An Illinois state representative wants to crack down on animal abusers by monitoring them with a registry,much like the one for sex offenders. Chicago Democrat Toni Berrios is proposing legislation to create the registry. It would be monitored by the state's department of agriculture. Berrios said she was inspired by stories from DNAinfo Chicago about increases in animal cruelty in her neighborhood.
"Making sure that we don't have dog fighters, we don't have other abusers out there for these animals just really means the world to me," Berrios said.
Currently, no state agency keeps tabs on animal abusers. Berrios is also seeking an increase in the penalty for first-time animal abusers.