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As of 1/6/11

SUPPORT HUMANE LEGISLATION!
Please ask your legislators to support the following:

HB 156 - SHELTER FOR A DOG - (J. Jenkins). Amends the animal cruelty statutes to define "shelter" and establish shelter and shade requirements for dogs. The current cruelty statutes require food, water, space, and health care - but no shelter. This bill precisely defines what constitutes shelter for a dog - a structure that allows the dog to maintain body heat during below freezing weather and provides shade during extreme heat. A precise definition is easy for owners to understand and for animal control and other peace officers to enforce. Each year, hundreds of dogs suffer and die as a result of extreme temperatures.
STATUS - in House Judiciary Committee

HB 157 - FORFEITURE AND BONDING - (J.Jenkins). Requires the defendant to post security deposit for animal care in cruelty confiscation cases. This allows the court system to put financial burden of animal care on defendant, not county governments. This can be a significant taxpayer savings in confiscations with large numbers of animals.
STATUS - in House Agriculture and Small Business Committee

HB 56- FORFEITURE AND PROHIBITION AGAINST FUTURE OWNERSHIP - (R.Crimm). Requires defendants found guilty of cruelty to animals to forfeit ownership of the animal and prohibits future ownership for two years.
STATUS - in House Judiciary Committee

WE EXPECT SEVERAL OTHER IMPORTANT BILLS TO BE INTRODUCED!

CALL YOUR PERSONAL LEGISLATOR AT 1-502 564-8100 AND ASK HIM/HER TO CO-SPONSOR THESE BILLS!

Kentucky Animal Cruelty Laws Rank Last

Progress in improving the state animal protection laws has been slow and Kentucky lags far behind its neighboring states such as West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee in progressive animal protection legislation. In fact, a recent study of all state statutes pertaining to animal cruelty has revealed that Kentucky ranks LAST in the nation because of inadequate or non-existent animal protection laws. Reasons for this low ranking include:

  • Inadequate range of prohibitions and definitions/standards of basic care
  • Principal protections apply only to select types of animals
  • Felony provision available only for offenses involving only select animals
  • No mental health evaluations or counseling following a conviction
  • No cost mitigation provisions for impounded animals (e.g. cost-of-care bonds, other reimbursement of costs, restitution provisions)
  • No forfeiture of abused animals
  • No restrictions on future ownership or possession of animals following a conviction
  • No separate crime for the sexual assault of an animal
  • Inadequate animal fighting penalties. Dogfighting spectators are only charged with misdemeanor offense; cockfighting is a misdemeanor;possession of cockfighting birds, cockfighting implements and being a spectator at a cockfight are all legal.

    Legislative Priorities 2011

Some of the additional legislation needed:

  • Forfeiture and Bonding - requires defendant to post bond for reasonable costs of care, animal forfeited if bond not posted. Guilty finding, acknowledgment of guilt or Alford plea requires forfeiture of animal. Need to prohibit future ownership also (2 years).
  • Horse soring - current statutes on horse soring minimal and ineffective (current fine $10 and only at horse show).
  • Animal fighting - felony penalty for cockfighting. Neighboring states have increased penalties, causing cockfighters to relocate to Kentucky. Cockfighting is closely connected to other crimes such as drug dealing, illegal firearms sale, gambling and even homicide. Increase dogfighting spectator penalty to felony.
  • Shelter for a dog - current cruelty statutes do not require shelter - just food, water, space, health care. Need to add shelter to the statutes, at least for dogs.
  • Mandatory spay/neuter from shelters - shelters are adding to influx by releasing unaltered animals for adoption
  • Antifreeze - bittering agent needed. Many children and animals are poisoned - accidentally or intentionally - with antifreeze due its sweet taste. A bittering agent (cost 1 cent/gallon) would prevent this.
  • Review of animal care and control laws - modernize and codify (this would be a resolution)
  • Sexual abuse of animal - add penalties for sexual assault of an animal
  • Commercial animal breeding operations - require registration and inspection of dog/cat/bird breeders engaged in commercial operations. These operations are often in violation of cruelty statutes, pollute local water supplies, and avoid federal, state, and local tax
  • Shelter standards - add penalties for non-compliance with KRS 258.119. Currently no enforcement provision. Many shelters still not complying.

Thank you to the HSUS for this list.

 

 

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