House Passes Legislation to Make Animal Abuse a Federal Offense

WASHINGTON - This week, the House of Representatives passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (H.R. 724), of which Congressman Zeldin, member of the bipartisan Animal Protection Caucus, is a proud cosponsor, to criminalize certain acts of animal cruelty.  

In 2010, Congress passed the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of animal crushing videos illegal. However, the underlying acts of cruelty against animals were not included. The PACT Act closes this loophole by prohibiting certain cases of animal abuse.

“This legislation sends a clear, unified message that our nation will not accept cruelty against animals and makes significant process in providing law enforcement officials with the authority they need to prevent it,” said Congressman Zeldin. “Whether it’s our four-legged family members or others like them calling Long Island home, protecting animals from torture and cruelty is and must continue to be bipartisan.”