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joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
Thu May 26, 2016, 08:20 PM May 2016

Ohio 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 Goddard’s Law after Dick Goddard, a Cleveland weatherman who has advocated for strengthening the penalties against animal abusers for years.

Now it’s heading to Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s 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

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Ohio to make first-offense pet cruelty a felony with ‘Goddard's Law’ (Original Post) joeybee12 May 2016 OP
In my opinion, cruelty to animals trumps (forgive the choice of word) cruelty to humans NV Whino May 2016 #1
Wtf? Seriously? You have issues. Nt Logical May 2016 #4
Good. leftyladyfrommo May 2016 #2
Great news. Hoping this spreads to other states quickly. JudyM May 2016 #3
k&r Liberal_in_LA May 2016 #5

leftyladyfrommo

(18,815 posts)
2. Good.
Thu May 26, 2016, 09:49 PM
May 2016

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.

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