LA:Some animal cruelty convictions would require registration under House proposal

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Some animal cruelty convictions would require registration under House proposal
By Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune
March 12, 2010, 9:36AM

Persons convicted of serious crimes against animals will have to register with police for a 10-year period or face jail time if they fail to do so, if a New Orleans House member has his way.

Democratic Rep. Walker Hines has filed House Bill 201 which would require persons convicted of aggravated animal cruelty, dogfighting, cockfighting, hog and canine fighting, or the "sport killing of zoo or circus animals" to register for 10 years with the local police department and the parish sheriff.

The bill, filed in advance of the March 29 opening of the annual lawmaking session, would apply to persons convicted of similar crimes in other states and who move to Louisiana, as well as those who are convicted here.

In both cases, Hines said, the individual must register with police and be fingerprinted within 10 days of being released from prison or within 10 days of moving to the state.

Failing to register could result in a maximum fine of $500 or 30 to 90 days in jail or both.

Hines said the bill is designed to establish a statewide registry of animal abusers similar to the ones set up around the nation to track sex offenders when released from prison.

The cost of the program could not be assessed Thursday.

"The goal here is to inform people . . . of any animal abusers in their neighborhoods," Hines said Thursday.

On another animal-related proposal, Rep. Karen Gaudet St. Germain, D-Pierre Part, has filed House Bill 219 creating the crime of "illegally restraining a dog." St. Germain said the bill targets dog-owners who leave their dogs "outside and unattended by use of a tether, chain, tie or restraint" less than 12 feet long and causes injury to the animal or causes it to be in "an unsafe condition." The bill does not call for jail time for a violation; it sets up a fine not to exceed $300.

St. Germain said she is not out to get dog-walkers or the average pet owner who lets a dog out and restrains it short periods of time, but those who neglect their animals by tying them to short leashes or chains for hours at a time and possibly hindering their chances to get to food or water.

The bill says that a dog should be "properly fitted" with a collar that fits the dog's neck with an inch to spare.

"This is only about dogs held in close areas for long lengths of time," St. Germain said. She said she filed the bill at the request of constituents who have seen normally docile dogs attack humans or other animals after being tethered outside for hours.

"That makes the dogs angrier," St. Germain said. "If this makes people take care of their dogs better, it serves a purpose." So far, 382 bills have been filed in advance of the session: 316 in the House and 66 in the Senate. The deadline to file an unlimited number of bills before the session begins is March 19 but each lawmaker is limited to no more than five after that time and before 6 p.m. April 20.


http://www.nola.com/politics/index.s...onviction.html