In a win for dogs like Ethan, first offense animal torture now a felony in Kentucky

A Valentine meet and greet benefit with Ethan in 2022 sold out. (Kentucky Humane Society)

Legislators and advocates who pushed for years to make dog and cat torture a felony on first offense gathered in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday to celebrate a new Kentucky law that does just that. 

House Bill 258, also called Ethan’s Law, allows a person to be charged with a Class D felony the first and every time they torture a dog or cat. It was previously a Class A misdemeanor on first offense and Class D felony after that. 

The law’s namesake, Ethan, won hearts over as he recovered from severe neglect in 2021. During the session, Ethan, primarily a brindle Presa Canario, came several times to Frankfort to testify in favor of it. 

It passed the legislature this year with bipartisan support and Gov Andy Beshear signed it into law in April. It went into effect Monday. 

The new law defines torture as the “intentional infliction of or subjection to extreme physical pain or serious injury or death to a dog or cat, motivated by intent or wanton disregard that causes, increases, or prolongs the pain or suffering of the dog or cat, including serious physical injury or infirmity.” 

Ethan’s owner, Jeff Callaway, has said that after being sold as a puppy, Ethan was traded for drugs and endured a “hellish” chapter of his life that ultimately led to him being abandoned in the Kentucky Humane Society parking lot. Veterinarians nursed him back to health, which included helping him gain around 50 pounds and learn to walk again.

Louisville Republican Susan Witten, who sponsored Ethan’s Law, said Tuesday that it “makes Kentucky a better place to live — not just for dogs and cats that we love but for every community, for every person in our community.” 

That’s because, she and others pointed out, research suggests people who harm animals are more likely to hurt people. 

“It’s unimaginable the pain our furry friends can go through when they’re left helpless (in) restraints,” Secretary of State Michael Adams said. “These animals suffer broken bones, starvation, even impalement.” 

He praised the legislative move to “keep our best friends safe, and punish those who hurt them.” 

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