Similar to the sex offender registry, I believe an animal abuser registry should be established. People convicted of animal abuse should be put on the registry for a time period commensurate with the severity of their crime.
Veterinarians, pet shops, shelters, and animal control agencies should be required to check the registry anytime someone wants to obtain an animal. And people should be able to look at a map of their areas to see who and how many animal abusers live in their vicinity, just like the sex offender registry.
Housing and apartment managers could even look up prospective tenants to see if they have a history of animal abuse before deciding whether or not to rent housing to them. It's long past time that we, as a society, take meaningful action to punish and discourage animal abuse because the current misdemeanor charge and fine simply aren't sufficient. It's just a thought, and I'm interested in your perspective. #blog #animals