Senate Passes Felony For Repeat Animal Cruelty

The Senate overwhelmingly backed a bill that would slap repeat animal cruelty offenders with a felony.

The bill won on a 31-1 vote Thursday and now heads to the House.

It makes a third animal-cruelty conviction within 15 years a felony crime punishable with jail time.

The measure is being pushed by the livestock industry, because it’s trying to take the wind out of a stricter voter initiative proposed by animal-rights advocates.

The Idaho Humane Society supports the measure, but believes it could go further to target animal torture.

Just like in committee a week ago, Sen. Monty Pearce of New Plymouth, was the lone opponent, on skepticism that Idaho really has an animal cruelty problem.

Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota stand alone without felony animal cruelty laws.