Sage was a beloved six year old family cat who lived in Clearfield, Utah. After going missing for four days, Sage managed to crawl back home where he was found by his beloved family. His family was horrified and heartbroken at what they found.

Every inch of Sage’s mangled little body had been subjected to excruciating torture. His ribs were broken. His face was beaten and his eyes were glued shut. His whiskers were cut off and his fur was shaved off. The abuse was so severe that Sage could no longer meow or walk -- Some of the torture is too graphic to put into words.

Debbie Barnes from the Humane Society of Northern Utah said, “This is the worst case of abuse I have ever seen.”

Veterinarians tried desperately to save his life, but after two rounds of CPR, Sage succumbed to his injuries. To date, there have been no arrests for this heinous crime.

But even if the perpetrator is caught and convicted, the punishment would be a slap on the wrist: a small fine and little to no jail time. Convicted animal abusers often go on to repeat their crimes, and in some cases, go on to commit violent crimes against humans as well.

That’s why I, along with thousands of members of the Cats of Instagram community are taking action. We are urging the Utah State Legislature to introduce and pass “Sage’s Law”. This legislation will establish a public Animal Abuse Registry. People convicted of animal cruelty would be required to register and prohibited from adopting or purchasing an animal ever again. Animal shelters and pet stores would have access to the registry. Local residents, like Sage’s family, would be aware of people living in their own neighborhood who have a history of animal abuse.

Sage's Law also proposes upgrading animal cruelty charges from a 3rd degree felony to a 2nd degree felony with $10,000 fine and 1-15 years in prison, with mandatory 10 year sentences if the animal dies as a result of the injuries.

Dozens of states and cities across the country have enacted or have legislation pending to create Animal Abuse Registries. It’s time for every state to have these laws, so we’re taking our plea to Sage’s home state of Utah. Please help us urge the Utah state legislature to make “Sage’s Law” a reality. Let’s make Sage the hero he was always meant to be.