Brian Fettner is a Boca Raton, Florida-based business leader and entrepreneur who operates in industries that range from sports management to food service. Outside the professional arena, Brian Fettner is an avid dog lover with a history of supporting anti-animal cruelty initiatives.
Thanks to the advocacy efforts of organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, all 50 states have had animal cruelty felony provisions on the books since 2014. In light of the traditional lack of animal cruelty convictions in the US and the relatively light penalties leveled at those found guilty of animal cruelty crimes, the rise of animal cruelty felony provisions is an extremely important tool in the protection of animals nationwide.
Although prosecutors in four states can only bring felony charges against a perpetrator with a previous animal cruelty conviction, all other states support first-offense felony criminal charges. In many states, the difference between felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges depends on the specific type of abuse. Other factors that may separate a felony and misdemeanor include the intentionality of the crime, the frequency of the abuse, and the extent of the harm inflicted.
