“This alpaca case will be the tool that gets this bill passed,” Jones said.
Two 17-year-old boys are accused of stealing a 3-month-old male alpaca named Masterpiece from a Madison Twp. farm on Feb. 5 and beating it to death. They are charged with felony breaking and entering and tampering with evidence, as well as second-degree misdemeanor animal cruelty.
House Bill 55, which has languished in committee for more than a year, would increase animal cruelty to a first-degree misdemeanor with a penalty of up to 180 days behind bars and a $1,000 fine on a second offense.
More importantly, said Combs of Hamilton, the bill would require a juvenile convicted of cruelty to companion animals to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether he or she needs individual or family counseling, and would allow the court to require the child’s family to pay for the treatment.
“If this bill was passed and in law today, these teenagers would be required to undergo treatment today,” Combs said, adding it is frustrating that the bill hasn’t left the criminal justice committee.
“It is a known fact that teenagers involved in animal cruelty go on to domestic violence,” Combs said. “We want them treated. ... If we don’t turn them around with treatment, all of a sudden they are abusing human beings.”
The bill also permits protection orders for companion animals when they live at the petitioner’s residence.
Combs said this is important because abusers in a domestic violence case sometimes will threaten to hurt a pet to continue their abuse.
Both teens and Stacie Mullins, a 22-year-old Madison Twp. woman charged with complicity in the case, have court hearings scheduled for next week.
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