The Ohio State Senate has approved a bill that makes pet abuse a felony.
The measure would stiffen penalties for knowingly causing physical harm to a companion animal–any pet that lives with people or lives in a pet store.
The director of the Belmont County Animal Shelter says the bill is coming just in time, because they are investigating a very disturbing case.
“There’s an individual who has been boasting and making claims on Facebook that he killed a cat, skinned it and ate it,” said Angela Hatfield, shelter director. “And so these are the types of individuals who need to be targeted with this bill. As we know, that is the first step.” she noted. “If you are harming animals, you may soon be harming people. And we want to make sure that we stop those people in their tracks.”
Ohio Senate changes in the measure will need to be approved by the House, which approved the bill last year.
