The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill that would make animal cruelty a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Introduced last February, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT: H.R. 724) criminalizes those specific, heinous acts that have been difficult to prosecute under existing law. Under the proposed law, it would be a federal crime for a person to “intentionally crush, burn, drown, suffocate, impale or otherwise subject an animal to serious bodily harm.” Bodily harm includes sexual abuse.
Currently, it is a federal crime to produce and distribute videos of such actions, but it is not a crime to commit the acts themselves. PACT closes those loopholes in existing law which only prevents animal fighting.
The bill now moves to the Senate where it is expected to pass handily, though a vote has not yet been scheduled.
“Most people are shocked to know that the U.S. does not have a federal animal cruelty law,” Animal Wellness Foundation Director of Federal Affairs, Holly Gann, told Fox News. “Enacting this bill sends a signal that our nation has no tolerance for intentional cruelty toward animals.”
Routine vet care, hunting or actions aimed at protecting lives and property from dangers posed by animals would not fall under the law’s statute. Time will tell whether the latter exemption proves to be a litigious slippery slope.
PACT is the culmination of a bi-partisan effort spearheaded by Florida congressmen Ted Deutch (Democrat) and Vern Buchanan (Republican). Alabama representatives, Bradley Byrne and Martha Roby, both Republicans, also contributed to the bill.
“We’ve received support from so many Americans from across the country and across the political spectrum,” Deutch said in an official statement. “Animal rights activists have stood up for living things that do not have a voice.” Rep. Buchanan added, “We are optimistic [PACT] will pass the Senate which has supported the bill in two previous sessions of Congress.”
Law enforcement organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Sheriffs Association voice sweeping support of PACT since animal abusers are also likely to commit violent crimes against people. Legislators say that PACT would not conflict with local animal cruelty laws or the enforcement of those laws, though some express concern. Additionally, violators who committed crimes in one state could not escape prosecution by fleeing to another state.
Top administrators of the Humane Society hail the legislative achievement and press for its enactment: “Let’s make this the year we pass the PACT Act so those who commit the worst crimes against animals do not go scot free,” the group posted in a recent blog.
In a political climate rife with contempt, distrust and extreme partisanship, it’s heartening to know that blue and red can sometimes make gold.