Tennessee rings in New Year by protecting animals through first-ever public abuse registry

Tennessee has kicked off the New Year by doing something good for our furry little friends. Just recently, the state has become the first to implement an animal abuse registry. The database will publicly list the names, photos, birth dates and home addresses of animal abuse perpetrators, reports Mother Nature Network, but will not include their Social Security number, driver’s license number or other state or federal ID numbers.⁽¹⁾

Under the newly passed law, “animal” is defined as a “companion animal” including cats, dogs and other non-livestock animals; it does not, however, apply to wildlife or livestock.

Individuals convicted of a first-time animal abuse offense will serve just two years on the list before being removed, but only if they have proven not to be a repeat offender during that time. If they do reoffend, they will remain on the list for five more years, under the legislation.

“Aggravated cruelty to animals, animal fighting or another criminal offense against animals all count as animal abuse for the purposes of the registry,” Courthouse News reports. The new database will be managed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.⁽²⁾

As of January 4, no individual has yet met the criteria for inclusion in the list, since one must first have received a conviction after January 1.

Amber Mullins, the spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley, told HLN in October that she thinks “a public record could serve as a deterrent” for potential offenders, adding that it could also aid in pet adoptions.

“The main advantage is to be able to check the list before we do our adoptions. We interview the people who come in, of course, but we want to know that the animals are going to good homes. It gives us an extra route to ensure we can make that happen,” Mullins said.

Nashville’s Metro Animal Care and Control agrees.

“It’s going to be another useful tool that agencies such as ourselves can do a little bit more research on individuals we encounter whether it be in the field or individuals that come to adopt animals,” said Lauren Bluestone, the agency’s director.

“State Rep. Darren Jernigan introduced legislation for the registry three years ago at the suggestion of his neighbor after Tennessee resident David Matson was convicted of beating a puppy to death with a tire iron. The bill was passed in May, and only one lawmaker voted against it,” reports Mother Nature Network.

Several U.S. cities have animal abuse registries, but Tennessee is the first state to create one. Other states, such as California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, are now considering similar legislation.

Sources:

(1) MNN.com

(2) CourthouseNews.com