Now that animal abuse is being taken far more seriously than ever before, more and more jurisdictions are altering their laws to reflect this new reality. A number of United States jurisdictions have now made laws that require the names of animal abusers to be displayed in a registry that is similar to the ones that are used for sex offenders.
These registries are designed with the objective of keeping people who have harmed animals in the past from ever having the chance to do so again and they are a welcome addition to the lawmaking policies of places as disparate as New York City and Tampa.
Retail outlets and shelters no longer have an excuse when it comes to providing animals to those who have a history of abuse, as they are required to have a prospective adopter read and sign an affidavit that provides assurance that they are not on the registry.
If you are a regular person who is in search of a pet sitter while you are away on vacation, these registries also take on added value, allowing you to vet candidates more readily and do the proper research before potentially leaving your animals in harm’s way.
The registries are not yet a requirement in all states, but they are slowly popping up throughout the country, in places like New York City (although theirs is not able to be viewed by the general public), Tennessee (whose is statewide) and Cook County, Illinois.
For those who consider pets to be family members, this is welcome news. Perhaps individuals who consider hurting animals in the future will reconsider their actions if they are aware of the fact that their name will end up on a list that is easily searchable. Having actual documentation to use makes life simpler for animal lovers, as well as law enforcement.
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