The penalties for animal cruelty have been dramatically increased under a tough new law driven through Parliament by Tauranga MP Simon Bridges. Mr Bridges' Animal Welfare Amendment Bill was unanimously passed into law yesterday. The maximum sentence for wilful ill-treatment of an animal has been increased from three to five years prisonand the maximum fine doubled to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a company. Penalties have also increased for a range of other neglect and ill-treatment offences and the act expands the law relating to forfeiture of animals and disqualification from having them. It also creates a new offence of reckless ill-treatment, which will make it easier for offenders to be prosecuted. Today, Mr Bridges told the Bay of Plenty Times he felt touched and delighted by the vote, which was the culmination of his Bill being given priority treatment by the Government. Mr Bridges said his Bill was spurred by his strong feelings that it was wrong to harm animals and the experiences from his previous job as a Crown Prosecutor in Tauranga. "I was aware there was an undeniable link between animal cruelty and serious human cruelty offending." He said he had been troubled by a growing awareness as a prosecutor that some criminals also had a history of animal abuse. Once he introduced the Bill to Parliament, he was inundated with calls, emails, letters and Facebook messages. Tauranga SPCA chairman Richard Mason welcomed the stiffer penalties, saying it would give the organisation a lot more power and make people understand that they had responsibilities for their animals. He said the SPCA regularly handled cases in Tauranga where people lost interest in their animals and pets and disregarded their needs. The branch was currently handling a case where a horse was removed from its owner and they were now looking to find it a new home. Mr Mason said the new penalties would make people think more carefully before they stopped caring for their animals in a responsible and decent manner. Agriculture Minister David Carter said the legislation sent a clear message that serious offending against animals would not be tolerated. "The unanimous support it received in Parliament reflects the fact that New Zealanders want strong laws to protect animals from harm."
