Utah Lawmakers Hope “Dixie’s Law” Will Better Protect Animals - National Humane Education Society
Paws Up! To Salt Lake County Animal Services for helping to increase the severity of animal cruelty charges for violent offenders.
March 18, 2021
Dixie was a four-year-old red heeler who was kidnapped by her owner’s disgruntled and deranged ex-boyfriend on March 1st, 2021. He set the innocent animal on fire as an act of retaliation, and dropped off the dog along the interstate outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, to fend for herself. Although animal control and emergency veterinary services did all they could to save Dixie, she succumbed to her injuries a week later, when veterinary experts deemed she was in too much pain to continue on.
Since then, animal welfare activists, dog lovers, and lawmakers alike have rallied together and have taken a candid look at the animal cruelty laws in the Salt Lake State. Currently, those who are charged of animal-related felonies rarely see any jail time and may incur a fine of up to $5,000. The Salt Lake County Animal Services would like to propose a change in severity of the law so that perpetrators of violent animal crimes–like the man who set Dixie on fire–would definitely be put behind bars.
Dixie’s Law is in its beginning stages, and proponents of the bill hope to introduce the legislation in the 2022 Legislative Session.
Take Action: Combat Animal Cruelty in Your Community
- If you suspect an animal cruelty incident, get as much information as possible without putting yourself or others in danger and without breaking any laws. Note the time, date, witnesses, animals involved, and any license plate numbers or addresses involved. If possible, photograph evidence.
- As soon as possible, contact your town or county’s animal control office any time you suspect animal cruelty. The animal control office can often be reached through your local sheriff’s department. In many cases, you can ask that a “welfare check” be conducted at an address without filing a formal complaint.
- Do not report animal cruelty to social networking sites or charities that lack law enforcement capacity. If you witness animal neglect or cruelty, it is imperative that it be reported to law enforcement or 911.
- Do not share or forward images of animal cruelty online. In many cases, this only grants animal abusers the notoriety they seek. Report offensive and violent imagery to website administrators.
- Bring humane education programs to your areas schools and community events. Get information about free NHES programs and activity ideas here.
- Write your local lawmakers to express your support of laws and ordinances that call for higher standard of care for animals. Stay on top of animal issues in the news at the NHES Paws Up/Paws Down blog.
Animal cruelty is pervasive. People exploit animals because they can! We need legal action so they can’t!
People have been torturing animals for years in the name of “medicine”. Animal experiments are Heynis in nature which should say something about the researchers conducting the experiments. What kind of person could drill holes into a cat’s skull? Or insert plastic tubing up a monkeys nose and force it all the way down to his intestines. It’s time we stop this cruelty. We need to work together to pass laws that will send these people to prison where they belong.
Well said.
HEAVY JAIL TIME FOR ALL ANIMAL ABUSERS. THESE EXCUES FOR HUMAN BEINGS MUST BE PUT AWAY FROM SOCIETY. AFTER ABUSING ANIMALS THESE COWARDS THEN GO ON TO TORTURING & KILL OTHET HUMANS.
It’s time this horrific abuse of animals is fully recognized by lawmakers, and perps are punished to the nth degree!!! I am disgusted by these horror stories, and support these disgusting individuals be brought up to face charges! I believe that if these crimes were punished fully, that we may see a decrease in these crimes! These sick individuals will go on to injure or kill a child, or another human being! It’s time this abuse ends!
I would fully support the Dixie law because this needs to Stop these animals needs our protection
Please let this law go Forward no more dogs need love because they give it 💯 dogs loves there humans 💯 they don’t understand when there getting hit on please let this law pass.
PLEASE do pass stricter laws against animal abusers. It is usually a pattern that animal abusers are people abusers also. They should get strict fines and jail time for any animal abuse and people in general need to take this crime more seriously!
This is a terrible and very cruel story that happened to a poor dog. should not leave people indifferent. Well done, those who decided to raise the issue of changing legislation. I believe that for cruelty to animals and for killing them, people should be imprisoned for at least 5 years. I am very supportive of this idea and urge everyone to pay attention to animals and how they are treated.