The direct link between animal cruelty and violence toward people is now widely recognized. By bringing charges against perpetrators of animal cruelty crimes, it assists with preventing individuals with a propensity for violence from further harming animals or turning that violence against humans. Many crimes, such as organized dogfighting and cockfighting operations, are almost always associated with other forms of criminal activity which range from gambling, drug trafficking, weapons possession, homicide, and gang activity.

Society and our U.S. lawmakers have made it explicitly clear that egregious acts of animal cruelty (including dogfighting, cockfighting, intentional torture, and bestiality) will not be tolerated in the USA and perpetrators of such crimes need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Unfortunately, enforcement of our federal animal protection laws continues to see lengthy delays, with many crimes going unprosecuted completely. According to the DOJ’s own records, between 2015 and 2019, less than 200 defendants were charged, convicted or sentenced for animal welfare offenses.

Here’s what will help: The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act: Advancing the Effort to Crack Down on Animal Cruelty Crimes in the USA.

Following a series of Congressional laws put in place to fortify the federal legal framework against the malicious mistreatment of animals, the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R.1016, has been introduced by U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO), David Joyce (R-OH), and Steve Cohen (D-TN). If passed into federal law, the ACE Act would establish a dedicated division at the U.S. Department of Justice to increase the investigation, enforcement, and prosecution of felony animal cruelty crimes.

The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R.1016, is a common-sense bill that animal advocates, domestic violence workers, law enforcement, and the average U.S. citizen can agree is the right policy for the United States.