The Protect Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, aka the PACT Act, is now a part of the federal law after being signed last Monday.
The new law makes animal cruelty a federal offense regardless of what state it is taking place in.
After receiving overwhelming response both from the Senate and the House of Representatives, the act was signed by President Trump on Monday.
The new law is intended to take “the worst and most malicious acts of animal cruelty, including crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling,” as federal crimes, reported the Humane Society of United States.
The PACT Act is meant to close the loopholes that people exploited in the Animal Crush Video Protection Act of 2010, which made unlawful “the creation, sale, and distribution of obscene videos that show live animals.”
Even though it banned the acts of cruelty against animals but the federal agents could only press charges against someone who made a video of the crime.
The new PACT Act gives federal agencies like FBI the authority to take into custody and prosecute the ones torturing and killing animals whether or not they make a video of the heinous act.
“America’s beloved pets are safer thanks to the passage of the PACT Act by President Trump and Congress,” said Lea Berman, former Social Secretary for the George W. Bush administration and founder of Creatures Great and Small.
“It will finally be a federal crime to abuse or torture animals, a recognition of how valuable animals are to us, not only as pets but as service animals, law enforcement support, and loyal companions,” she added.
Lea’s privately funded charity, Creatures Great and Small, was leading the advocacy movement at Capitol Hill last year to make the PACT Act a part of the US constitution.
Both the government and the opposition were on the same page at this and the law got support “most notably from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, Freedom Caucus and various moderate caucuses.”
The PACT Act, presented by senators Pat Toomey and Richard Blumenthal, and representatives Ted Deutch and Venn Vern Buchanan, was approved without any hiccup.
“We’re thrilled to see the first anti-cruelty statute in American history signed into law and applaud President Trump for providing the voiceless with a level of protection never seen before,” said Marty Irby, the executive director at Animal Wellness Action.
“The PACT Act will allow federal authorities to crack down on the most egregious of animal abusers and help keep American pets safe from harm.”
President of Humane Society of the US, Kitty Block, said the law will not only reduce the incidents of cruelty towards animals but will also reduce violence against humans.
The society claims that studies show a relationship between animal torture and violence against humans.
“PACT makes a statement about American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level,” Block said.
“The approval of this measure by the Congress and the president marks a new era in the codification of kindness to animals within federal law.
“For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality.”
Replaced!