One of the remaining minority of U.S. states where animal cruelty is still only a misdemeanor may change. Several attempts to upgrade animal cruelty to felony status have failed in Arkansas over the past few years. In what appears to be a creative compromise effort for the next legislative session, the new bill would create the category of "aggravated animal cruelty", which would be a felony, for more severe cases. It would also upgrade the misdemeanor penalties for other cases.
Perhaps most notably, the proposed measure also would make cockfighting a felony. Last I checked, only about three states did not have laws on the books prohibiting cockfighting (although I vaguely recollect at least one state enacting a ban fairly recently).
Read more in this article by Andy Davis of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
CORRECTION: Thanks to blog reader Tracy H. for pointing out that the ban on cockfighting has finally reached all fifty states, although it is not yet a felony across the board. Read more on the last state to ban the bloodsport, Louisiana, in this August Times-Picayune article by Ed Anderson.
