Bill Passed To Toughen Animal Cruelty Laws - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

North Dakota Lawmakers pass a bill today, enforcing harsher penalties for those who hurt animals.

Under the current law the highest penalty someone can receive for hurting an animal is a misdemeanor.

The bill passed by the Senate today makes it an automatic felony for someone who willfully harms an animal in a cruel way resulting in serious injury or death.

Supporters of the bill say these penalties are appropriate for the crime.

"We talked for two years to come to a good compromise a good strong piece of legislation that would protect animals and would protect the folks who care for them," Kristi Schlosser Carlson with North Dakota Farmers Union said.

In November voters turned down measure five, which would have made penalties harsher for animal cruelty.

Republican Larry Luick, says this bill is better than measure five because it protects more animals.

"In measure five, that was probably a good effort on the behalf of the people who brought it forward but it only covered a few number of animals and it was sort of vague as far as what the coverage would entail," Republican Larry Luick said.

The bill passed today is Senate Bill 2211.