Animals need your help to stay protected in West Virginia right Now.

Please – you must NOT just read this and be upset and not act. That is how animals will suffer and die.
The West Virginia House Judiciary has moved to make abuse and neglect of animals, as well as the prosecution and charging of such cases, extremely difficult.

They took a bill (SB124) that was intended to improve upon our current animal protection code and destroyed it by making these changes:

*** Ownership bans are essential, as is mandatory mental health evaluation / counseling – the new committee version eliminates it being required.
It reduces repeat offenses to a misdemeanor, even when felony level (meaning torture cases, etc).
It allows counties to give animals back once seized before conviction, during the case, to further neglect just because they pay a shelter fee for the care their animals need (not to be confused with paying bond). It damages the ownership ban if someone is convicted.
❗️The judiciary attorney also completely removed the original 124 language to make offenses resulting in bodily injury or death (without “torture” language) a felony. ***

As an important aside, the need for strong animal protection laws has never been more needed. Did you know that due to the laws we have now that would be entirely destroyed by these changes made by House Judiciary to Winton’s Law (SB124), a case I personally worked on recently that let to information being discovered showing a convicted sex offender was living with an unrelated little girl of just 6 years old? It was found out only because the mother was charged and convicted of neglect of her animals. Child Services was then able to get involved. The child is NOW safe because of an animal case that led to this discovery.

I have worked on hundreds of cases personally. A law enforcement officer has never once said they wished laws were easier on animal abusers, and officers always note how connected to drugs, child abuse and sexual crimes animal neglect and abuse is in their experience (and mine). The FBI uses an individual’s history of animal abuse as part of its criteria when profiling serial killers. Lessening charges or pursuing animal based crimes means more rapist, child molesters and murders go unnoticed.

The Delegates responsible for the horrible changes are: Del. Steele, Foster and Fast:

geoff.foster@wvhouse.gov
tom.fast@wvhouse.gov
brandon.steele@wvhouse.gov

The changes were supported by most of the Judiciary, showing the members primarily do not care for animal welfare or the strong way our laws help prevent other human related crimes.

Today, contact the entire House in West Virginia via email, call and/or visit (if you can):
This is the most VITAL thing you can do for animals today or this week. Please, you must not let this pass the HOUSE FLOOR.

Call Every single delegate in the State. Email them.

Say:

“I am against the recent committee substitute for WV SB124. The bill was amended horribly in the House Judiciary Committee on 3/4/19. This bill, as it is stands now, is an atrocity. It is a grave danger to pets in our state. It was intended to protect animals, but the changes made in the House Judiciary make abuse and neglect easier than ever before in West Virginia. Do not support WV SB124 (“Winston’s Law”) without another strike and insert on the floor to bring it back to its original form.”

Link to all members of the House with numbers and emails: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/House/
A list is given with all emails is available at www.heartofphoenix.org in the blog posted on this issue (it makes emailing much quicker. Literally one email and send to all members with the copy and paste list there) and also below this box in this message.

Share far and wide. There hasn’t ever been an issue animal related in this state more vital for action upon.

Heart of Phoenix will be virtually rendered unable to ever save another horse effectively with seizure cases if this bill isn’t destroyed or reverted to the original language.