Kim Reynolds signs ‘Ember’s law’ increasing animal torture penalties

Ember was an 8-week-old puppy when she came to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa “horribly abused,” animal welfare advocates recalled.

Officers of the state’s largest animal shelter found the dog thin, shaking and stained with blood, unable to stand or sit, when they were called to assist Des Moines police during a domestic violence investigation in March.

The puppy, who they later named Ember, suffered from a broken leg and jaw, a severely injured eye and another injured leg, bruising and swelling and a fractured jaw — an injury veterinarians say is consistent with multiple instances of abuse.

“This poor puppy was tortured,” said Tom Colvin, CEO of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

But on Monday, May 11, Ember joined animal welfare advocates, state lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines to witness Iowa’s chief executive sign a law that would impose stiffer penalties in animal abuse cases such as Ember’s.

House File 2348 makes it a felony to torture companion animals, answering animal welfare advocates’ calls to fix Iowa’s status as the only state without those penalties on first offense. Before the new law, it was an aggravated misdemeanor to torture companion animals on first offense in Iowa.

In April, the bill unanimously passed the Iowa House and Senate after it stalled in the Senate for several months. A final push from animal welfare advocates helped send it to Reynolds’ desk.

“You’re doing really good,” Reynolds assured the now-5-month-old puppy as she signed the bill, while onlookers cooed over the furry guest of honor. She ended the ceremony with a gentle paw shake.

“This is already the legal standard across the rest of the country and it’s only commonsense that we adopt it here in Iowa, because this isn’t just about being punitive,” Reynolds said. “This is about cracking down on intentional, willful and malicious infliction of pain or prolonged death on innocent animals — horrible acts of violence that are evil in their own right and also certainly linked to violent crimes against people.”

Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, who floor managed the legislation’s passage in the Senate, cited research showing linking animal abuse to violence against humans.

“This law protects companion animals from heinous acts and provides appropriate punishment for anyone committing these unthinkable actions against companion animals,” Bousselot said. “But it also protects our communities. … It’s the right thing to do for those pets like Ember (that) have received torture, have been tortured, have been put through pain, and now those perpetrators can be punished appropriately.”

Under the new law, a person would be found guilty of animal torture who “intentionally, willfully, and maliciously mutilates, burns, poisons, drowns, starves or causes intensive or prolonged pain or death to a companion animal, or provides anything of value to another person to do the same.”

The measures enhances penalties to a class C felony for repeat offenders of animal abuse, animal torture, injury to or interference with a police service dog, bestiality or an act involving a prohibited contest such as dog fighting.

In Iowa, a class D felony is punishable up to five years in jail or prison and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245. A class C felony is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of a maximum fine of $13,660.

Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, who introduced the bill and owns three German shepherds, said the legislation was “long overdue.”

“It’s a commitment to what Iowa stands for, that in our character we want to protect our pets,” Fett said. “Our pets are there for companionship, for comfort, for therapy, for service, for working, and what better way to protect them … than by passing something like this? They deserve the value that they bring to our homes and our families, so elevating this penalty to a felony was the right thing to do.”

Colvin said this gives law enforcement another tool to crack down on animal abuse.

“Ember was fortunate enough to be a survivor of animal torture, but there are so many other ones that aren’t,” Colvin said.

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.