Proposed bills in Alabama Legislature would expand animal cruelty laws

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – House Bills 149 and 249 filed in the Alabama Legislature would provide stricter laws towards the mistreatment of pets.

House Bill 149, proposed by Rep. Phillip Ensler (D-Montgomery), would place limitations on how you can tether your dog.

“Dogs are not meant to be tethered to a tree outside on a short leash,” said Shauna Eakin with River Region Animal Rescue, based out of Montgomery.

The bill requires certain methods to be used to tether a dog and make the penalty for failing to properly tether a dog a Class A misdemeanor.

“We’ve answered so many calls about animals that have no shelter, no food, no water, we’ve done so many rescues of dogs that are burned severely that are just tied outside, they’re freezing, they’re dying of heat stroke, it’s horrific,” Eakin said.

House Bill 249, proposed by Rep. Brock Colvin (R-Albertville), would make abandonment of a domesticated dog or cat a Class A misdemeanor by adding abandonment to the definition of animal cruelty. If it passes, that means anyone convicted would be fined up to $3,000 and face up to a year in jail.

Both bills have been referred to the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee.

According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, 23 states have some form of tethering laws.

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