Lawmakers will decide on March 31 whether to increase fines and penalties for animal abusers.
The Senate Judiciary committee will vote on upping charges for first and second degree pet animal cruelty from a Class C felony to a Class B, essentially making a potential five year prison sentence into a potential 10 year sentence.
However, many farmers and ranchers testified against the bill on March 28 saying the definition of a pet animal was too vague.
“I’m a farmer, we raise our beef, we eat our own beef, and I don’t know if that’s cruelty to animal me killing my own beef, I have geese, ducks, and chickens too,” one farmer testified.
Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhodes said pets were already defined as cat, dog, domesticated rabbit, guinea pig, domesticated pig, and caged birds so long as they’re not bred for consumption.
The committee asked the deputy attorney general for clarification on chickens as pets. The AG’s office said they would have clarification when the committee votes on the measure.
Others argued animal cruelty cases rarely make it to court and say current laws need to be enforced before enhancing penalties.
The bill would also prohibit any convicted animal abuser from owning a pet for at least five years.
Animal advocates say animal cruelty is only getting worse.
“Recently it’s heinous, dogs are beaten by their owners, some of them are considered to be service animals,” a Hawaiian Humane Society officer said during the testimony.
The HHS officer said there was also a case of a woman who was walking her two dogs, and allegedly threw them off the cliff and walked away.
“On Wednesday, a dog, I have the police report, he was decapitated, paws cut off and there were signs of long term abuse and suffering,” said another testifier who is part of an animal rescue group.
According to Honolulu Police, animal cruelty cases went up from 58 in 2018 to 73 in 2023.
The bill also references studies correlating animal abuse with domestic abuse and the National Library of Medicine found 70% of people who commit domestic violence were also found to be animal abusers.
“Make no mistake, this bill is also about protecting people, decades of research shows a correlation of violence against animals and the abuse of vulnerable human beings,” said Stephanie Kendrick, director of community engagement at Hawaiian Humane Society.
The President of Hina’s Legacy Rescue Foundation Chantell Moniz said she receives at least five calls a day regarding animal abuse.
“I get pictures sent to me, I get videos sent to me, and it’s like there’s so many, so many that’s not even reported,” Moniz said.
She said most people stay anonymous out of fear of retaliation from the pet owner, but she hopes more cases are prosecuted moving forward so animal abusers understand their behavior is unacceptable.
