title
PROPOSED ORDINANCE
COOK COUNTY ANIMAL ABUSER REGISTRY
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois and the County of Cook have criminalized abuse and cruelty towards animals; and
WHEREAS, despite these laws against animal cruelty and abuse, animal cruelty continues to be a problem in Illinois and Cook County; and
WHEREAS, the number of cruelty cases reported daily on various media sources is not reflective of the actual number of cases, as most cases are never reported, and most animal suffering goes unrecognized and unabated; and
WHEREAS, further complicating this issue is the fact that, unlike violent crimes against people, information on reported cases of animal abuse have not been compiled by state and federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate the prevalence or trends in these crimes; and
WHEREAS, intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people, and data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are victimized by abusive parents or partners each year; and
WHEREAS, in light of the above-mentioned link between animal abuse and crimes against people, including violent crimes and domestic violence, after a years-long lobbying effort and the backing of the National Sheriffs Association and the Animal Welfare Institute, in 2014, the FBI agreed to elevate animal cruelty to its own separate offense category defined as "Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment."; and
WHEREAS, 2016 marks the first time the FBI will collect data on animal crimes the way it does for other serious crimes such as homicide or rape by having their own organized category within the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the FBI's public collection of national crime statistics; and
WHEREAS, the goal is that ...
Click here for full text