Animal welfare advocates are holding an event this Saturday in Eugene to celebrate recent legislation, and to get more laws passed to protect pets. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.
Christina Anderson takes her rescue pit bull, Pinners, outside for some air. Anderson’s with the Oregon chapter of Paws Across America.
“She’s a little bit of a nervous girl (Pinners sniffs reporter's microphone a couple times) but she does pretty good…”
Anderson and her group will be at the Chad Drive PetSmart Saturday to discuss a new Oregon law, that lets people break windows to free children or pets left in cars.
“There is responsibilities that go along with this law," explains Anderson.
"You have to call 911 first. You have to assess the situation. And you have to stay with the vehicle. You can’t just break the window and leave.”
State Senator James Manning will sit in a car with the windows rolled up, to demonstrate how hot it can get for pets or kids left alone.
Anderson is working to create an animal abuse registry similar to one in Tennessee. People convicted of animal cruelty or neglect would be required to register in a statewide database.
“If they try to go to a rescue or a shelter and adopt a pet, the red flag will come up on the registry. Any kind of domestic violence or child abuse, this will come up.”
Anderson adds there’s a connection between domestic violence and child abuse, and those who mistreat animals.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.
