Monday, March 14, 2016

Legislators Honored For Work Protecting Animals


Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Senator Jim Holzapfel were honored for their work protecting the state’s animals and pets by the New Jersey chapter of The Humane Society of the United States.

Sen. Tom Kean was presented with the 2015 Humane State Legislator Award by Kathleen Schatzmann, New Jersey Senior State Director for the Humane Society. (SenateNJ.com)

They were each presented the 2015 Humane Legislator of the Year Award at the Humane Society’s 5th Annual New Jersey Humane Lobby Day.
“I’ve always believed that how we treat animals, both individually and as a state, is a reflection of our values,” said Kean (R-Union, Somerset, Morris). “We can be compassionate, generous and humane not just through our personal actions, but also through the laws with statewide impact that we help to advance.”


Sen. Jim Holzapfel speaking at Humane Society’s 2016 New Jersey Humane Lobby Day after being presented the organization’s 2015 Humane State Legislator Award. (SenateNJ.com)

“We’ve worked to put New Jersey at the head of a nationwide effort to put puppy and kitten mills and their inhumane practices out of business,” said Holzapfel (R-Ocean). “We’re focusing on new legislation that would keep convicted animal abusers from repeating their crimes and ensure safe living conditions for all of the pets in our care.”
Kean sponsored “Patrick’s Law,” enacted in 2013, which substantially increased fines and penalties for animal abuse and criminalized the failure to provide an animal with necessary care.
He also sponsored a law enacted in 2015 that created criminal offenses for dog fighting and leading dog fighting networks, and amended the RICO statute to include dog fighting.
Holzapfel sponsored the “Pet Purchase Protection Act,” enacted in 2015, which requires pet shops to provide consumers with detailed information about the source and medical history of each animal.
Kean is the current sponsor of legislation, S-1706, that would establish trunk fighting, a new variation of dog fighting, as an animal cruelty offense and crime of the third degree.
Holzapfel is the current sponsor of S-213, which establishes the New Jersey Animal Abuser Registry, along with S-1013, which addresses tethering, confinement, and proper shelter for dogs.





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