Stop Torturing Our Pets (STOP) is an Idaho legally registered non-profit organization that has been formed for the following purposes:
- To educate the citizens of Idaho to the plight of animals who are subjected to cruelty and to inform them that changing the dogfighting law to a felony is separate from the Cruelty to Animals Statute.
- To persuade Idaho legislators via e-mails, letters, letters to the editor and any other legal persuasive actions that the current misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals law is not acceptable to the people of Idaho.
- To change the Cruelty to Animals Statute, by whatever legal means necessary, to provide misdemeanor or felony charges based upon the serious nature of the crime(s) and after two misdemeanor convictions, the third conviction becomes a felony.
This group has been founded by a fourth generation Idahoan who was raised on a farm/ranch and we understand that stockgrowers and hunters only benefit from appropriate animal care.
Idaho is now one of ONLY FOUR STATES (ID, MS, ND, SD) without felony penalties in their cruelty to animals statute.
STOP worked with many organizations including most of Idaho’s agricultural groups to write the bill that was presented in the 2009 legislative session before the House Agricultural Committee. Our bill was evaluated and rewritten to include concerns of almost all groups who gave us input and was reviewed twice by the Attorney General’s Office. The bill met the standards of protecting the normal, legal procedures of the agricultural practices while providing appropriate penalties (misdemeanors or felonies) depending on the nature of the abuse or neglect as cited in number 3 of the purposes cited above. Unfortunately, the House Agricultural Committee voted not to send the bill for a full hearing in the House.
Update 11/2009
Beginning in May, we started working with an informal legislative taskforce headed by Senator Tim Corder, Chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee. This group is receiving input from many organizations but is primarily composed of agricultural interests. The bill we presented last year has been chosen as the focal point of the cruelty bill. While the work has resulted in a draft only and is subject to revision, we are very concerned that the portion relating to “production animals” will become a law. While I cannot release specifics, the majority of the taskforce has decided to take all “production animals” (cattle, pigs, sheep, etc. and even horses and herd dogs) out of the cruelty statute. The task force is planning to rewrite the definition of “production animals” but if this draft goes forward, those animals, however they are defined, will no longer be protected by the cruelty statute. It appears that only some dogs and cats or other pets would be protected under the cruelty statute. “Production animals” will be placed into a separate category to be determined by the Idaho Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The ISDA would write rules and regulations governing the proper care of these animals.
There are innumerable serious problems with this proposal in our opinion. Some of our concerns are: no law enforcement agency or the Idaho Humane Society could cite an abuser of those animals without the investigation and agreement of an ISDA inspector. The ISDA only has nine inspectors, to our knowledge, for the entire state of Idaho, but the incidents of cruelty to animals have risen dramatically in the last few years (“…up 33% over the same time last year” according to state veterinarian Greg Ledbetter…” Idaho Statesman, 1/09). Since the rules and regulations have not been written yet, it is totally unclear what would constitute improper care and how or if the offender would be cited. The ISDA inspectors do not have the authority to issue citations of any kind at this time. We are also concerned that the legislature has complete authority to determine the rules and regulations of the ISDA. We have informed the task force of our serious concerns about this draft.
We need all members to stay informed as the task force revises this draft and ask that each of you recruit everyone you know who cares about Idaho’s animals to join STOP so that we can voice our concerns and disapproval should this draft become a bill in the 2010 legislative session which begins in January. Use the contact tab at the top of the page to send an e-mail with your questions or to become a new member. Thank you for your continued support and interest in this important cause.
If you care about Idaho's animals, we NEED YOU to join our organization, just contact us. Thank you.
Contact us for a free brochure or to receive specific information about the changes we are proposing in the law.
In order to contact your legislators to let them know you want this law changed, please use the following links:
(Please be aware that some legislators only read and respond to their mail during the session, others respond all year.)
For your information the code regarding cruelty to animals may be found by searching for Idaho Code, 25, 35. For your convenience, the administering agency and the inadequate misdemeanor sentencing guidelines are listed below. Please note that a person has 15 years to commit up to three of these crimes and at most will receive not more than 12 months in jail or a fine of not less than $500 or more than $9000. This is not an acceptable punishment for the starvation, beating and/or other forms of torture inflicted upon innocent animals.
Idaho Code, Title 25. Animals, Chapter 35 Cruelty to Animals:
"The department of agriculture, division of animal industries shall be responsible for the administration of the provisions of this chapter and shall inform the public and animals owners concerning their legal responsibilities, and in cooperation with local law enforcement, investigate and develop cases for prosecution.
25-3520A Penalty for violations.
- Except as provided in section 25-3503, Idaho Code, any person convicted for a first violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be punished for each offense, by a jail sentence of not more than six (6) months or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
- Except as provided in section 25-3503, Idaho Code, any person convicted of a second violation of any of the provisions of this chapter within ten (10) years of the first conviction, shall be punished for each offense, by a jail sentence of not more than nine (9) months or a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) or more than seven thousand dollars ($7,000) or both fine and imprisonment.
- Except as provided in section 25-3503, Idaho Code, any person convicted of a third or subsequent violation, within fifteen (15) years of the first conviction, shall be punished for each offense by a jail sentence of not more than twelve (12) months or a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than nine thousand ($9,000) or by both fine and imprisonment."
As mentioned above section 25-3503, Idaho Code refers to Poisoning animals and reads as follows: "Every person who willfully administers any poisonous substance to an animal, the property of another, or maliciously places any poisonous substance where it would be found by an animal or where it would attract an animal, with the intent that the same shall be taken, ingested or absorbed by any such animal, is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding three (3) years, or in the county jail not exceeding one (l) year, and a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than five thousand dollars ($5000)."