Joyce, Ciscomani, Neguse, Cohen Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Fight Animal Cruelty

<p><strong>WASHINGTON D.C.</strong>&nbsp;–Today, Representatives Dave&nbsp;Joyce&nbsp;(OH-14), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Joe Neguse (CO-02) and Steve Cohen (TN-09) reintroduced the&nbsp;<em>Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE)&nbsp;Act</em>, bipartisan legislation&nbsp;designed&nbsp;to ensure better protection of animals and&nbsp;keep our communities safe. The bill would establish a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Section&nbsp;at the Department of Justice to aid in the investigation, enforcement, and prosecution of animal cruelty crimes.</p>

<p>“As a life-long pet owner who considers our dog, Sam, part of the family, I am devastated by the prevalence of animal cruelty in our communities,”&nbsp;<strong>said Congressman&nbsp;Joyce.</strong>&nbsp;“We must hold these criminals who commit these crimes of animal cruelty accountable and ensure our beloved pets are protected to the fullest extent.&nbsp;By creating a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes section within the Department of Justice, the&nbsp;ACE&nbsp;Act&nbsp;will do just that by improving the federal government’s ability to crack down on animal cruelty&nbsp;and hold perpetrators accountable in a timely, efficient manner.”</p>

<p>“As a dog owner, I know that our animals are more than pets, they’re part of our family, and animal cruelty has no place&nbsp;in our society,&#8221;&nbsp;<strong>said Congressman Ciscomani</strong>. &#8220;It is crucial that our law enforcement has the resources and authority to hold anyone who commits these egregious&nbsp;actions accountable to the full extent of the law. I’m proud to support the bipartisan Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE)&nbsp;Act&nbsp;to create a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes division at the Department of Justice to strengthen investigation and prosecution of these heinous crimes.&#8221;</p>

<p>“Having laws to prevent animal cruelty is important, but ensuring they are enforced is essential.&nbsp; The&nbsp;ACE&nbsp;Act&nbsp;will establish a dedicated division of the Department of Justice to ensure that happens, preventing cruelty to wild animals, pets and farm animals. I am pleased to join Representative&nbsp;Joyce&nbsp;on this important measure,”&nbsp;<strong>said Congressman Cohen, a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong><u>BACKGROUND:&nbsp;</u></strong></p>

<p>Studies repeatedly show that there is a close link between animal cruelty and violence toward people. By bringing charges against perpetrators of animal cruelty crimes, we can prevent individuals with a propensity for violence from further harming animals or turning that violence against their fellow human-beings.</p>

<p>While all 50 states currently have laws in place&nbsp;to prohibit animal cruelty, Department of Justice enforcement of these laws continues to see lengthy delays, with many federal crimes going unprosecuted completely. A dedicated&nbsp;division&nbsp;at the Department of Justice, provided through the&nbsp;<em>Animal Cruelty Enforcement&nbsp;Act,</em>&nbsp;would facilitate stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws by providing specialized knowledge and a streamlined process for handling these offenses.</p>

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<p>The post <a href="https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-ciscomani-neguse-cohen-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-fight-animal-cruelty">Joyce, Ciscomani, Neguse, Cohen Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Fight Animal Cruelty</a> appeared first on <a href="https://joyce.house.gov">Dave Joyce</a>.</p>