies is not a federal question, and the law will be overturned.

Then Trump will start taunting liberals and the "nanny state" they want.

[whathehell]

20. Great news!.. Can't happen soon enough for me!

[mucifer]

25. Consider going vegan. Animal agriculture is where the vast amount of

animal torture comes from.

Fighting against torture for a few animals and participating in the torture of vast majority of animals is cognitive dissidence.