The coda for one of the most contentious issues of the 2008 Utah legislative session was written Tuesday as Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed SB297 at a ceremony held at the Utah Humane Society headquarters in Murray.

The bill, which was officially signed last month, creates a first-offense felony penalty for the crime of torturing a dog or cat. Tuesday's event was ceremonial.

Huntsman lauded animal-rights activists for their determination and advocacy on behalf of the legislation.

"In the legislative process, sometimes issues percolate along and they get their proper level of recognition and then they die," Huntsman said. "In other cases, they percolate along, get their appropriate level of recognition, then people keep fighting for them until something gets done."

Huntsman also recognized the efforts of legislators who participated in getting the bill passed. Sen. Allen Christensen, R-Ogden, sponsored two of the four different bills that were proposed during the session aimed at changing the state's animal abuse code, including SB297.

"I think we found a decent compromise here that all sides are pleased with," Christensen said. "It's something we can all feel genuinely proud of."

Utah Humane Society director Gene Baierschmidt said he had given up hope on more than one occasion during the session, and is still celebrating the victory.

"Fortunately, we came away with a very good law," Baierschmidt said. "It really was a miracle."

Baierschmidt said changes provided by SB297 give Utah some of the strongest protection laws in the United States, and covers the vast majority of the torture cases that his agency sees. The credit, he says, really goes to the public.

"A lot of people have e-mailed and thanked us, but really, the public made this happen," Baierschmidt said. "Without the e-mails and letters they sent to legislators, we never would have gotten this passed."

The battle at the Capitol over changes to animal abuse laws began even before the session started, with a proposal drafted during the interim by Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake. Davis' bill was passed over by a committee and subsequent proposals by Christensen and Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, divided legislators on the issue. A compromise was struck off the floor in a negotiation brokered by House Speaker Rep. Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. The conference involved legislators and stakeholders on the issue as well as Huntsman, who took a facilitation role in the process. SB297 was the product of that gathering.

Huntsman paid tribute to his family's three dogs at the bill signing — Eddie, the golden retriever, Winston, the bulldog and Abner, the spaniel. He also made his stance on the issue clear.

"I'm one who happens to think that as we treat our animals, so do we treat our fellow human beings," Huntsman said. "There's a connection there that I think is undeniable."

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