The Few and the Proud: Prosecutors Who Vigorously Pursue Animal Cruelty Cases‪.‬

THE CREATION of our nation's first felony animal cruelty laws began as early as the 1800s. (1) However, the movement toward recognizing the seriousness of animal cruelty did not reemerge until approximately a decade ago. Beginning in the mid 1990s, 37 states enacted felony criminal penalties against those who engage in serious or aggravated acts of animal cruelty. Currently, there are only five states (2) and four U.S. territories (3) that remain without felony laws. Being an animal cruelty prosecutor can be one of the most thankless positions in a prosecutor's office and it takes a tremendous amount of strength and confidence to navigate these complicated cases, often without sufficient support and resources.