Politics & Government

Animal Abuse Registry: Could it Work in Connecticut?

Massachusetts lawmakers are proposing one today that would be mirrored off the state's sex offender registry. Would you like to see one in our state?

Under a law that is expected to be proposed today, those convicted of animal abuse in Massachusetts would be added to a searchable database.

Modeled off the state's existing sex offender database, the proposed Animal Abuse Registry is lawmakers' swift response to one of the state's worst cases of animal abuse, according to to the Boston Herald

That case, which has become known as "Puppy Doe," involved a dog that was starved, beaten and tortured. The dog's condition was so bad that veterinarians could not save her, Holliston-Hopkinton Patch reports.

How Would It Work?

A description of the proposed law, House Bill S. 807, says that the Animal Abuse Registry would be updated with information from the Department of Criminal Information Services, and would include:

  • the offender’s name
  • residential address
  • date and description of the crime which required registration
  • a photograph of the offender

Any Massachusetts resident 18 or older, tried as an adult and convicted of an animal abuse crime would need to register within 10 days of either the date of judgment or date of release from prison. Out of state residents convicted of an animal abuse crime who move to Massachusetts would need to register in the first 10 days of living in the state.

According to the Boston Herald, the bill also calls for beefing up penalties, specifically for repeat offenders, who would face 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. 

Calls For Stricter Penalties in Connecticut

When a 22-year-old Branford man was arrested last year for allegedly choking his pit bull-boxer mix to death, many residents reacted by calling for tougher penalties for convicted animal abusers.

Could an Animal Abuser Registry be the answer?

— Patch Editor Liz Taurasi contributed to this report.

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