Woohoo! Pennsylvania is Toughening Animal Cruelty and Neglect Laws

Great new for animals coming out of Pennsylvania! The state Senate recently voted unanimously on a bill called “Libre’s Law,” that will establish new levels of violations for intentional torture to an animal or serious neglect or abuse. This comes after the bill passed in the House two months prior and it has now made its way to the desk of Gov. Tom Wolf.

Libre’s Law was named after a Boston Terrier who was rescued last year from a breeding operation in Lancaster County. The dog was reportedly only hours away from death and his journey to recovery was documented on social media by the Dillsburg Veterinary Center. Libre’s case gained national attention and brought more awareness to the conditions often seen in breeding facilities.

Currently, Pennsylvania does have felony convictions in place for severe violations such as with dog fighting, death and repeated abuse cases of pets. The new bill, however, will serve justice for animals that also fall victim to certain tethering situations. This includes but is not limited to cases in which animals have open sores, are left outside over 30 minutes during extreme weather conditions, or the use of unacceptable tethering devices like choke collars and tow chains.

According to Senator Rich Alloway, “We are long overdue to join the rest of the country in having higher standards of care for our pets and other animals.” Additionally, Sen. Alloway reports that the new legislation offers the most significant changes to Pennsylvania’s animal cruelty laws in more than 30 years.

All too often, cases of animal abuse or neglect are overlooked and ignored by the public and government. It is wonderful to see these legislators pushing forward more stringent penalties and laws surrounding animal abuse. We certainly hope this is a positive trend that gets picked up in other states as well!

Image Sources: PA Humane Society/Twitter