Over the years, I've worked closely with our local animal shelter. Through radio interviews, we talk about upcoming events, animal adoption drives, and our Pawsday Pet of the Week, hoping to find forever homes for some of the shelter's longest residents.

READ: Arizona Animal Shelter is Now Offering $5 Adoption Specials

Off air, we talk about some of the tragic situations dogs, cats, and other shelter animals come from. Every week I'm reminded of the two sides of human nature. Those with terrible intentions and those who fight to prevent animal cruelty.

Animal registry in Arizona
Canva
loading...

As hard as they work, sometimes the laws have not been on their side. A new bill could change that.

Arizona Needs Stronger Animal Cruelty Laws

Animal cruelty is a serious problem in Arizona. Last year, the Arizona Humane Society responded to nearly 15,000 calls for service and initiated close to 10,000 animal abuse investigations. This was a 21% increase over the previous year.

Many of the cases involved the neglect, abuse, and abandonment of companion animals like dogs and cats across the state.

Animal registry in Arizona
Canva
loading...

That's why Arizona Senator TJ Shope introduced Senate Bill 1047, which aims to strengthen Arizona's animal cruelty laws. If passed, the bill will define cruelty to companion animals and ensure necessary medical attention, safe shelter, and protection during extreme weather.

Current Animal Cruelty Laws in Arizona

Current animal cruelty laws in Arizona are vague and weak. This makes it hard for law enforcement to intervene and to hold animal abusers accountable.

K101 logo
Get our free mobile app

If passed, Arizona's SB1047 would serve to strengthen animal cruelty laws and provide clarity to the standards for care for animals. It will give law enforcement and prosecutors tools to act swiftly and effectively in cases of animal cruelty and neglect.

Animal registry in Arizona
Canva
loading...

Arizona's Proposed Animal Abuse Registry: Why It Failed to Pass

Recently, supporters of the bill proposed a statewide animal abuse registry. The bill would have created the nation's first database of this kind, assisting animal care services with a clearer picture when adopting animals to the public.

Animal registry in Arizona
Canva
loading...

The bill was defeated when the Arizona Humane Society came out against the bill. Legislators voted against it due to an amendment that would have exempted pet stores from the $250 fine that would be imposed on anyone who knowingly adopted an animal to a person on the abuser list.

Animal registry in Arizona
Canva
loading...

The rest of the bill has passed the first hurdles. With any luck, this issue of an abuse registry will be taken up again in the future.

LOOK: Longest-living dog breeds

To find out the longest-living dog breeds, Stacker examined data from the journal Genetics and American Kennel Club's 2023 breed popularity rankings. 

Gallery Credit: Sophia June

WOOF: These are the most popular dog breeds in America

Stacker highlights the 100 most popular dog breeds in America based on data released March 15, 2023 from the American Kennel Club.

Gallery Credit: Sabienna Bowman

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

More From K101