Acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco signed legislation on Aug. 27 that will make severe forms of animal cruelty crimes of the fourth degree, a crime similar to a felony offense under New Jersey law.
The bill, S-1515, co-sponsored in part by Assemblyman James Holzapfel (R-10), also requires juvenile offenders to receive court-ordered psychological counseling.
The legislation was aggressively lobbied by The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, due to the rising number of animal cruelty incidents in southern New Jersey; since the bill’s introduction, there have also been several animal cruelty incidents statewide.
Animal abusers will now face criminal charges with the possibility of an 18-month prison term and a $10,000 fine.