Comprehensive Animal Cruelty Act 10 (formerly HB 1238) IS NOW A PA LAW. We need to make sure this law if followed and up held. It is NOT okay to harm an animal mentally or physically. We need to be their voice since they can't speak for themselves! In short: Aug. 4th Alexi our Maine Coon bolts out the back door and that is the last time he is seen. We assumed he'd come home as he always did..he never returns. I'm told by a neighbor, another neighbor was trapping cats and dumping them somewhere. I have talked to this individual on several occasions and asked him nicely where he took the cats so I can find my boy. He denied taking him and told me to get the explicit off his property so I stood on the street and kept asking him. He again refused. My daughter and I printed flyers, went to door in the whole town. Our search moved to the Hunlock Creek area where this man said he took the cats and dumped them on a farm. We placed flyers everywhere. Even started a door to door canvas in the very large area. I stopped every other day at the SPCA to see if he was there? I was losing hope of ever seeing him again. The SPCA was called by a local organization and a officer sent out. The officer told this man he was not doing anything wrong and left. But according to Act 10 he most definitely did and he continued to trap and dump cats. On Oct. 12th I received a call from a man working at a restaurant close to where the cats were being dumped (10 miles from home and across a river). He said he seen the flyer and he thinks he has my cat. I rushed from work to see if this lead would be the one I prayed for. When I got there the gentleman was out back waiting for me. He had the cat in the office and was feeding him. The second they brought him out, my knees gave out and I began crying..its my boy! I drove him home, the whole time he sat in my lap purring and offering me kisses. He was just as happy to see me. I don't want anyone else to have to go through this!! It makes me wonder how many people are looking for their pets who maybe aren't lost but relocated by an evil person? It must start here! Nothing has been done to this man who openly admitted to the humane officer that he was trapping and ABANDONING CATS.
Under this law I as a pet owner can be fined and or jailed for abandoning my animal. This law should go for those who trap and relocate an animal as well. He took our baby, dumped him like trash!! Why is he not being held accountable?
Section 5533 Animal cruelty – intentionally, knowingly or recklessly illtreats, overloads, beats, abandons or abuses and animal and the treatment causes bodily harm to the animal.
Section 5532 Neglect of an animal – failure to provide necessary food, water, shelter or veterinary care
