I recently co-sponsored legislation to update Pennsylvania’s animal abuse statutes and increase penalties for abusing animals. The legislation, Act 10 of 2017, was signed by Governor Wolf on June 28th.
The new law has been praised by the Pennsylvania SPCA as the most “comprehensive animal protection bill in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Among other provisions, the act breaks down cruelty to animals into three categories, based on the egregiousness of the conduct, rather than different penalties for different animals as was the case before Act 10. The three categories under the new act include:
• Neglect of an animal, which includes denying an animal necessary food and potable water, clean and sanitary shelter, or necessary veterinary care. This is a summary offense and becomes a third-degree misdemeanor if the violation injures the animal or places the animal in imminent risk of serious injury.
• Cruelty to an animal, which includes intentionally, knowingly or recklessly ill-treating, overloading, beating, abandoning or abusing an animal. This is a second-degree misdemeanor.
• Aggravated cruelty to an animal, which includes intentionally or knowingly torturing an animal or causing serious injury or death to the animal. This will be a third-degree felony.
The new law has additional provisions dealing with tethering, reporting, and forfeiture. For a copy of the new law, call my office at 412-928-9514 or go to my website at www.pahouse.com/deasy.
As always, if you have any questions, comments and/or concerns, my offices are here to help. Please do not hesitate to call or reach out. We’re here for you!
16 comments:
• Aggravated cruelty to an animal, which includes intentionally or knowingly torturing an animal or causing serious injury or death to the animal. This will be a third-degree felony.
... this does sound all too familiar. An annual MTL hellish folly.
Mount Lebanon Commissioners had the option to sterilize deer with non-lethal methods, but former Commissioner Barbara Logan felt they were going to die anyways, so go lethal. Lethal methods have been the preferred method for over a decade in Mount Lebanon.
The word "Horrific" was used by one of Merlin Benner's former employees. See https://lebocitizens.blogspot.com/2017/04/heart-wrenching-apology.html
"Mount Lebanon Commissioners had the option to sterilize deer with non-lethal methods"
This is a flat out lie. They applied to the Game Commission and were denied permission. In fact, PA has never authorized a sterilization effort. Thus, no such option existed and your statement is a demonstrable falsehood.
Perhaps The Game Commision is in "Kahoots" with the NRA. It's doesn't mean that sterialization is not a viable option.
Actually, 9:57pm, you are wrong. MTL applied for this program -- which would have been all or nearly completely covered by foundation grant monies -- with no intention or desire to get the permit. It was a purely perfunctory attempt so that their minions, perhaps you are one, could comment as per above. Their intent was always to kill, to please the powerful, to stay in power. This is plainly and paninfully obvious.
Yep, you're right, 9:57 PM. The comment by 4:39 PM is partially true when you consider that the commissioners had many non-lethal methods to "manage" deer, but chose lethal methods. Sandy Baker offered excellent non-lethal options, but main deer hater, Michalina instead complained that the $5000 spent on her three day visit was a waste of money. Ironically, Sandy never saw one deer while she was here. She was driven around all the "problem" areas, and no deer.
Tony DeNicola's buddy estimated that we have between 700-900 deer; however, never stepped foot in Mt. Lebanon. He didn't even know how big Mt. Lebanon is. Tony had to call off the "sharpshooting" efforts because of the warm weather. The archers killed 36 deer during archery season. Tony's guys killed 55 deer. 91 deer, leaving 600-800 very lucky deer? He said that now he may have to resort to non-traditional lethal methods. Sorry, Tony, no can do now.
Elaine
The Humane Society had given Mt. Lebanon a golden opportunity. They bent over backwards to get the Commissioners to stop killing and begin a partnership with them to sterilize the deer. ALL of the commissioners made a mess of that proposal. The Humane Society moved on. Can you blame them?
When faced with primary source material, namely the PA Game Commission denial to the municipality's application, you still can't admit the truth. You can't stop spinning. Truly pathological stuff.
White Buffalo would have LOVED to stick Lebo, or the foundation who agreed to subsidize the effort, with another bill. Sterilization could have been another product they could sell in PA. How is this not obvious? Blinded by petty personal vendettas.
You should have just signed your name to this, 1:21 AM. How is this not obvious?
Elaine
Just wondering how hard the commissioners lobbied the Game Commission for trying sterilization?
It's obvious from the experiences with culling that it has very little effect in reducing the deer populations. Otherwise why would they need to do it year after year.
11:16,
I think the commishes asked the PGC for the sterilization permit. I think it was half-hearted, though.
As to the failure of the deer kills to reduce the deer population, the commishes haven't yet figured that out. I am serious.
Syl
Thanks.
I suspected that perhaps there wasn't a lot of pressure to try sterilization.
Although honestly I'm not sure it would satisfy the gardeners or accident-reduction proponents any better that culling has.
I believe that as long as there are some communities that cull and some that don't- considering the deer ranging- neither process will get rid of the deer issues.
There will still be deer in gardens and there will still be the rare vehicle accident.
Maybe we should build a wall after we have exterminated every deer in Mt. Lebanon. 🤔
Better yet, how about we just learn to coexist by slowing down, planting deer resistant plants and building fences.
Other communities have and I'm sure those of us that have vacation homes in the mountains have learned to live with the deer.
4:16---Music to my ears. Coexist. Not only have the deer killers show that they cannot coexist with wildlife and nature, all the killing has turned them into stone-cold persons who can't even exist with other persons. It's very sad.
The Mt. Lebanon Commissioners were given a choice, i.e. a funded humane and safe non-lethal sterilization program, or a combo lethal bow-hunting and bait-and-shoot killing program. The commissioners chose the lethal program. The non-lethal program was off the table after the commissioners made that choice. It was no longer available.
The commissioners then made a feeble request to get approval for sterilization after the fact, which was turned down by the PGC.
You have to ask yourself why the PGC is afraid of approving non-lethal solutions, especially when using lethal methods in a densely populated and developed community is a serious safety risk to all residents. The answer is because the PGC is a biased state agency that runs a lucrative hunting business masquerading as a conservation agency. The PGC views hunters as their constituents, and keeping them happy (expanding hunting opportunities) and selling hunting licenses as their number one priority. Promoting hunting and selling hunting licenses guarantees job security and retirement benefits. So when the choice is between the safety of Mt. Lebanon residents or keeping their hunters constituents happy, they will always side with their priority, i.e. promoting hunting and keeping their hunter constituents happy.
The priority of the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners are in direct conflict with the PGC priorities. Mt Lebanon Commissioner's main priority is protecting its residents. So unless the commissioners recognize this conflict in priorities and interests, and DEMAND, as elected officials, that they are allowed to manage deer-human conflicts in their community in a safe and humane way, then the PGC will continue to reject their submissive and feeble requests. Even State Rep. Dan Miller's efforts were perfunctory and for show.
Bottom line, until the pro-kill commissioners are removed from office, and replaced with non-lethal candidates who are willing to stand up to the PGC nothing is going to change.
9:06 PM, you write,"Even State Rep. Dan Miller's efforts were perfunctory and for show." I disagree. Remember his meeting that he set up with the PAGC? Miller Game Commission meeting
The commissioners continue to approve lethal methods, even when the numbers have gone so low that the killers quit early. Meanwhile, we are charged astronomical amounts of money per deer.
Elaine
Don't forget other communities and the county apparently get their culling done for free.
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