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English bulldog - Source: Close Up -
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Tougher sentences for animal cruelty are a step closer to
becoming law with the government adopting Tauranga MP Simon
Bridges' private members bill on animal cruelty as a pece of
government legislation.
It would see the heaviest penalty for animal cruelty increased from
three to five years imprisonment.
Agriculture Minister David Carter says he will introduce the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill 2010 into parliament for referral to Select Committee.
"I will also be considering whether we can widen the scope of the bill to make the Animal Welfare Act work better," says Carter.
The adoption of the bill will complement a range of work that the government already has underway in the animal welfare area, he says.
"Increasing incidences of animal cruelty are horrifying many New Zealanders and the National government wants to see stronger measures in place to deal with this issue."
Bridges drafted the bill but as a member's bill it would progress very slowly and could take years to enact.
Turning it into a government bill means it could go onto parliament's agenda immediately and could be debated later this month.
There have been recent high profile cases of cruelty to animals, including the slaughter of 33 dogs near Wellsford, north of Auckland, last week.
