Animal Abuser Registry Proposed in California

A proposed law in California would create the nation's first criminal registry for animal abusers, forcing those convicted of mistreating animals to register their names in a public database, The New York Times reports.

The bill was drafted with the help of the Animal Defense Fund, an advocacy group based in San Francisco. The organization said the database would alert the public to dangerous individuals and possibly serve as an early detection service for other crimes. Abusers would be required to present personal information and a current photograph.

The California Senate majority leader, Dean Florentz, who introduced the bill, said animal rights is a rare bipartisan issue in the state, which has recently given new protections to cattle, chickens and pigs.

Last fall, California banned tail docking for dairy cows -- a partial amputation of the tail to make milking easier. It also ordered that the size of chicken cages be increased to allow the birds more room. The new animal protections outraged many in the agriculture industry, who have talked about leaving the state.