CINCINNATI (WKRC) -- In Ohio, it's typically a fifth-degree felony to "knowingly and needlessly" kill a companion animal. That usually means a slap on the wrist for anyone who kills a pet and who does not have a previous criminal record. "It is unfortunate that pets are considered as property. Here, you have a pet that you love as much as a person would a child, and if some evil person would kill your pet, I think the penalties for that should be increased," Jim Berns, an animal advocate and the man behind Pet Search and Rescue, said.
Pet Search and Rescue is exactly what it sounds like: Berns will try and track down missing animals.
A companion animal is as any animal kept inside a home, but it also includes cats and dogs, no matter where you keep them.
Senate Bill 205 came about after a Cleveland area man was arrested and accused of putting a dog in a cage and then lighting it on fire. The dog had the be put down because of its injuries. Ohio state Sen. Jay Hottinger says there are many similar stories.
"Last year, there was a man who strangled his dog, beat it and then he skinned it. While he received the maximum sentence allowed under Ohio law, he ended up serving three months in jail before early release. We've had other instances where people have skinned their dogs alive, nailed it to their wall and watched it die. We've had instances where people, where a guy has taken his young son, made his son break the necks of puppies, and, clearly, I just think these types of serious, physical injuries, these types of egregious acts, are deserving of more than just a smack on the wrist," Hottinger said.
Hottinger says studies show the violence doesn't stop with animals.
"The reality of it shows that if you're doing atrocious things to your cat or your dog, you're likely doing atrocious things to your children or your spouse as well," Hottinger said.
Not everyone sees the need for the bill though. The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association has come out against it because the bill could send more people to Ohio's already overcrowded prisons. But people like Berns thinks the stiffer penalties could save an animal's life.
"I think it would be a very strong deterrent when people hear they're going to be charged with a felony and could face serious jail time. I think they're going to think two or three times before they do [something] which now would just be a slap on the wrist," Berns said.
People from both sides of the aisle in the legislature have voiced support for the bill.
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