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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOhio to make first-offense pet cruelty a felony with ‘Goddard's Law’
Ohio lawmakers just passed a law that would make it a fifth-degree felony to knowingly harm a pet by inflicting pain or depriving it of food, water, or shelter for a first offense.
On Wednesday, House Bill 60 passed through the state Senate unanimously with a 33-0 vote, and the House approved of new amendments by a 92-1 vote.
Sponsored by Reps. Dave Hall (R-Millersburg) and Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland), the bill was nicknamed Goddards Law after Dick Goddard, a Cleveland weatherman who has advocated for strengthening the penalties against animal abusers for years.
Now its heading to Ohio Gov. John Kasichs desk.
Once signed into law, HB 60 will make it illegal for anyone to knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal.
The move was a long time coming, according to one of the sponsors.
It was a minor misdemeanor before. A lot of times it was a slap on the wrist, Hall said in an interview with Yahoo News. So we felt that we needed to put teeth into the law in Ohio.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ohio-to-make-first-offense-pet-cruelty-a-felony-with-goddards-law-211516888.html
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)leftyladyfrommo
(18,815 posts)We need stronger laws like this in all states.
Animal cruelty is in the same ballpark as child abuse or elder abuse. It needs to be a felony.
The FBI'S is starting to get involved because animal abusers are also abusers of children and old people. Some become serial killers.