Online registry for animal abusers heads back to House

Proponents hope an animal abuse bill three years in the making could become law this year.

Rep. Paul Muxlow, R-Brown City, and other legislators reintroduced a group of bills Tuesday that would bar convicted animal abusers from getting another pet for five years and require animal shelters to check potential adopters against a Michigan State Police database.

Muxlow's bill — referred to as Logan's Law — was introduced after a March 2012 incident in which a Wales Township husky named Logan was blinded by an acid burn. The dog died a few months later.

Logan's owner, Matt Falk, said someone intentionally splashed the battery acid on Logan while he was in his kennel.

The event spurred Falk to ask legislators for action.

Logan's Law would require that people convicted of animal abuse be barred from getting another pet from an animal shelter or animal control facility for at least five years post-sentencing or post-incarceration.

Muxlow said people with an animal abuse conviction already are listed in the Michigan State Police Internet Criminal History Access Tool database.

The bills would require animal shelters or animal control facilities to check an adopter against the database and deny an adoption to anyone who had a criminal conviction for animal abuse within five years.

"That's the bill that went through the House last fall with a vote of 98-12," Muxlow said. "But it didn't get through the Senate because of time constraints.

"With the significant vote we had last time, I'm hoping there won't be a problem."

The bills also would require the Michigan State Police to compile the number of animal abuse convictions each year.

Muxlow said the public usually accesses the database for a $10 fee. He said the Michigan State Police has agreed to waive that fee for animal shelters and animal control organizations.

Muxlow said, at this point, the bill doesn't cover commercial operations such as pet stores.

"I think down the road there may be some expansion of it," Muxlow said. "We'll probably see how this works out for a time."

Muxlow said the legislation has attracted attention from animal groups throughout the country and the world.

The Logan's Law Facebook page has more than 53,000 likes. Falk said that Facebook page will become important as the bill moves through the legislative process.

"We'll find out when Logan's Law is going up for a vote. We'll contact people on Facebook," and ask them to call their legislators, Falk said.

Falk hopes the legislation will set a precedent for other states.

"It's going on three years since it happened," Falk said. "It has been a long haul, but if this is passed it really will open the door for a lot of states to get the same thing."

Muxlow expects the bills to go to committee within a month.

The group of four bills includes Muxlow's, and those from Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit; Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren; and Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

Contact Beth LeBlanc at (810) 989-6259 or eleblanc@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @THBethLeBlanc.