GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL TO PROTECT PETS
"Our pets are part of
our families, providing us with unconditional love and companionship,"
Governor Lingle said during a bill signing ceremony at the Hawaiian Humane
Society. "In return, we need to ensure that our pets are properly cared for
and protected from cruelty and neglect," she added.
The Governor signed SB 1665 (Act 114), which creates a felony offense for cruelty to animals. Current law pertaining to cruelty to animals makes the offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000. Act 114 adds a new Class C felony of "cruelty to animals in the first degree," punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment of up to five years. The bill also renames the existing misdemeanor provisions as "cruelty in the second degree," which is punishable by a year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.
