ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Albuquerque’s mayor and police chief say they support legislation that would make animal cruelty a federal crime.
Mayor Richard Berry and Police Chief Gorden Eden have sent letters to the Humane Society expressing support for bi-partisan legislation. The Humane Society is advocating for the new law.
Eden and Berry say the legislation would close a loophole in federal law, which prohibits profiting from animal fighting and videos that show animal cruelty but doesn’t ban the actual act of cruelty itself.
Malicious animal cruelty already carries felony penalties in the criminal codes of all 50 states. The proposed federal legislation would outlaw animal cruelty and torture in areas where federal authorities have jurisdiction.
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