Georgia Animal Abusers Must Now Pay in More Ways Than One

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.care2.com/causes/georgia-animal-abusers-must-now-pay-in-more-ways-than-one.html


By: Laura Goldman May 3, 2016

Thanks to a new law passed last month, anyone living in Georgia whose animals are lawfully seized in a case of animal cruelty must pay upfront for their care while the case is prosecuted.

State Bill 356, which was sponsored by State Sen. Michael Williams, will help ease the financial burden on the state’s shelters, which become especially strapped in cases that involve a lot of animals, such as puppy mills, dog-fighting operations and hoarding situations.

“We congratulate all our partners in passing this important law to help put the financial burden of caring for abused animals on the abuser, rather than on the taxpayer,” Debra Berger, the Georgia state director for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said in a statement. “The new law ensures that animals who are victims of illegal animal cruelty get the care that they deserve.”

The new law could also mean tougher sentences for animal abusers. When perpetrators aren’t required to pay for their seized animals’ care, “they know that a humane group will often settle for a lighter charge in order to gain custody of the animals so they can be placed in new homes more quickly,” according to the HSUS.

FULL story at link.

[840high]

1. Good.