Update May 12, 2010: The Senate Appropriations Committee has placed S.B. 1277 in a suspense file, meaning it could cost the state more than $150,000 and the committee will consider it later. It also means the bill will die unless it is affirmately released from the suspense file for further action.  

For more on this bill that would establish are registry of animal abusers, read Animal Law Coalition's report below. 

Original report: In a time where bipartisanship is rare, California state Sen. Dean Florez hopes a love of animals will bring the parties together. Florez is the chair of the state Senate's Food and Agriculture Committee and an animal welfare advocate.

Sen. Florez has offered a bill, S.B. 1277, to establish an online registry of people convicted of felony animal abuse.  The registry would help warn shelters and rescues as well as pet owners of abusers in the area to avoid. It would be a deterrent to animal abuse including farm animal abuse. It would also serve as an early warning indicator of those likely to commit domestic abuse or other violent crimes.

There is a well-established link between animal abuse and domestic violence and other violent crimes.

Animal abuse is often an indicator of future violence to humans.   

In one study 71% of women in a battered women's shelter reported their abuser either abused a household pet or threatened to abuse a pet. (Ascione, 1998)  

In another study 88% of child abusers also abused the animals in the home. (Ascione) 

In a study by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell, Public Health Department, the Johns Hopkins University from 1994 to 2000 in eleven USA metropolitan cities, pet abuse was one of the four significant predictors for determining who was at highest risk for becoming a batterer. Many abused spouses delay leaving out of fear for their pets' safety and because they have nowhere to take them.

70% of animal abusers were found in one 20 year study to have then committed other crimes, and 44% went on to harm people. (Arluke, A. & Luke, C. 1997).

In another study 99% of animal abusers had convictions for other crimes. (Clarke, J. P. 2002). In that same study it was found 100% of people who committed sexual homicide had abused animals. (Clarke, J. P. 2002). That study also revealed 61.5% of animal abusers had assaulted a human as well. (Clarke, J. P. 2002).

63.3% of inmates in a prison study who were in for violent crimes admitted to abusing animals. This doesn't include the ones who didn't admit it. (Schiff Louw Ascione, 1999)

Police have found animal abuse is a better predictor of whether someone will commit sexual assault than previous convictions for murder or arson. (Clarke, J. P. 2002).

Other legal tools to keep animals safe from abusers

Some states have initiated cross reporting requirements in an effort to identify animal abusers who may also commit other violent offenses.  Pet protection orders are another mechanism to identify those who are committing or threatening animal abuse and who may also present a danger to spouses, children and others.  

Last year Sen. Florez introduced a bill that would have strengthened judges' authority to keep convicted abusers away from animals, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it.  An online registry is certainly an alternative. 

More about the bill

This bill would require any person, over 18 years of age, convicted of felony animal abuse, to register with the appropriate law enforcement agency The bill would require that, within 3 days after the registration, the registering law enforcement agency electronically forward the statement, fingerprints, and photograph of the registrant to the Department of Justice. The Dept. of Justice would, in turn, post the information on the registry and keep it updated.  

The information posted on the internet would include name and known aliases, a photograph, physical description, including gender and race; date of birth, criminal history, address, and any other information as decided by the Department of Justice. 

The bill would require that any person required to register who fails to comply would be guilty of a misdemeanor, and if the person willfully fails to register, he or she would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by not less than 90 days and not more than one year in a county jail. There are also penalties for those who misuse the information contained in the registry.

The online registry would be funded by a tax on pet food.  

Find your California state senators and representatives here and urge them to vote yes to S.B. 1277 and help identify persons convicted of felony animal abuse for the protection of both animals and people.