Irony aside, we share his disgust, and we're not the only ones. Thousands of Utah are asking the same exact question, and they're equally angry with our state Legislature, which failed to pass Senate Bill 120, also known as "Henry's Law," in the past legislative session.
Henry is a one-eyed, burn-scarred Chihuahua mix. His owner blinded him with a leaf blower, then threw him in the oven and turned up the heat. He became the poster puppy for the Senate bill, and the inspiration for thousands of peeved pet owners who want to see animal cruelty become a felony offense in Utah.
Henry's Law would have made animal torture a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. But it died in the waning moments of the session, and Utah remains one of just nine states where the crime is a misdemeanor.
But the bill may have new life, and the Legislature may have a chance to make amends with irate animal lovers. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Henry's Law may make the docket for a special legislative session planned for later this year, after he received a petition bearing more than 4,000 signatures and logged more than 60 phone calls supporting stiffer penalties last week.
We hope the governor is true to his word, for the sake of people as well as animals. The link between animal abuse and domestic violence is irrefutable.
Studies by Frank Ascione, a psychology professor at Utah State University, found that 85 percent of women interviewed at shelters reported attacks on pets by abusive spouses, while 63 percent of men incarcerated for violent crimes admitted to abusing animals.
The evidence is in. The verdict is long overdue. Yet our Legislature refuses to act.
Rural lawmakers, concerned that animal cruelty laws would be used by animal activists to crack down on routine farming and ranching practices, have beaten down bills in 1995, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
But the latest proposal from Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, would exempt animal husbandry from the law, leaving legislators with no more excuses. The people have spoken. It's time for the Legislature to listen.
