org, a Web site created to get the proposal passed. "What happened to Henry was obscene. The mindset of people who can do that should really be considered,"

Animal torture that amounts to a felony might be akin to the revulsion people feel when certain acts are inflicted on people, Davis says.

Place a baby in the oven for five minutes at 200 degrees and watch the public outrage. It wouldn't be a misdemeanor.

Hold the spouse's hand to a hot burner on the stove for five minutes. It wouldn't be a misdemeanor.

Otto says the way in which society governs the treatment of its most vulnerable is a reflection of its values as a whole.

But after traveling the nation lobbying lawmakers for tougher animal cruelty laws, he knows that such measures are often not legislators' priority.

"What they need to know is that in the United States, 63 percent of all households contain at last one companion animal," Otto says. "We tell them, even if you don't care, the majority of your constituents do. Animals don't vote, but the people who love them do."

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com