Abuse Registries Pending

Efforts to establish online animal abuser registries are gaining momentum across the country, with legislation currently in the works in five states. According to The Los Angeles Times, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and New York have all proposed new legislation that would require convicted animal abusers to register with law enforcement, much in the same way sex offenders do. The registries would follow the model set forth in Suffolk County, NY, which created the nation’s first public animal abuser database in 2010. Proponents of the measures believe that registries would reduce and prevent incidences of animal abuse by barring convicted abusers from adopting or buying animals.