Should There Be an Animal-Abuser Registry?

The California legislature is considering a bill to create a registry of animal abusers. But there might not be enough money to fund it

Gillian Laub for TIME

Spitzer has the resources to tackle any challenge — except maybe another campaign

Cruelty to animals, it is said, is often a precursor to graver crimes. So would there not be some usefulness to a registry of individuals convicted of felony animal abuse? Legislators in California want the Golden State to be the first to establish such a record — just as California was the first in the nation to create a registry of sex offenders.

The goal of the registry, which would list crimes against both pets and farm animals, is to make it easier for shelters and animal-adoption groups to identify people who shouldn't be allowed access to animals....

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