In the two years after Libre's Law went into effect in August 2017, more than 20,000 animal cruelty and neglect charges were filed in Pennsylvania, according to data released by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
LIbre's Law -- officially known as Comprehensive Animal Cruelty Act 10 -- gave police and prosecutors harsher charging options in cases of extreme animal abuse while still allowing them to file summary citations for less-serious abuse cases.
The statute also placed restrictions on tethering and provided grading options (felony, misdemeanor, summary) and different penalties based on the severity of abuse and neglect, according to the AOPC.
Act 10 was named after an abused Boston terrier named Libre, whose criminal case in Lancaster County made national news and served as a launch point for reform.
The AOPC data shows more than half (52 percent) of the 21,206 post-Libre’s Law charges filed statewide through 2019 have been for neglect offenses.
Forty-one percent of the charges were for cruelty, while the remaining 7 percent were for aggravated cruelty, a felony created under Libre’s Law.
Go here to read the AOPC's full report.
