Make animal torture a felony in Utah Today!, during today's special 1 day legislative session.

[A weekly news and events list for the Utah Animal Rights Coalition]

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VICK'S TRICKS MAKE YOU SICK? THAT'S WHY WE NEED
HENRY'S BILL!

While the entire nation reels in revulsion as the gruesome details of
Michael Vick's "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation come to
light, Utah's animal protection activists once again calls on
Utah's legislators to make deliberate animal torture a
third-degree felony on the first offense in our state.

If what Vick allegedly did to the dogs he considered
'inferior' had happened in Utah, the worst penalty he
could face would be that of a misdemeanor, we're talking about
hanging them, drowning them, shocking them to death with crude
electric devices. These animals lived and died under the most grisly
circumstances imaginable, and what was done to them should not be
looked upon as only a minor offense!

Henry's Bill is going to be heard in a special legislative
session called by Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. today and<b> to ensure it
passes please contact your senators and representatives immediately
and urge them to pass the bill, and also insist that the law be in
effect on the first offense.</b> Waiting for an animal torturer to be
convicted a second time before he faces appropriate punishment is
preposterous, it's absolutely senseless to not take serious action
against these perpetrators on the first offense! Without a deserved
punishment they will not hesitate to commit more violence to animals
and move on to victimizing other people.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS and urge them to SUPPORT the bill, and
also EMPHASIZE THAT THE BILL MUST MAKE THE ACT OF ANIMAL TORTURE A
THIRD-DEGREE FELONY ON THE FIRST OFFENSE. <b>Some legislators are now
supporting the bill, but only when the torture occurs as a SECOND
offense. We believe that this renders the bill largely meaningless as
it will not stop further violence to animals or prevent a perpetrator
from moving on to violence against people.</b>

TODAY, contact your legislator through a special page set up by The
Humane Society of Utah
http://animalcruelty.utahhumane.org/ContactYourLegislator/tabid/556/Default.aspx, visit your UT State House Representative & UT State Senator in person on Utah's capitol hill, or call your representative @ 801 538 1029 & your senator @ 801  
538
1035.
The HSU page automatically will find who your state Reps are. To find
them otherwise, you can make a 2 minute call to your county recorders
office (in Salt Lake County it's 801 468 3427 or their website
http://www.clerk.slco.org/elections/index.cfm , where you can easily
find ALL your elected officials</a>).

For the animals, UARC


PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL UTAH FRIENDS

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