Ferguson signs animal cruelty bill

Yahoo

14-05-2025

May 14—OLYMPIA — In a step toward enhancing animal welfare, the Washington State Legislature has passed House Bill 1149, an act aimed at the prevention of cruelty to animals. The bill received overwhelming support, with a vote of 96-0 in the House and 47-1 in the Senate, before being concurred by the House at 85-11. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law Monday.
"We will always be in favor and supportive of legislation that ends the suffering of animals and holds people accountable when they do cause unnecessary means of suffering to an animal," Grant County Animal Outreach President Sara Thompson Tweedy said. "We're always going to be in favor of legislation that enables law enforcement to do their job effectively and efficiently to end that suffering."
The bill was sponsored by a bipartisan group of representatives, including David Hackney, D-Renton; Sam Low, R-Everett; Alex Ramel, D-San Juan Island; Mari Leavitt, D-University Place; Edwin Obras, D-Renton; Joe Timmons, D-Bellingham; Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds; Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver; Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle; Shelley Kloba, D-Kirkland; Darya Farivar, D-Northgate; April Berg, D-Snohomish; Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane; Mary Fosse, D-Everett; Natasha Hill, D-Spokane; and Amy Walen, D-Redmond.
HB 1149 expands the definitions and penalties associated with animal cruelty and animal fighting within the state. Under the new provisions, the crimes of animal cruelty and animal fighting have been substantially broadened. For instance, the definition of animal fighting now encompasses those who "aid or abet in the commission of the offense," elevating the seriousness of such activities. Previously classified as an unranked class C felony, animal fighting involving intentional mutilation will now be classified as a class C felony with a seriousness level of IV.
"The passage of Engrossed Substitute Bill 1149 allows deputies and animal control officers to provide food and water to an animal during the period officers have to wait before impounding an abused or neglected animal. In the past, that waiting period was 36 hours," Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said. "The waiting period is now 24 hours."
The bill modifies enforcement restrictions, granting animal control officers and law enforcement the authority to enter premises and seize animals without a warrant when they believe an animal's health or life is in imminent danger.
"In the past, it has been an issue where animals are being neglected or abused, there have been situations where we've been concerned about the welfare of an animal, and GCAO has been contacted about that, and our hands are tied," Thompson Tweedy said. "We certainly are dependent upon law enforcement to go and get those animals to safety, and it looks like this bill makes it easier for law enforcement to do that."
Additionally, Section 4 of the bill reinforces that a person convicted of animal fighting is permanently prohibited from owning, caring for, or possessing any animal: "Any person convicted of Animal Fighting is permanently prohibited from owning, caring for, possessing, or residing with any animal."
Recently, the Moses Lake Police Department's Street Crimes Unit and Tactical Response Team executed a warrant for 10032 Road N.4 NE near Moses Lake. During the execution of the search warrant, SCU detectives seized a cache of evidence that included six firearms, seven ounces of heroin, two ounces of methamphetamine and $30,000 in cash. In addition, authorities documented 71 modified fighting roosters housed on the property, with estimates suggesting the total number of birds could exceed 400, according to MLPD Cpt. Jeff Sursely, the department's public information officer. Six people were arrested in regard to this case.
According to Sursely, the nature of the evidence found during the search was unmistakable.
"We discovered an arena built into one of the sheds, complete with a gambling board," he said. "This was not a small operation; it covered a large portion of the property and indicated a significant scale of animal fighting activities."
This marked the first time that MLPD had dealt with illegal animal fighting of this magnitude, Sursely had said. However, Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman at the Grant County Sheriff's Office said this is not an uncommon crime in Grant County.
"Daily reports of animal neglect keep our two animal control deputies busy," Foreman said.
However, the department sees fewer cases of animal fighting because it is a crime that is organized, driven by gambling and well-hidden. Foreman said that because of that secrecy, animal fighting cases happen less often, perhaps once a year.
"The passage of House Bill 1149 will give animal control officers and deputies broader capabilities when investigating animal neglect and animal fighting," Foreman said. "It also adds the requirement that anyone convicted of animal fighting is permanently prohibited from owning, caring for, possessing, or residing with any animal. If a person who is convicted of animal cruelty or animal fighting violates that law, their first violation is a misdemeanor, the second violation is a gross misdemeanor, and the third and subsequent violation is a class C felony."
In addressing animal cruelty, the bill expands the criteria under which an individual can be charged. Now, the crime of animal cruelty in the second degree includes situations where a person "willfully instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of animal cruelty." The legislation explicitly reinforces that necessary care for animals includes not just food and water but also essential shelter and medical attention.
"I think when there are consequences, that does help, in the sense of people who have a tendency to do these things and then go right back out and get another animal," Thompson Tweedy said. "They might think twice about it now."
Thompson Tweedy said GCAO frequently gets animals into the shelter that have been neglected; however, she is hopeful that by legally clarifying the exact care an animal needs, there will be fewer neglected animals — or at least fewer repeat offenders.
The bill also introduces clearer definitions regarding the necessary care of animals. It defines "necessary food," "necessary water," "necessary shelter," and other standards to ensure animals receive adequate protection and care while establishing parameters that will not interfere with lawful animal husbandry practices or accepted veterinary medical procedures.
"I feel like ... the greater community wants animals to be better taken care of and wants to see people held responsible and accountable to a standard of care that animals should be provided," Thompson Tweedy said. "At GCAO, I feel like we've had more people stepping up to understand some of the issues that we face. If someone doesn't understand that, then I invite them to come out to the shelter to see what we're up against."