SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A California lawmaker introduced a new bill on Tuesday that would require animal abusers to register as offenders. AB 2344 would create a California Animal Abuse Registry for adults who have been convicted of felony animal abuse.
The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D–San Francisco), would require abusers to register for 10 years to help protect animals from repeat offenders. Animal shelters, rescue organizations, and the public could use the registry’s public website to search for offenders.
Haney said, “Too often, animals are treated like property after they’ve been tortured, neglected, or killed. AB 2344 says clearly that if you commit felony animal abuse, there will be lasting consequences.”
Similar to the Megan’s Law website for registered sex offenders, the Animal Abuse Registry’s website would be run by the California Department of Justice.
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The assemblyman’s office wrote, “A registry would help better identify people with a history of serious abuse and make it harder for repeat offenders to slip through the cracks. The registry would collect identifying information including the offender’s name, photograph, and conviction details. The California Department of Justice would then make certain information publicly available through an online website intended to help protect animals and improve community safety,” Haney’s office wrote.
(File photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/ AFP via Getty Images)
AB 2344 will be heard in the state Assembly Public Safety Committee in the coming weeks.
Haney said, “Animals are completely dependent on us for care and protection, and when that trust is shattered through abuse, we have a moral obligation to act. Animal cruelty is unacceptable. By giving shelters, rescues, and the public a tool to prevent repeat cruelty, the registry will help protect vulnerable animals.”
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