Goddard's Law, or Senate Bill 164, passed the Ohio House early Thursday morning, making the punishment for neglect or harm of a pet more severe. It now moves onto Governor Mike DeWine’s desk. This came after the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Tuesday, passing Goddard's Law for a vote in the full House.
The law was named after Fox 8 Meteorologist Dick Goddard. It was signed into law in 2016 and made neglect or harm of a pet a fifth-degree felony.
However, the maximum penalty for even the most horrific act of animal cruelty was one year in jail. With these changes, judges never have the discretion to impose a longer sentence.
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