Pennsylvania approves stricter animal cruelty laws

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) on Wednesday signed tougher new animal cruelty laws known as “Libre’s law,” named after an abused puppy. 

The laws let officers file felony charges for first-time animal abusers and require anyone convicted of felony or misdemeanor animal cruelty to forfeit their animal, Philly.com reported. 

The laws were named for Libre, a Boston terrier who was found starving and left for dead at an Amish dog-breeding farm in Lancaster County in 2016.

{mosads}The rules call for abuse of horses to be treated the same as abuse of dogs and cats. And they grant civil immunity to veterinarians and Humane Society officers, so they can’t be sued if they report animal cruelty and are wrong.

They also shorten the amount of time dogs can be tethered outside.