Maryland Bill Would Create Registry of Animal Abusers  Bill
would also toughen laws against offenders  View Comments ()
Maryland lawmaker will consider a new bill designed to crack
down on people who abuse animals.      Frederick Sen. Ron Young
has introduced a measure that would toughen current laws. It
would also create a registry of animal abusers similar to
registries for sex offenders.      Animal abusers would be
fingerprinted and their photographs would go into a data base
that could be reviewed by the public online. There’s hope that
if this information is made public it would help prevent future
abuse.      One animal advocacy group, Maryland Votes for
Animals, said Maryland ranks 36th out of all 50 states when it
comes to laws that protect animals from abuse and neglect.