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against a cat, dog or horse a felony, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine. The maximum punishment for violating North Dakota's existing animal mistreatment laws is a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
• The measure defines cruelty in a number of specific terms, including burning, suffocating, blinding, disemboweling and death by beating or dragging. It says people convicted of felony animal cruelty could be required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, and ordered not to own a dog, cat or horse for up to five years.
• North Dakota farm groups are fighting the measure. The North Dakota Farm Bureau, Farmers Union and Stockmen's Association issued a statement Tuesday calling the initiative "poorly worded" and saying it "could spell trouble even for those who are doing right by animals."
• "The ballot initiative uses inflammatory language to incite our emotions, and fails to address the most common forms of animal mistreatment in the state," said Woody Barth, the president of the North Dakota Farmers Union and a rancher and farmer from Solen in rural south-central North Dakota.
• The Animal Legal Defense Fund, an advocacy group based in Cotati, Calif., says North Dakota and South Dakota are the only states without a felony penalty for animal cruelty.
• Thunshelle said the drafters of the measure took care not to interfere with normal farming and ranching practices. Cats, dogs and horses are mentioned specifically because they are the most common companion animals, she said.
• The North Dakota Legislature defeated a broader anti-cruelty proposal last year, in part because of opposition from agricultural groups. They have promised to bring an alternative proposal to the Legislature next year, an effort supported by Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.
• Dustin Oedekoven, South Dakota's state veterinarian, said South Dakota does have a felony penalty for staging dog fights, with a maximum two-year prison term. (Continued on page 19)
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