While lawmakers are back in session in Jackson, bills that were on the front burner before the coronavirus outbreak have since been pushed to the back burner.
One of those bills is Senate Bill 2658 that would make it a felony for certain animal cruelty charges, such as crushing, suffocating, impaling or burning animals. The bill has 14 sponsors, including Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune; 13 are Republicans and one is a Democrat.
Hill has been actively campaigning for changes in the law regarding animal cruelty since she has been in office.
Hill, who represents Marion County, said Wednesday that a person who watches a dog fight can be charged with a felony, yet setting a dog on fire and live streaming it is a misdemeanor.
Some of the language in the bill include:
l “If a person with malice shall intentionally torture, mutilate, maim, burn, starve to death, crush, disfigure, drown, suffocate or impale any domesticated dog or cat, or cause any person to do the same, then he or she shall be guilty of the offense of aggravated cruelty to a domesticated dog or cat. Each act of aggravated cruelty that is committed against more than one (1) domesticated dog or cat shall constitute a separate offense.”
l “A person who is convicted of a first offense of aggravated cruelty to a domesticated dog or cat shall be guilty of a felony and fined not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections for not more than three (3) years, or both.”
l “A person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offense of aggravated cruelty to a domesticated dog or cat, the offenses being committed within a period of five (5) years, shall be guilty of a felony and fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and imprisoned in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years.”
On March 25 the bill was sent to the Judiciary B committee by the House, where it is in danger of dying.
In recent events, a dog was stolen from a rescue yard in Memphis and was abused on live T.V. The dog was later found dead, having been strangled. In Mississippi, the man would only be charged with a misdemeanor, Hill said.
Hill said the current session will most likely continue until the end of June.
