My City May 2023

P uppy mill breeding , dog fighting, starvation, physical abuse and ne glect. Each and every animal that must endure such torture at the hands of humans deserves better. Unfortunately, the horror doesn’t often end for those that cannot speak out or fight for themselves. According to the Michigan State Police, the cases of animal abuse in the state (including Genesee County) have skyrocketed since 2016. More and more, criminals and twisted individuals are profit ing by abusing and neglecting innocent animals – from dogs and cats to horses, hamsters, birds, lizards and more. In order to fight this epidemic of cruelty, Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson and a coalition of animal lovers and advocates are spearheading an initiative to hold abusers accountable for their inhumane actions and help abused animals get the happy life they deserve. “Protect MI Pet is a state wide ballot initiative that, if voted in, will help animals in two ways,” explains Swanson. “One: it will create a registry of animal abusers in the State of Michigan and will bar those convicted of animal abuse from owning an animal; and two: it will close a civil process loop hole that will allow an abused animal to find a loving, caring

home instead of suffering in a cage through the duration of a trial that could take years.” The coalition hopes to put the Protect MI Pet initiative on the November 2024 election ballot for voters to support. Currently, animal abusers can continue their reign of terror after an abuse conviction by simply moving residence or their base of operations to another area of the state or acquiring new “victims” via private sale or pet shops. “Right now, there is no way to know who you are selling an animal to besides platforms like Goo gle or Facebook. There’s almost no way to figure it out,” adds Swanson. “This initiative will build a public registry of con victed abusers. If your dog has puppies and you are looking to sell or give them away, you can check the registry to make sure they are going to good, safe homes.” In addition to landing on the public registry, convicted abusers will be barred from owning an animal for a number of years depending upon the charges involved. “If you are convicted of animal abuse, you have given up the right to own a pet,” Swanson explains. “Someone convicted of a misdemeanor will lose their right to own an animal for a minimum of two years, five years for a felony charge, and longer for multiple charges.” →

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