Bill Making Animal Cruelty A Federal Felony Is Signed Into Law In US

By John Vibes / Truth Theory

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, was signed into law this week by US President Donald Trump, after it passed in the Senate unanimously earlier this month. The bill criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty, making those acts of cruelty federal felonies. The new law is essentially an expansion on the 2010 Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which banned the creation and distribution of “animal crushing” videos.

Sen. Pat Toomey, co-sponsor of the bill, called the legislation a “major victory.”

“Passing this legislation is a major victory in the effort to stop animal cruelty and make our communities safer. Evidence shows that the deranged individuals who harm animals often move on to committing acts of violence against people. It is appropriate that the federal government have strong animal cruelty laws and penalties,” Toomey said, according to ABC.

Over 5000 people have downloaded our free ebook “Growth Hacking Tips And Rituals For Optimal Living” CLICK HERE to get your free copy now

Kitty Block, president, and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, praised the new law, saying that, “PACT makes a statement about American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level. The approval of this measure by the Congress and the president marks a new era in the codification of kindness to animals within federal law. For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality.”

https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse/videos/550235689095000

Sara Amundson, head of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, also welcomed the new measure.

“After decades of work to protect animals and bearing witness to some of the worst cruelty, it’s so gratifying the Congress and president unanimously agreed that it was time to close the gap in the law and make malicious animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction a felony. We cannot change the horrors of what animals have endured in the past, but we can crack down on these crimes moving forward. This is a day to celebrate,” Amundson said.

A new study published by researchers at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal suggests that using harsh punishments with a dog, or even yelling at them could cause long term mental and physical health problems, significantly reducing their quality of life. This study backs up previous findings which indicate that using negative reinforcement to train a dog is not healthy, and doesn’t even work either.

This new research suggests that negative reinforcement training also causes health problems because stressful postures and high cortisol levels take a severe toll on the body after an extended period of time.

IMAGE CREDIT: Nataliya Kuznetsova

Written by: John Vibes

John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast. Read More stories by John Vibes