Aimee’s law is headed to the Senate, with prime sponsor Senator Dan Laughlin announcing Tuesday that the bill advanced out of committee. The bill was introduced in January following the death of Aimee, a Siberian Husky puppy found in a crate during the cold winter months.
“That dog like really spoke through her eyes, and you know, just watching her really try to recover as a puppy, it was, it was heartbreaking,” said Ruth Thompson, founder of The ANNA Shelter. “You know, with this law being enacted, it’s nice to know that she didn’t die in vain.”
Erie community members, leaders rally for Aimee’s Law
The law would create a statewide registry for people convicted of select animal cruelty offenses, and supporters said that could make it easier to identify people with a history of abuse.
“The Erie Humane Society has had a registry since 1999 that we’ve been building over the years, of course, and this just builds upon that, this is another safeguard for us to check and make sure animals are going into proper homes where they’ll be treated properly and safely,” said Peggy Schneider, executive director of the Erie Humane Society.
While the bill still has more steps to go before it could become law, local shelters said they’re watching its progress closely, as they deal with animal cruelty cases firsthand. For these local shelters and all over the state, the bill could mean another resource in preventing animal cruelty cases.
“I think it will prevent these animals getting into the hands of these people, getting these animals away from these people so that it doesn’t happen again,” said Thompson.
Aimee’s Law advances out of committee, heading to Senate
“This list is great because it’s statewide across Pennsylvania, and anybody can go to this list,” said Schneider. “It’s gonna start preventing cases like that happening, which is really what’s very, very important.”
As the bill moves through the state legislature, those working with animals locally said seeing it advance is an important step forward.
“I’m hoping that we get the people that are found guilty on that registry, so then, you know going forward, they’re not going to another shelter, and I would love it to go nationwide,” said Thompson.
Aimee’s law is now headed to the Senate. If it passes, it will move on to the House of Representatives.
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