Beginning today, the FBI will initiate a new program targeting animal abusers.  Cruelty cases will be categorized and tracked, with the aim of cracking down on abusers.

Back in 2014, we told you about the FBI’s plan to make it harder for animal abusers to continue committing such crimes with minimal punishment.  Animal abuse has previously been considered a lesser crime, but now it will be a Group A felony with its own category, the same way homicide and arson are listed.

“It will help get better sentences, sway juries and make for better plea bargains,” said Madeline Bernstein, president and CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles and a former New York prosecutor.

The FBI will now be better able to keep statistics on where cruelty is occurring, how frequently, and if incidents are on the rise.  Youthful offenders will be identified to help them curb their behavior.

The FBI says law enforcement agencies will have to make reports of incidents under four categories:  simple or gross neglect; intentional abuse and torture; organized abuse, including dogfighting and cockfighting; and animal sexual abuse.

“The immediate benefit is it will be in front of law enforcement every month when they have to do their crime reports,” said John Thompson, interim executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association who helped establish the new animal cruelty category. “That’s something we have never seen.”

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When Spirit and her owner walked into PAWS Atlanta on Sept. 19, 2015, the skin and bones dog weighed 30.6 lbs. Her healthy weight should have been 55 lbs, but for unknown reasons, she was 20 lbs underweight.

We spoke with Jacki McDonald, PAWS Atlanta Director of Marketing & Development, who said the dog owner stated she had only had Spirit for a few months and no longer wanted to keep the pet due to allergies.

Questions such as how Spirit got to be so malnourished and why will for now go unanswered. There is a pending police investigation and little information is being released.

Worrying for the dog’s health, veterinarians ran tests to make sure Spirit did not have other underlining ailments.

“[There were] no intestinal parasites to cause such weight loss,” said McDonald. “[She is] heartworm negative and her blood work is ok so far. We need to monitor her organs to see if [there is] any long term damage from severe lack of nutrition.”

As police continue to investigate this case, Spirit is learning what love and proper nutrition feels like. She is currently in foster care with one of PAWS Atlanta’s very own vet technicians.

At first, Spirit showed signs of abuse. “She was very unsure of new people, resistant to being touched, would cry out into the air if approached,” said McDonald, “but she already has become more comfortable, snuggles with her foster family and other dogs on the couch.

Spirit’s previous owner has an upcoming court date and if convicted of animal abuse, the woman could be fine and a given a ban on animal ownership, but this will all be determined by a judge.

The road to recovery for Spirit will be a long one. She will be made available for adoption once she is completely healthy and ready to move into a family environment. For now, anyone interested in helping the young dog should consider making a donation at

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