Rewards boosted to nab animal abusers

A horse near Santa Clara was shot nearly 50 times last September.

Seven, a boxer, was thrown off an Interstate-15 overpass in March. In suburban Kanab, several pets have been killed in recent weeks, just as a rash of cow shootings has been reported in Tooele and Box Elder counties.

So far, no arrests have been made.

On the day Utah's new animal torture law went into effect, however, activists hoped increased rewards for information would help solve a series of animal cruelty cases.

"It's horrifying," said Anne Davis, executive director of the Animal Advocacy Alliance of Utah. "A lot of people don't like to get involved. If there's a reward, if that's incentive to bring somebody forward, so be it."

Officials are offering $10,000 for information in the shooting deaths of 10 cows in Tooele, $9,000 in the death of Crookneck the horse and $8,000 in the case of Seven. The increased reward amounts were announced Monday, the kick-off for "Be Kind to Animals Week" and the same day Henry's Law went into effect in Utah.

The law, which makes it a felony to torture companion animals, such as cats and dogs, is "one of the strongest in the nation," Davis said. "It's important because there's such a connection (between animal cruelty) and other forms of violence."

Lawmakers and activists hope stiffer penalties will discourage cases of animal cruelty in the future. Still, Davis said, there is room for strengthening laws against harming larger animals, such as cows and horses, though it is unlikely changes will be made at the state level anytime soon, she said.

"We worked for 13 years to get where we are," Davis said. "Lots of concessions were made, and it will be into the future before we go back to the state."

The group is currently working at a county level to strengthen such laws, she said.

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