Bertie is half labradoodle and half golden doodle. For Kevin Peloquin and his wife, she is their obsession and one they want to keep as safe as possible.
“People should know where these animals live so they can keep their animals away from them,” Peloquin, of Newington, said.
If one lawmaker gets his way, there will be one for animal offenders. That lawmaker is 47th Assembly District Representative Chris Davis.
Peloquin and many others said they agree with his idea to set up an animal abuser list—similar to the one for sex offenders.
It’s already in place in other parts of the country including in Westchester and Suffolk Counties in New York. The purpose is to have an easily accessible database for adoption agencies and organizations like the Connecticut Humane Society. This way they can verify if a person has a history of mistreating pets.
“It’s something people deal with on a daily basis,” Davis said. “There are victims to this crime. It’s our pets. They’re members of our families.”
The Connecticut Humane Society believes animal cruelty is wrong and that “Animal protection is extremely important. We are pleased that our government officials also see the merits and have introduced several important animal protection and anti-cruelty bills to the 2013 Legislative Session.”
Cyndy Reaves of Rocky Hill is a lifelong dog owner and thinks the proposal is something worth looking into.
“There are just looking for love, they have unconditional love for their owners,” Reaves said.
The hope is the bill will come up for a public hearing in the near future.
Photo Credit: BluePearl Veterinary Partners
