JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Animal activists are hopeful Mississippi lawmakers will pass a new bill that would incorporate more accountability for those who commit acts of animal cruelty.
The bill is called Buddy’s law, named after a beloved neighborhood dog who was badly burned by a 12-year-old in Tate County. Animal advocates believe if such a bill was to become law it could grant troubled youth the help, they need.
“The bottom line is cruelty is cruelty.”
The bill was introduced in June 2021 and it would require psychiatric or psychological evaluation for children who torture animals.
“People who are cruel or negligent, they generally don’t have a limitation to who they’re cruel or negligent too,” said Doll Stanley in Defense of Animals.
Those in favor feel this bill could prevent youth from becoming more violent as they grow older.
“We know that there are people that simply are sociopaths or psychopaths but, the whole point in this bill was to start addressing the behavior of our youth while they’re young enough that we may be able to help them,” said Stanely.
“When we did find out that it was a juvenile committed the crime it just made it that much more hard to understand.”
The director of the Tunica Humane Society said Buddy never lost his trust in people and after numerous surgeries and months spent at Mississippi State’s Vet School. He will soon be ready for adoption.
“He’s just an extraordinary dog and god saved him for a reason and it may be Buddy’s law. That may be the purpose, to get that law implemented so that when something like this happens, there are some repercussions.”
The proposed buddy law bill is expected to be heard this legislative session. The animal advocates say if its not they will continue to push for the new law in 2023.
As of now Buddy remains at Mississippi State University continuing to recover from his injuries. Sandy Williams said Buddy loves to fetch and has nearly made a full recovery from the third and fourth degree burns he sustained on his face.