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| Amy Loves Yah/CC by 2.0 |
Animal abusers, watch out: Suffolk County, New York, has voted to create the country’s first animal abuser registry! This online “hall of shame” will be similar to registries that already exist for sex offenders and will allow people to find out if there is an animal abuser in their neighborhood or to make sure that their dog-walker or veterinarian hasn’t been convicted of cruelty to animals. And animal shelters will be able to use the registry to do quick background checks on potential adopters in order to ensure that cruel people aren’t seeking out their next victim.
California is also considering creating a similar registry statewide. Let’s hope that many communities follow Suffolk County’s lead, because, as study after study has shown, people who hurt animals often take out their issues on members of their own species too. That’s another great reason why you should never hesitate to report known or suspected cruelty to animals.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
