Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — The legislature has unanimously passed a bill that raises the penalty for animal torture to a felony, with a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
Senator Mike Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, says the bill will protect animals and people because there’s strong evidence there’s a link between animal abuse and future violent crime.
Advocates for companion animals like dogs and cats have been pushing the legislature for years to take this step.
Representative Samantha Fett, a Republican from Carlisle, says the bill sets the right penalty for deliberate and extreme cruelty to animals.
The bill also allows those who assist in the torture of companion animals can be charged with a crime.
KIWA Staff Photo
