JACKSON — Some say Mississippi’s new felony animal-cruelty law is not doing the job.
As an example they point to a hoarder discovered with about 200 dogs, many starving and reduced to skin and bones.
Under the new law, only one charge of animal cruelty can be brought in such cases, and because this was the hoarder’s first offense, she could have been charged with a misdemeanor only, not a felony.
Sunday’s Clarion Ledger points out that no one has been charged with a felony under the state’s first cat-and-dog felony abuse law, which Gov. Haley Barbour signed on April 26.
Some supporters of the measure say it’s too early to tell how strong it will be in deterring abuse, while others say it’s not too late to make it stronger.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s still not adequate for some of the really bad cases,” said Nancy Goldman, acting president of Mississippians Fighting Animal Cruelty Together (MS-FACT) who cited the dog-hoarding case.
“People who torture cats and dogs need a felony on their record so they can’t work with children,” said Goldman, a psychiatric mental health clinical nurse.
“They don’t need to be able to work with the elderly in nursing homes. We’re collecting information on cases like the hoarding case and we’re planning to pursue getting the law changed.”
The law covers only dogs and cats.
Anyone who deprives the animals of food, shelter and water is guilty of “simple cruelty,” punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both.
Anyone who deliberately tortures, maims, starves, burns or disfigures a dog or cat has committed aggravated cruelty. For a first offense, a misdemeanor, the ultimate penalty is a $2,500 fine, six months’ jail time, or both. For a second offense, it’s $5,000 and imprisonment of at least one year but not more than five.
The biggest objection to the law is the “multiple counts problem,” Goldman said.
“If somebody tortured 12 dogs, it’s a misdemeanor, because it’s considered only one count.
“Only if he does it again within five years is it a felony. Another problem is that we lose a valuable bargaining chip: If there is an animal hoarder or a puppy mill, potentially there would be lots of counts.
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