Only a few years ago, the General Assembly enacted legislation which created harsh penalties for any person convicted of unnecessary cruelty to an animal, including hoarding, despite opposition from the ACLU and mental health advocacy groups who expressed concerns about the criminalization of this activity, which can be a symptom of some mental illness. We testified in opposition to this bill, which would unnecessarily expand the punishments which can be doled out under the animal cruelty laws, including for hoarding offenses.
A similar bill introduced this year, which we also opposed, would have further expanded punishments for this offense, and would have subjected an individual convicted of such offenses to a lifetime ban on owning or excercising control over animals. This bill died in committee in both the House and the Senate.
