"An Act relating to veterinarians and animals."

In light of the past and recent animal abuse cases I felt it was time again to attempt to tighten statutes regarding animal cruelty in the State of Alaska. HB 275 addresses these concerns. The Kenai Peninsula has been plagued in the past two years with emotionally charged destruction or mistreatment of animals. Alaska is far behind nearly every other state in animal cruelty legislation and it is time to acknowledge that animal abuse is a precursor to both child abuse and domestic violence.

When researching this matter I found that every serial killer, most child molesters and children with severe behavior problems all have one thing in common, animal abuse. If we can catch animal abuse the first time a child inflicts abuse on an animal, perhaps we can save a life, prevent an incarceration and raise one healthier child. For those individuals who are older violators, if we act soon enough we can save domestic violence victims life.

In conclusion, animal abuse touches our lives when we do not see it or wish to ignore it, until a loved one is the victim of an unchecked lifetime animal abuser who has escalated to a human being.

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