According to the Humane Society, the State of Idaho is one of the seven states in the US lacking felony animal cruelty convictions.State lawmakers in Idaho are crafting a bill that would make dog fighting a felony, but there is nothing in the works to toughen animal cruelty penalties.
Right now, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is a year in jail and up to a $9,000 fine.
Sen. Kate Kelly, (D) Boise, is working on an animal cruelty bill, with the aim of making the law clearer by specifying that even a person who does not own the animal involved can be charged.
She thinks there should be felonies for animal cruelty, for example if an animal is tortured and killed.
"It's something we need to look at, certainly," Sen. Kelly told CBS 2 Eyewitness News. "It is concerning. We're seeing more incidents of animal cruelty, we're seeing a raising public consciousness about cruelty issues."
The other members of the Shameful Seven are Alaska, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Mississippi.
Photo by Wolfgang Staudt.
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