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Source: ONE News -
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Government MPs will on Tuesday consider whether to adopt a bill to increase penalties for animal cruelty offences.
Prime Minister John Key at the weekend said MPs would consider adopting National MP Simon Bridges' members bill to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from three to five years. Member's bills make slow progress and seldom progress without government support.
Key told Breakfast that if the bill was picked up it would send a strong message.
"You've seen some horrible cases, disgusting cases in the media, you know people ripping heads off kittens and just barbaric behaviour like that," he said.
"Only 1% of people who have undertaken cruel acts against an animal have been prosecuted and only 3% (of them) have been sent to prison. What we would be doing (if the bill was passed) is government and parliament would be sending a message to the judiciary that we take this seriously."
Caucus would discuss it on Tuesday.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is investigating with charges possible for two men who slaughtered 33 dogs near Wellsford , north of Auckland, this week.
Labour, ACT and the Greens had indicated support for the bill.
Labour leader Phil Goff said on Sunday the party would support it to the committee stage.
"I'm the owner of two dogs and have had pets all my life. There is a human obligation to treat animals humanely and we need to do everything we can to stop these appalling acts," he told the Sunday Star Times.
"We know that there is a link, that people who are capable of committing acts of cruelty against animals are also capable of behaving in a similar manner against human beings."
