A National Registry for Animal Abusers?
"You can accept it for what it's worth. There are studies that show that those individuals who commit sadistic and cruel acts; the worst of the worst cases on animals; many of them later become child abusers, spouse abusers," Tennessee State Sen. Doug Jackson said. "They just have a dangerous personality. So placing them on the registry might provide some degree of protection."
Jackson is sponsoring a bill that would require the names of persons convicted of felony animal cruelty in Tennessee be put on an animal abuse registry. He also sponsored the bill that resulted in the state sex offender registry several years ago.
His plan would have the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which maintains the sex offender registry, also maintain the animal abuse registry. The abuser's name would remain on the registry for 10 years, after which, if there were no other related convictions, they could petition the court to have their name removed. The abuser would pay a fee which would offset the cost of maintaining the registry.
Jackson said that the registry could be useful for running background checks on people, just as is the sexual offense registry. Would you want someone who abuses animals to perhaps work with animals or children? He also cites it as a deterrent against animal abuse.
"If you're going to hire someone to work at a daycare center, you might want to check the animal registry as well as the sex offender registry," he said. "It creates another deterrent to those individuals that commit these acts. Your trial is public; your conviction records are public but they're buried at the courthouse. If what you did is going to be made known to society in general with the click of a mouse I think that creates another deterrent and it doesn't take up a jail cell."
Obviously, I think this is a great idea! Predators are predators, whether they prey on people or animals, they are dangerous and people should have a way of easily finding out about them. This is something that should be instituted on a nationwide basis. The closest we come today with any kind of an animal abuse database is Pet-Abuse.com. Even with as wonderful a job as is done maintaining their data-base, it is not all inclusive and the majority of the information comes from media sources. It's still scary when you look at the thousands and thousands of case it tracks.
Knowing as we do that animal abuse often leads to worse and even more violent crimes, people should have the ability to find out about dangerous criminals; murders, sexual offenders, pederasts, animal abusers. These people have been and can still be a danger to those around them. As for privacy; why should we worry about protecting the privacy of a person who has proven in the past to be a danger to society? As far as I am concerned they lost that privilege when they wantonly deprived another living creature of their most sacred rights, whether it be their life or their sanctity. As I see it, criminals have more 'rights' and 'protections' then the victims they abused. Let's give the victims and potential victims some rights, protection and a safety line!
Published by Dearaewi
Blogger, writer, animal lover and natural health advocate for people and pets. View profile
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Post a CommentNew animal neglect charges filed against Horry County woman
Police say Johnson abandoned two dogs at her home near the Forestbrook community in Horry County in 2009. Johnson was living at the apartment on 113 River Brook Court. Ellyn Johnson remains in jail at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
SCNow - Jan 28, 2010
Another animal corpse found at home of woman in jail on animal abuse charges
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Myrtle Beach woman sentenced on animal cruelty, torture charges
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much more long-term affordable options exist, such as stem-cell based experiments that involve no animals. Publish the address of these 'seems normal to me' people who cover their deeds the best that they can from everyone around? That's what I was looking for before I wrote this. It may not be a wise move. I was considering applying some eye for an eye justice to those who tortured domestic pets. Exposure and education about these issues is important, however giving the exact locations of these people to everyone is not wise, it may even create an unintended social network of animal abusers (they could find each other too, easily). The circle of hate has to stop somewhere. Good people need to remain defined as such by having the inner strength of focused long-term solutions to these evils. Verses immediate finger pointing that may inadvertently create another spin off of negative actions and new evil itself. It is hard to think clearly when filled with hate, I know this, it i
It is the opposite of justice and civilized behavior.
Unintended (or maybe not) side-effect. The address listings of these animal torturers may lead to secondary crimes. As many animal/pet lovers may lose their own restraint and feel compelled to torture those who torture (old school justice, an eye for an eye, what goes around comes around to include animals, esp the domestic pet types). Imagine how many listings their would be if you included pharmaceutical testing companies, probably 20 phone books worth. A better step is to educate children through ads (and law) that harming a person's pet (outside of self-defense) is morally & legally equivalent to harming that person them self, and thus that person has the right to self-defense, perhaps even killing the one who hurts their pet. Also to educate investors and corporate owners that animal testing is medieval, backwards, and filled with financial loss, especially when much more long-term affordable options exist, such as stem
Think in reality.
A step towards a more civilized world? Maybe. Or perhaps the source of the problem should be examined closer. Those who are raised in a hateful environment, or even those not raised at all (parents never around, morals are taught by other children who may also be raised twisted). The lack of self-discipline and self-control seen throughout our world done by people that we may have once admired; celebrities, athletes, politicians, even great business men. That lack of restraining ourselves causes a lash out during emotional turbulence, and unfortunately many lash out on animals. Some do it in a passion of hate, others do it for power (only a coward tortures or kills anything weaker than itself, with the exception of true self-defense), and an unfortunate few do it while in psychosis. However, regardless of why, it always shows a pathetic and weak human being, incapable of properly releasing their emotions in a ethical sport or activity. It is the opposite o