“We’re very excited about this bill,” said Robin Bender, a rescue manager at Mending Hearts Animal Rescue in Hollidaysburg. “It would do nothing but benefit the animals in our area.”

HB 869 is a whole package of laws that would benefit animals in the state. The bill itself would require convicted animal abusers to give up their pets. It also includes other bills like Libre’s Law, which would make severe animal abuse a felony in the state.

There are only three states in the nation that do not have felony punishment for animal abuse. Pennsylvania is one of them.

“Unfortunately in Pennsylvania, animals are still seen as property. Pets are seen as property,” Bender said. “So there really aren’t, we don’t have the laws in place that we should have. We’re very behind the rest of the country in this and we need to do something about that.”

It also includes a bill that prevents tethering a dog outside 24/7 and in extreme weather.

Bender said tying a dog up creates all sorts of problems like aggression, neurosis and anxiety.

“Aside from the hardship of being out in really hot or really cold weather, a dog needs to run. It needs to move. They are pack animals. They’re very social. They need interaction,” she said. “Imagine a person being chained, isolated 24/7. It creates a danger not only to animals with the aggression that’s formed in that animal, but with people.”

Law states to leave a dog out, it must have a dog house with hay, food, and fresh water.

“When it’s very bitter cold out, if they give us an idea of how cold it has to be for the dog to be out, then there’s no ifs and buts,” said City of Altoona Dog Law Officer Michael Daversa. “They got to bring the dog inside. If they don’t bring the dog inside, then they can be fined.”

If you do not bring the dog in, that’s a summary offense. Doing it twice in a year gets you a misdemeanor.

“If you’re gonna get a dog, bring it in and have it be part of your family,” Bender said. “If you can’t do that, don’t get a dog.”

The package also includes a bill called Cordelia’s Law, which adds protection for horses. Governor Wolf has said he supports HB 869 and would sign it into law.