ATLANTA – State Sen. Robert Brown, D-Macon, is looking at ways to strengthen the state’s animal abuse laws and wants to make sure authorities have the “best tools possible to prosecute the abuse of innocent animals.”
Brown in 2000 sponsored the Animal Cruelty Act, which changed abuse from a misdemeanor to a felony.
“Animal abuse is often an indicative trait of future acts of violence against humans, and prosecuting such behavior is our first line of defense against potentially dangerous criminals,” Brown said in a news release.
“Since its passage a decade ago, I felt it was time to revisit the law and see if there are ways we can improve its effectiveness,” Brown added. “We need to give law enforcement and our courts the best tools possible to prosecute the abuse of innocent animals, and by doing so we can help prevent such violent behavior before it reaches a human victim.”
At a recent hearing, Brown invited a number of experts to testify about animal abuse. Kimberly Schwartz, an assistant district attorney in Macon, and Gwinnett County sheriff’s Cpl. Paul Corso were among the experts who testified during the hearing.