Love Animals?

[horseshowmom]

lf you love animals and happen to have some time on your hands, I would like to ask for some help.

Currently, Mississippi law only provides for a misdemeanor offense if someone abuses animals (with some exceptions regarding livestock). The Senate is working on a bill (S.B. 2127) that addresses this issue by increasing the penalties and fines.

While I know you good people are not Mississippi voters, I'm guessing the senators won't know that if you email them and just put your name. I'll put a link to the senators page at the bottom of this email.

If you do contact any of them, please make reference to the article that I am also going to link at the bottom. So that you won't have to read it (it's upsetting), I'll give you the basics. The article was in the Tupelo Daily Journal and involves 50 animals (dogs and cats, puppies and kittens) found dumped together in Prentiss County that had been tortured and killed.

Rewards have been offered but at this time the individual(s) can only be convicted of a misdemeanor (I don't know for sure but maybe more if it can be proven that some of the animals were stolen - which may be the case since at least one was identified as a family pet). We need this law in place desparately.

If you have some spare time, please send a polite email to at least a couple of the senators asking that they please support the bill.

Thanks very much!

Article:
http://www.nems360.com/view/full_story/11238806/article-About-50-dead-animals-dumped-in-Prentiss?

Senate Page:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/ss_membs.xml

 

[Swalphin]

Mississippi definitly needs this change in animal cruelty law. I checked out the ASPCA site after reading your post here is a link.
http://www.aspca.org/News/Animal-Welfare-News/ms-lawmakers-consider-bill.aspx
They seem to think the chances of passing are better this year as the public has been educated more about what the legislation entails. It seems there was oppostion previously from the agricultural community.
I will be happy to send a politle email to several and express my support for the legislation. Thanks for information.

 

[horseshowmom]

I am hoping that this will finally pass. I know that it came up last year (maybe the year before too). Sometimes people get misinformation that leads them the think the bill "will go too far" and let their imaginations run wild (I actually heard one person who thought that the bill might mean they couldn't work their horses anymore - not hardly ). That's not going to happen. We desparately need for this to pass, and my intention is to try to contact every senator on the list (I figure they won't know whether I'm in their district or not).

 

[Swalphin]

I copy and pasted my text and was able to send to at least 20, pretty quickly addressing each by name.

GA in the last several years has taken on animal cruelty, they pursue and prosecute, thank God! We have a huge problem with dogfighting, the ASPCA, GBI and private individuals with a background in high tech corporate security are going after these thugs and have had success!
The stories that seem to be in the paper everyday amaze me. It seems it is either an animal, an elderly person or a child that is being victimized, the weakest in our society. Hopefully people will understand the implications of animal abuse on society as a whole. How we allow the weak/voiceless to be treated does impact all of us one way or another.

 

[horseshowmom]

I copy and pasted my text and was able to send to at least 20, pretty quickly addressing each by name.

GA in the last several years has taken on animal cruelty, they pursue and prosecute, thank God! We have a huge problem with dogfighting, the ASPCA, GBI and private individuals with a background in high tech corporate security are going after these thugs and have had success!
The stories that seem to be in the paper everyday amaze me. It seems it is either an animal, an elderly person or a child that is being victimized, the weakest in our society. Hopefully people will understand the implications of animal abuse on society as a whole. How we allow the weak/voiceless to be treated does impact all of us one way or another.

Sadly, we also have that problem (dogfighting). If some "teeth" are put into a new law, it WILL make a difference. Not to mention that people who torture animals are likely to abuse people as well.

 

[horseshowmom]

Bump

 

[horseshowmom]

Bump (last one, I promise).

 

[crazyme5kids]

The county I live in passed a law (the first in the country), that states anyone who is convicted of abusing animals must register on the animal abuse registry. Same theory as the sex offender registry.

 

[horseshowmom]

The county I live in passed a law (the first in the country), that states anyone who is convicted of abusing animals must register on the animal abuse registry. Same theory as the sex offender registry.

I wish we had that! I got all my emails sent out and got some good responses. One of the senators told me about an additional bill that he was sponsoring and told me who chaired the committe in the House that would determine whether it would be voted on after it left the Senate. Turns out that I know the chairman's family... He got a very nice email as well.

As a rural resident, I've "inherited" numerous dogs and cats throughout the years (who I've made sure were spayed and neutered) that others didn't want. I'm looking at my MinPin now who has a right angle at the end of his tail where it was clearly broken by someone. He's been with us a year and a half now and has just started getting a little friendly with my husband (who thinks he probably looks like someone who was really mean to him ).

 

[DMRick]

The county I live in passed a law (the first in the country), that states anyone who is convicted of abusing animals must register on the animal abuse registry. Same theory as the sex offender registry.

We don't have that law, but we sure have a great do not adopt list among rescue groups that we all share and add to.

 

[horseshowmom]

We don't have that law, but we sure have a great do not adopt list among rescue groups that we all share and add to.

Which is also a very good thing.

 

[horseshowmom]

I just wanted to add to this thread that a bill passed the Senate unanaimously concerning this issue yesterday. Now, I hope the House steps up as well.