The laws vary from state to state Hannelore. A man recently received 22 years for torturing a dog by putting it into a microwave. Dogs and babys, my God....I am on a commitee that is always lobbying to have the animal cruelty laws made stricter with harsher punishment. It has changed alot and instead of a misdemeanor, it is a felony in most states to torture or kill an animal...One step at a time has taken us a long way so far.
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http://charleen-micheles.blogspot.com/