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A resolution urging the Tennessee General Assembly to support House Bill 1444 to increase criminal penalties for aggravated animal cruelty convictions.
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WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County recognizes the urgent need to protect animals within the community; and
WHEREAS, animal cruelty cases in Tennessee increased nearly 40 percent from 2020 to 2022 according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and
WHEREAS, national studies have established that animal cruelty is a significant predictor of interpersonal violence, with between seventy and eighty-nine percent of domestic violence survivors with a companion animal reporting pet abuse in the home. Law enforcement, social service agencies, and victim-advocacy organizations recognize animal abuse as an early warning sign of escalating violence toward partners and children; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1444, filed in September in the Tennessee General Assembly, would change aggravated animal cruelty from a Class E felony to a Class D felony, doubling the potential sentence and increasing the potential fines associated with the crime. This bill would also subject juvenile offenders to increased consequences if found responsible for the offense; and
WHEREAS, this legislation should be advanced to show Tennessee’s commitment to taking care of animals within the state and for its residents to be better stewards of the animals in their care; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper for the Metropolitan Council to call for the Tennessee General Assembly to enact this legislation to increase criminal penalties for aggravated animal cruelty convictions.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as urging the Tennessee General Assembly to support House Bill 1444 regarding criminal penalties for aggravated animal cruelty.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.