President Donald Trump signed the first animal cruelty bill into law, outlawing many types of violence usually done for video purposes.
The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act was passed by the Senate this month after a similar House vote in October.
This applies to non-human mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, building on a 2010 law that outlawed the distribution of ‘crush’ videos meant to satisfy a disturbing fetish.
President Trump said the new law would stop people from sharing videos of animal cruelty (some people film animals that are ‘purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.’)
“It is important that we combat these heinous and sadistic acts of cruelty,” Trump said.
Lara Trump, an animal welfare advocate, told Daily Mail that she is very proud of her father-in-law. “I could not be more excited for President Trump to take this historic step today, publicly signing into law a bill tackling the nefarious and unacceptable world of animal cruelty,” Ms. Trump said in a statement.
“Our companion pets are family members, and our working dogs are our heroes, and any movement to signal and enforce a positive environment for these great animals is a step in the right direction.”
The new law, which has a maximum penalty of fines and 7 years in jail, does not include some activities, including fishing, trapping, slaughtering livestock, hunting, and scientific or medical research.
Anything ‘necessary to protect the life or property of a person’ is also exempt, as well as those done as part of euthanizing an animal.
One internet user commented: “WOW this is s Trump I could like.”
Another wrote: “I’m not known for my love of Trump but I’m glad he signed this bill.point 357 |
It’s long overdue.point 22 | It’s funny, though: I think just about everyone (every decent person, anyway) is glad animal cruelty is being taken more seriously but people are still attacking each other in the comments because of politics.point 204 |
Doesn’t matter.point 20 | If people think twice about hurting innocent animals and then don’t, that’s all that matters.point 111 | Thank you, President Trump.point 135 | ”point 138 | 1
A third said: “I had never heard of these kinds of videos before I read this article. It leaves me sick to my stomach that there are people like this in the world and now I am crying. These poor animals depend upon us for their lives, they have no choice, and deserve only someone to love them, good food and water, a blanket, and some toys. President Trump did a good thing.”
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Replaced!