Bill that would toughen animal cruelty sentencing laws reaches House floor

OLYMPIA, Wash. - A new bill has made it to the House floor that would toughen animal cruelty sentencing laws. 

House Bill 1961 adds first-degree animal cruelty to the list of ranked felony offenses in Washington State. 

Freddy, a handsome lab mix, loves playing around with the staff at Pasado's Safe Haven. However, his caretakers say it's not his good looks that make him a standout. 

"I say he’s a Frisbee dog, an agility dog. That’s what he is in his heart," says Michele Graves, Behaviorist at Pasado's Safe Haven.

When you meet him, it's clear the athletic pup loves to play. 

"Of course, fetch is his favorite game," said Graves. "He is such a gorgeous dog, you wouldn’t know from looking at him that anything had happened to him."

His easygoing personality hides a painful past. At around two months old, he was the victim of a brutal axe attack during a domestic violence dispute.

"Fortunately, Freddy has healed from these really traumatic wounds," said Brenna Anderst, the Director of Education and Advocacy at Pasado's. 

Under House Bill 1961, first-degree animal cruelty would become a ranked felony. That means people who abuse dogs like Freddy would face more consistent consequences when sentenced.   

"Animal cruelty in the first degree is already a class C felony, and elevating it to a ranked crime would add to the sentencing guidelines grid, creating consistency for judges, for prosecutors and defense attorneys," said Republican Representative Sam Low, 39th District.  

Low, a bill sponsor, says there is currently a discrepancy. 

"For example, because AC 1 is ranked, somebody who abuses ten plus animals is looking at the same sentence as somebody who abuses one animal," said Low.  

Supporters say there is also a strong correlation between violence against humans and animals. 

"As we’ve seen in Freddy’s case, which was a domestic violence case, and something he was caught in the middle of," said Anderst.

Meantime, Freddy is not alone. Poppy, a pup rescued from neglect, has also been healing at Pasado's.

"We call her Poppin' Poppy," said Graves, showing off Poppy's jumping skills.   

Both are ready to find their forever homes. 

"He has a great setup here, but at the end of the day he would love to have a family to spend time with," said Graves.

The bill was up for public comment in the House Community Safety and Justice and Re-entry Committee. The bill passed out of that committee unanimously with bi-partisan support. It's now headed to the house floor. 

If you'd like to learn more about adopting Freddy or Poppy, check out Pasado's Safe Haven website for more information.