Iowa Toughens Animal Abuse Laws After Decades of Advocacy

Before yesterday, Iowa was the only state in the U.S. where animal torture was not categorized as a felony. Monday's bill-signing at the state capitol changed that.

Animal Abuse in Iowa is Now a Felony

A bill signing ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol featured a dog named Ember. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the five-month-old puppy had been a victim of abuse. But on Monday, she appeared with Governor Reynolds to change Iowa's law against animal abuse. Advocates had been pushing for decades to get Iowa's law changed. Monday's bill-signing made it official. The legislation was approved unanimously by the Iowa House and Senate.

How Iowa's New Law Deals With Animal Abuse

The Gazette reports that the new law maintains the current punishment of an aggravated misdemeanor for certain actions where someone "intentionally or knowingly inflicts on an animal severe and prolonged or repeated physical pain that causes the animal’s serious injury or death." However, the law also creates a second and much more severe punishment that would be a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and with a fine of up to $10,245.

The Gazette reports that Governor Reynolds stated that the new law is about "cracking down on intentional, willful and malicious infliction of pain or prolonged death on innocent animals." She added that oftentimes acts of violence against animals are linked to violent crimes against people.

While Iowa might be late to the party, it's nice to know that our legislators finally agreed to add this new law to help protect our furry friends.