Posted on January 09, 2012 by: WayCoolDogs

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On February 8, 2010, State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, had scheduled a discussion to pass tougher animal cruelty laws in SB 214 Animal Cruelty. He hoped to “treat the most serious cases of animal cruelty as felonies, bringing Alaska up to the standard of 46 other states,” reported the Anchorage Daily News- Community.

“Most of these laws fall under the purpose of morality, meaning the purpose is not to protect the animals, but to keep people on the straight and narrow. Whatever the reason, many more states are recognizing that animal cruelty, neglect, and abuse are serious issues.” (Stray Pet Advocacy)

Alaska did not consider animal cruelty a felony. Under Statute 11.61.140, the first offense brings fines up to $5,000 and up to one-year imprisonment.

On June 16, 2010, the governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell, signed SB 214 or H.B. 6 into law. The new law strengthens penalties for animal cruelty and makes sexual abuse of an animal a crime. (Animal Law Coalition).

Forty-six states treat the worst crimes of animal cruelty as felony level penalties. According to the Anchorage Daily News, the Alaskan animal abuser is allowed to commit three horrific animal abuse crimes before the individual is charged with a felony offence.

Statistics from the Humane Society of the U.S.:

• About 2,168,000 women and men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the U.S. every year (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000).
• 63% of U.S. households own a pet (APPMA, 2006).
• 71% of domestic violence victims report that their abuser also targeted their animal (Ascione, 1997).
• In 2007, 7% of media-reported animal cruelty cases either occurred in the context of a domestic dispute or involved a person with a history of domestic violence.

As studies show a strong link between animal abuse and domestic abuse and violence, Senator Wielechowski of Alaska hoped that  SB 214 will reduce the violence in communities by treating “malicious acts of animal cruelty ” as felony offences.

In 2002, 2003 and 2004, Alaska led the nation in the rate of men murdering women. By 2009, these statistics had lowered to place Alaska in 35^th place, according to the Bureau of Justice statistics, Council on Domestic Violence & the Sexual Assault Annual Report 2008. According to ANDVSA Public Opinion Research Survey 2006, three out of four women in Alaska had experienced, or knew someone who had experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.

Alaska rape rate is 2.5 times the national level.

• Child sexual assault in Alaska is almost six times the national averge.
• Alaska has the highest rate per capita of men murdering women.
• More than one out of every 3 American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in her lifetime.
• More than three out of every four American Indian and Alaska Native women will be physically assaulted in her lifetime.
• In October 1, 2010, 59% of polled Alaskan women had experienced violence and threats, with one woman out of eight reported they had been victimized during the year before the poll and survey.

With studies correlating animal abuse to domestic abuse, in addition to their high statistics in Alaska, Governor Sean Parnell said, “the findings confirm that Alaska is in the midst of an epidemic of sexual and domestic violence.”

“It really is the secret evil that is rotting us from the inside. It is something we do not talk about too much. It is done in the secrecy and privacy of homes,” Parnell said Thursday.

 

 

 

 

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• Correlation Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse
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