patrick's law

The horrors of animal abuse have reached epidemic proportions, and must not be ignored or tolerated any longer. Animal abusers are rarely prosecuted, let alone convicted, and even then, the punishments that are imposed are often painfully weak.

The goals of Patrick's Law are to:

1. Strengthen existing animal welfare legislation by escalating animal abuse to a felony in all 50 States;
2. Empower law enforcement officers to intervene when first alerted of an animal abuse case;
3. Motivate Congress to pass companion animal protection laws at the Federal level;
4. Create a National Animal Abuser Registry that lists the names of convicted animal abusers, who are then forbidden from ever owning animals or working with animals for the remainder of their lives.

Those convicted shall be incarcerated, required to make restitution and do community service, undergo extensive counseling, and be listed on the National Animal Abuser Registry as convicted felons. Animal welfare must be a non-partisan issue. Let us put aside our differences to protect animals together!