By Jeffrey Termini
May 2012
When an individual is released from prison for sexual abuse involving a
minor, their information is immediately posted on a sexual abuse central
registry. This is done for the public good. We love our children and
certainly want to protect them.
We as a nation claim to be animal lovers therefore, I believe it's time to
put our emotions into action and afford them the exact same protections we
have for our children.
Recently, the Erie County Legislature held a public hearing regarding
Legislator Terrence D. McCracken’s introduction of a county wide animal
abuse registry. This animal abuse registry is modeled after the sexual abuse
registry above moreover, Senator Mark Grisanti last month introduced
legislation in New York that would create the same registry. To date five
states including Arizona, Maryland, Florida and Colorado have pending
legislation that if passed into law would create a state wide registry. The
law would require convicted animal abusers to register annually. In
addition, the law would prevent abusers from possessing, adopting,
purchasing, owning or exercising control over any animal.
Abuse is abuse regardless if it’s a private citizen starving his dog, cat,
reptile, bird, rat, etc. to death or beating them till they're nearly dead.
Animal abuse is certainly not discriminatory. It extends to all animals,
however, the farm industry as well as the pet trade industry, two of the
worst abusers of animals, would like nothing more than to be exempt from
this proposed legislation. Could it be they have something to hide. If these
industries who claim to be so "humane" to animals, are indeed humane by
all standards, then why do they feel so threated by this legislation. If
anything one would think they would be the first ones to stand behind it.
This law standing on its legs would eliminate a great deal of oversight and
transparency within these industries.
Growing up in the country and driving by the many farms only a short
distance from my home, I never imagined the countless animals that suffered
and died needlessly because no one including myself understood their
suffering. Of course the Animal Welfare Act passed by Congress was in its
infancy. Even if and when such abuse was reported, the authorities had
little experience in dealing with it. How often do we read in the news of
farm animals left to starve and freeze to death when their owners abandon
the farm. It happens way too often. This is precisely the reason why we have
such compassionate organizations as Farm Sanctuary located in Watkins Glen
New York. Seeing these animals suffer really tugged at my heart as I felt
there had to be a way to prevent this from happening.
There is not much difference in the pet trade industry. Retail, wholesale
establishments and auctions need to be accountable for their actions. Puppy
mills are big business these days. After attending numerous protests and
workshops over the past few years I learned a great deal about the industry.
Recently, there has been a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature
by Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal that would crack down on these
breeding facilities. Puppy Mills are notorious entities that breed
females over and over until they are no longer of any use to the industry, which is how these facilities got their name. They breed these poor mothers
over and over. When they are no longer profitable to the industry they are
destroyed. Conditions at these facilities are poor to say the least.
Unsanitary is a better term that describes these mills.
I would also extend this legislation to the entertainment and research
industries. Wherever nonhumans are present. this legislation ought to
apply. For the above reasons the animal abuse registry needs to be extended
to not only private citizens but, to all industries that have animals in
their possession. To an animal lover such as myself this would be an
advancement in protecting our nonhuman family. I look forward to the day
when animal abuse is a thing of the past.
Jeffery Termini has been an animal lover all of his life. He has volunteered for the SPCA, Serving Erie County and is a member of HEART, Inc. (formerly Hamburg Eden Animal Rescue Team).
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