Animal cruelty is now a federal felony in the U.S.

Fifteen dogs were found chained up to trees and deserted in a wooded area of Grimes County last month. (File photo) A new bill recently signed into law makes it a federal crime to abuse animals in the U.S. less Fifteen dogs were found chained up to trees and deserted in a wooded area of Grimes County last month. (File photo) A new bill recently signed into law makes it a federal crime to abuse animals in ... more Photo: Grimes County Sheriff's Office Photo: Grimes County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Animal cruelty is now a federal felony in the U.S. 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Animals across the country are a little bit safer now that animal cruelty is officially a federal felony in the U.S.

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) was signed into law by President Donald Trump Nov. 25. The law makes it a federal felony to abuse or "crush" animals on interstate commerce and federal property.

The country's previous animal cruelty law, the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, makes it a crime to film and distribute footage of any non-humans being “intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury,” but it does not make the actual cruelty and abuse a crime, according to a fact sheet of the bill. This loophole no longer exits thanks to PACT.

Violators could face hefty fines and up to seven years in jail.

"This bill sends a clear message that our society does not accept cruelty against animals. We've received support from so many Americans from across the country and across the political spectrum," Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), one of the bill sponsors, said in a release.

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Animal rights organizations have supported the bill since its inception, pushing for the safety of helpless animals across the country.

“We’ re thrilled to see the first anti-cruelty statute in American history signed into law and applaud President Trump and the Congress for providing the voiceless with a level of protection never seen before,” Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action said in a release. “The PACT Act will allow federal authorities to crack down on the most egregious of animal abusers and help keep American pets safe from harm.”

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Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com