Target: Ron Mariano, Speaker of Massachusetts House of Representatives
Goal: Pass expanded provisions for addressing animal cruelty, animal seizure, and animal abuse recidivism.
A woman with dementia reportedly stopped feeding her farm animals. Dozens of cats were rescued from a residence allegedly deemed unsanitary and unsafe, in a case of suspected animal hoarding. Both these Massachusetts cases are representative of the many incidents where the legal remedy is not clear-cut. When potential mental health issues are involved, the complications increase for police and prosecutors. Massachusetts leaders think they may have a solution.
A bill before the state legislature would allow for misdemeanor charges in cases like the aforementioned. This charge would enable officials to remove animals from a person’s custody immediately, without going through a complicated and lengthy process and without severely punishing someone who had no malicious intent. Under the bill, mental health evaluations and treatments would also be prioritized, as would stricter prohibitions on convicted animal abusers having contact with animals. The latter measure is particularly important since animal cruelty can have a high rate of recidivism.
Sign the petition below to support an expansion of the available legal tools for combatting animal abuse.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Speaker Mariano,
Animal cruelty and neglect is often correlated – sometimes strongly – with certain mental health conditions. Across the board, accountability for acts of cruelty is low while recidivism is high. The Humane Protection of Animals Act addresses all these concerns, and it deserves the legislature’s attention.
The act would expand the type of citations and charges available in animal cruelty cases: an especially useful tool when mental health may be a factor. Abusers with suspected mental health issues would have more access to treatment. At-risk animals would also have expedited options for rescue from harm. And convicted abusers would lose access to more potential victims.
Please make this bill a priority and give it your full support.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Stefan Korner
