Previous Story
Animal rights supporter welcomes passage of anti-animal cruelty bill
Nicole Schafer welcomed the passage of House Bill 19-55 at the House of Representatives last Tuesday during a session on Rota. HB 19-55 aims to prevent the cruel treatment and theft of animals, and providing fines if caught.
Schafer said HB 19-55’s hurdling the House is great and welcome news for all animal rights supporters and pet lovers. She recently finished conducting a random survey, the Marianas Dog Attitude Survey, for her thesis that is also a requirement for her second postgraduate degree.
“It is a proud moment for the CNMI. The CNMI is a community that cares not just for its people, but for its animals,” said Schafer, who added that HB 19-55 getting past the house is a proof of that.
Schafer, who has also read the bill, said HB 19-55 does not prohibit or tries to stop butchering farm animals like chickens, cows, and pigs for food.
She said educating the public is the next step of animal rights groups like the Saipan Cares for Animals or pet lovers like her once the bill becomes a law.
“We need to make sure everyone is properly educated on what the bill entails and be able to answer the questions of those that wish to improve the care they are providing to their animals or how they can help animals they see in need,” said Schafer.
Rep. Ed Propst (Ind-Saipan) authored HB 19-55, or the animal protection bill, since there is no existing law protecting animals from cruelty or theft. Similar animal protection bills were introduced in the past legislatures, from the 13th to the 16th, but all failed to get the needed support and just gathered dust until it was completely forgotten.
HB 19-55 passed the House based on the House Committee on Natural Resources’ report, where they found out that there are a total of 1,880 animal cruelty cases that have been reported since 2007.
The bill covers abuse, beating, inflicting excessive harm, killing, and torturing animals. Fines range from $250 to $1,000.
