(The Center Square) – Steven R. Hansen, CEO of the Arizona Humane Society, is asking state House Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Surprise, and Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Sierra Vista, to release an animal cruelty bill from the House Natural Resources and Energy and Water Committee and assign it exclusively to the Judiciary Committee.
Currently, Senate Bill 1234 is assigned to both House committees.
Dr. Hansen, a veterinarian, told The Center Square that Montenegro and Griffin, who chairs the NREWC, should release the bill so it can only be heard in the Judiciary Committee and “move forward and stand on its own merit.”
He added that NREWC does not consider animal cruelty bills, so SB 1234 will not be heard in this committee and will not move forward.
Assigning a bill to two committees can be a way to kill legislation, Hansen said.
Montenegro and Griffin couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
Hansen said the Arizona Humane Society’s request is “urgent” because SB 1234 needs to be on the calendar to be heard next week.
This week, the Arizona State Senate passed SB 1234 by a 22-4 vote.
SB 1234 defines “cruel neglect” as the neglect of a domestic animal that is not provided appropriate food, water and shelter.
The bill doesn’t impact farm animals or homeless people with pets, Hansen said.
Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Deer Valley, who sponsored SB 1234, said the bill ensures animals have reasonable access to food, water and shelter.
‘We’re hopeful pet owners are doing what they need to do for their animals and not neglecting them,” she said.
Bolick told The Center Square she had a similar bill last session, but it did not get a hearing.
Bolick cited an incident in Chandler, Arizona, in 2023, where over 50 dogs lived in horrendous conditions. The state senator said this place was “dubbed the house of horrors.”.
She said the animals did not have proper housing or access to food and water. When this incident occurred, Bolick said law enforcement could not help the animals because of the way Arizona’s laws were written.
According to Hansen, the bill changes “protracted suffering to unreasonable suffering.” He described this as an “important” modification.
”Instead of time-based, it’s intensity-based, so these most egregious cases can be acted on quickly,” he said.
Hansen said this bill, which has bipartisan support, is important for companion animals. He called SB 1234 a “common-sense bill.”
As a state, the humane society CEO said, Arizona has “significant animal cruelty issues.” He added that the Arizona Humane Society investigates “thousands of cases” yearly.”
Most of these investigations are solved with education, Hansen said.
“ Our objective is not to take animals from homes,” he said. “Our objective is to keep animals in homes and only take those to the shelter in which we’ve got severe, egregious suffering.”
Severe cruelty occurs in a small number of cases, Hansen said. However, when these situations do happen, he said, it is important for a judge to act quickly so his organization can provide help.
Most cases result from a lack of food, shelter, water or medical care, Hansen said.
