Target: Kim Reynolds, Governor of Iowa
Goal: Ensure every case of severe animal abuse is prosecuted as a felony.
A dog breeder who pleaded guilty to seven counts of animal cruelty will not serve a single day in jail after she received a suspended sentence. Meanwhile, a woman who faced charges of killing or injuring five dogs had her charges upgraded from misdemeanors to felonies, meaning she is much more likely to receive an appropriate punishment if she is found guilty. Often, animal cruelty cases are made or broken by the laws – and the strength of the laws – that guide them. A state with one of the worst animal cruelty legal statutes on record has the opportunity to turn things around for the most vulnerable victims.
For years, Iowa has held the notorious distinction of being the sole U.S. state where the worst cases of animal cruelty and torture are not designated with an automatic felony charge. So, the nearly 1,000 animals that were rescued from alleged cruelty in one year’s time have not received proper justice. A felony charge could mean the difference between a slap on the wrist non-punishment or a serious consequence that carries jail time, hefty fines, and animal ownership bans.
Under a new proposed law that has already earned the approval of the state legislature, first alleged offenses for severe and aggravated cruelty would be classified as felony charges with several years in prison possibly attached.
Sign the petition below to urge the governor to take this important and long-overdue legislation over the finish line.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor Reynolds,
Law enforcement on the ground have decried the lacking consequences for the heartbreaking animal cruelty cases they witness up-close-and-personal. Healthcare experts have reinforced the troubling link that exists between animal abuse and abuse inflicted on society’s most vulnerable, including children and the elderly. And legislators have finally listened to a public demanding reform in a faltering system that has seen Iowa trail woefully behind felony animal cruelty statutes in every other state.
Please lend your signature and your support to the animal cruelty bill that earned unanimous support in the Iowa House of Representatives. In a time of such division, Iowans have united behind the need to protect innocent living beings from the most horrendous atrocities.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Newton Wong
