Officials of the Humane Society of Utah today paused to note the fact that SB 297, the bill making the deliberate torture of a cat or dog a third-degree felony on the first offense, actually went into effect May 5. "This is historic," said HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt. "Never before in the entire existence of Utah as either a territory or a state has legislation like this been enacted, and we are profoundly thankful to have been witnesses to, and participants in, this landmark action."

Mr. Baierschmidt noted that companion cats and dogs, the animals specifically covered by the law, constitute the vast majority of victims of such abuse, and praised the new law for "hearing the voices of those most desperately needing to be heard."