Bill could increase penalties for animal abusers - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The Puppy Doe case outraged a lot of people, so much that lawmakers promised to beef up the laws regarding people who hurt animals and they came up with the Paws bill.

This bill is called the Paws Act, for protecting animal welfare and safety. It would toughen up the state's animal abuse laws in the wake of a disturbing case of animal cruelty. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr testified about the Paws Act before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary at the State House Thursday.

Tarr and 75 other bipartisan senators and representatives support the bill. Tarr proposed it after the horrific case of abuse of Puppy Doe, a pit bull that was tortured and beaten so badly, that he had to be euthanized. That dog's owner, an illegal immigrant from Poland, is now facing felony animal cruelty charges, but only because the dog was repeatedly abused.

"One of the reasons we have the possibility that a conviction might result in a long sentence is that each of those wounds was charged as a felony. But that raises the question, does an animal have to have multiple wounds in order for animal cruelty to be considered a serious crime?" Mary Nee from the Animal Rescue League of Boston asked.

This bill would create penalties for repeat offenses, and would add penalties for aggravating factors, such as if the abuse happened in front of children, or if it was done for profit. It would also create a registry of animal abusers, something Tarr admits may be an uphill battle.

"Frankly, it's the most ambitious part of the bill is to create a registry of those who have committed offenses entrusted with the care of animals. I will admit it's an uphill climb, but we're working hard and we're going to stay focused on it," Tarr said.

You may recall we told you about another recent animal cruelty case, where a beagle puppy was found hanged in a Winchendon family's backyard. That case is still being investigated. Under current law, Tarr says penalties are only a $2500 fine or up to five years in prison, not both. His bill would change that.

Tarr says he is concerned this is a race against the clock, and that the bill may die from what he calls "inertia." Of course, we have seen what Beacon Hill can do when it sets its mind to it. The legislative session ends in July.