In Virginia, the only way to charge someone with a felony for abusing a dog or cat is if the animal in question dies from its injuries. Meanwhile, animal control officers statewide are claiming they are seeing an increase in dogs and cats being beaten.
Working to send a message to would-be animal abusers, one Republican state senator is helping pass legislation that would make abusing a family pet a felony, regardless of whether the animal lives or dies.
S.B. 1604, patroned by Senator Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach), dictates that the Commonwealth could charge someone with a Class 6 felony for “cruelly and unnecessarily beating, maiming, mutilating, or killing a dog or cat.”
If passed and enacted, when one abuses a cat or dog they could be charged and receive up to five years in prison. Also in the bill, crimes that would be punishable as Class 1 misdemeanors include “depriving any animal of necessary food, drink, shelter, or emergency veterinary treatment, willfully inflicting inhumane injury to any animal, and soring an equine for any purpose,” the impact statement shows.
WAVY reports that members of the Virginia Beach Animal Control met with DeSteph last week to lobby legislators in the General Assembly to change the law.
Virginia Beach Animal Control Supervisor Meghan Conti said in the report that “ultimately…when it [animal abuse] is so egregious that the animal could die as a result of this action, but because of the medical actions we have we are able to save this animal it should be a felony.”
“I think if you beat or torture a dog it should be a felony regardless,” DeSteph said.
Last week, the bill was passed through the Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee with a 15-member unanimous vote, heading to a floor vote in both the House of Delegates and Senate soon.