[Vision2020] Animal Abusers, Welcome to Red Idaho!

[Saundra Lund]

Visionaries,

The first time I posted about this issue back in September 2004, Idaho was
one of only nine states in our great nation that lacked a felony animal
cruelty statute.

I think it's time to revisit this issue because in the time since, the
situation has gotten worse instead of improving  :-(  At this point, Idaho
remains one of only ***four*** states that still lacks a felony animal
cruelty statute.

My understanding is that Rep. Tom Trail has been working to fix this
travesty.  To date, he's been unsuccessful, and I'm hoping he will provide
us with his comments and the current status.

Why should you care?

For one thing, as appropriate laws and penalties are enforced elsewhere,
Idaho becomes a more and more attractive place for those law breakers to
come.

For the last 25 years, the link between animal abuse and domestic violence
(child abuse, spouse abuse, elder abuse) has been recognized.  As long as we
allow Idaho to continue to be a haven for animal abusers, we create an
environment that's more dangerous for ***all*** Idahoans.

Are you sick of watching your neighbor leave his/her animals outside without
adequate food/water/shelter?  Well, too bad for you -- not to mention for
the animals -- because Idaho lacks adequate definitions and standards of
*basic* care  :-(

And, let's say you witness a person abusing his/her animal and do the right
thing by reporting it.  And,  the offender is convicted, even though it's
just a misdemeanor.  You've saved the animal from a wretched existence,
right?  Wrong!  Idaho law does NOT provide for forfeiture of abused animals,
so right back to the abuser the animal goes  :-(

Idaho law also fails to provide for restrictions on the future ownership or
possession of animals following conviction.  So, Harry or Mary could beat
their dog, be convicted, burn their cat alive, be convicted, starve their
horse, be convicted, etc., etc., etc.

"But, only a crazy person would do that," you might say.  Maybe, maybe not .
. . but we'll never know because Idaho law also fails to provide for mental
health evaluations or counseling for those convicted of animal abuse.

No matter what kind of growth you advocate, you'd better hope our
legislature -- and our local authorities -- start making things right with
respect to animal laws because the situation will only worsen.  It will
continue to hit us in the pocketbooks because there's a financial aspect to
our woefully inadequate laws:  Idaho law doesn't provide for adequate cost
mitigation provisions (i.e., cost of care bonds, reimbursement of costs,
restitution) for impounded animals.

While some of these and other inadequacies need to be resolved at the state
level, there's plenty of room for improvement locally.  The City of Moscow
had just such an opportunity a year or so ago, yet the then-City Council
took a pass on addressing these very real problems.  We should advocate for
our Mayor and current Council Members to show the wisdom of local
improvement *now* rather than waiting until it costs us even more money . .
. and suffering.


JMHO,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
- Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006, Saundra Lund.
Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
without the express written permission of the author.*****