ID: Animal advocates decry lax laws

Animal advocates decry lax laws
Jesse Nance
jnance@idahopress.com
Updated 12 hours 56 minutes ago

TREASURE VALLEY — Officials at local animal shelters say Idaho's soft animal-cruelty laws do little to deter would-be offenders — and may even attract animal abusers from other states.

Animal cruelty, which can result in a felony charge in many other states, is most commonly a misdemeanor offense in Idaho.

"I think all of us wish that there were stronger laws in Idaho that are comparable to the rest of the U.S.," Karly Cantrell, spokeswoman for the Canyon County Animal Shelter, said.

Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society, said lobbying efforts from the agriculture industry, as well as from the state's sizable hunting and rodeo industries, have routinely impeded efforts to toughen laws currently on the books.

Animal welfare advocates have consistently proposed changes in recent years, but the vast majority of these proposals have gone nowhere, Rosenthal said.

"The knee-jerk response from lobbyists and various agriculture associations is to just oppose everything, and it's really unfortunate because I think it ultimately does more harm than good for their organizations as well," Rosenthal said. "And typically every year there are a couple bills that animal welfare advocates like the Idaho Humane Society have to play defense on,"

Officials at the Canyon County Animal Shelter and Idaho Humane Society, which oversees animal control in Canyon and Ada counties, see some of the effects of the state's relatively lax animal cruelty laws.

"We'll have a case one year, and three years later we'll see the same individual doing the same thing all over again," Rosenthal said. "All people get is community service and a small fine, maybe a misdemeanor charge."

But Rosenthal said some positive strides have been made in recent years. The state's strong animal forfeiture law allows the shelter to step in and take custody of abused animals in many cases, Rosenthal said. Organized dog fighting was also made a felony in Idaho, though cockfighting is still a misdemeanor.

But Rosenthal fears Idaho's soft cruelty laws could still attract offenders from other states.

"We're worried because one of the things that can happen is that in certain states that improve their laws, some of their rotten apples could leave those states and move into states with weaker laws," Rosenthal said. "And we certainly don't want this to be a safe haven for mass puppy or kitten breeders."

Rosenthal believes stiffer animal cruelty laws should be just the first step.

"The laws are just one part of the big picture," Rosenthal said. "The other parts are attitude, training and resources — in particular, resources to house and care for animals."

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