A bipartisan bill in the Ohio House aims to classify the crime of animal cruelty as an act of violence and increase the penalties in animal abuse cases.
Senate Bill (SB) 164, sponsored by State Senators Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights), would enhance Goddard’s Law that was passed in 2016, classifying serious physical harm of a pet as a fifth-degree felony.
The bill would change current laws to prohibit animal shelters from destroying animals using carbon monoxide gas.
The legislation also lowers the mental state of animal abusers from knowingly to recklessly in cases where caregivers do not supply an animal with sufficient food and water, making it easier to prosecute these cases.
Violations will result in a fourth-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $250 fine. According to Yuko, Ohio is currently one of four states in the U.S. that does not ban the use of gas chambers for animal euthanasia.
“(Pets) become part of our families. If someone abuses a member of our family, we certainly want them to pay for their improprieties and we want the same thing for our pets,” Yuko said.
Hottinger said he already planned on introducing harsher penalties for those connected to animal abuse when Yuko began working to outlaw gas chamber euthanasia, so the two decided to collaborate on a bipartisan bill.
According to Hottinger, animal abuse can indicate future crimes, such as domestic violence or murder. With the crime being classified as a violent offense, the judge can impose prison time, and the charge would not be expungable from the violator’s record.
“(The bill is) the next step to protect not only, you know, our pets, our companion animals, but also I think it really does serve as a significant protection against future crimes against humanity as well,” Hottinger said.
According to reports from the Columbus Humane Society, it investigates around 6,000 cases of animal abuse per year.
“Too many times we look the other way because they’re animals. But to those of us who have pets or have had them in the past, it’s a lot more than that,” Yuko said.
Ohio’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Executive Director Teresa Landon said the organization is unaware of any animal shelters currently using gas chambers. The last of Ohio’s animal gas chambers were removed from Erie County last year.
“This bill basically makes sure that history doesn’t repeat itself. But it’s unlikely that any county would attempt to purchase a commercial gas chamber again anyway, they’ve all switched to lethal injection,” Landon said.
According to the Cleveland Animal Protective League (APL), animal abuse is still a major problem in Cleveland, with APL’s humane law enforcement team busy daily with mostly neglect cases but also with a fair number of animal cruelty cases.
“Animals, they’re living beings and how we treat life and other living beings really reflects our compassion and our humanity as a society,” APL CEO and President Sharon Harvey said.
The bill comes as the next version of animal protection in Ohio. In 2013, Nitro’s Law was passed, which made abuse from animal clinics or caregivers a felony. In 2017, Ohio outlawed bestiality, a bill also co-sponsored by Hottinger.
The Ohio State Senate unanimously passed the legislation, and it has not received opposition to date. If the Ohio State House passes the bill, it will head to the desk of Governor Mike DeWine to be signed into law.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
