By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

Maine’s worst animal abusers can be charged with a felony and sent to prison. Judges can force them to give up their pets or livestock. They can be banned from owning any new animal, sometimes forever.

Maine’s tough animal cruelty laws are among the best in the country, according to a new national study by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Ranked with California, Oregon, Illinois and Michigan, Maine was the only New England state to make the “best” list.

But animal advocates say the state is still far from perfect.

“The laws are great in Maine. They’re not enforced in Maine,” said Janet Tuttle, founder of the Rockin’ T Equine Rescue in Lisbon Falls.

Based in California, the 100,000-member Animal Legal Defense Fund works to defend animals and to ensure their interests are recognized by law. For years, the group published a thick guide that outlined the statutes in each state.

It decided this year to compare those laws.

Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota and Utah were named the worst states for animals because abuse there is rarely, if ever, considered a felony. All, except Hawaii, allow abusers to keep their animals. And many don’t restrict future ownership, don’t offer abusers counseling and don’t require abusers to pay for vet bills or animal care.

Maine laws include all of that and more.

“We’re hopeful other states will take the example of Maine,” said Stephan Otto, attorney and legislative affairs director for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Maine’s laws have been tested as abuse complaints steadily rise, reaching the 700 mark last year. In 2005, a New Sharon woman was tried and convicted after authorities found she’d neglected 70 animals, including cats, dogs, horses, birds and hedgehogs. She was ordered to pay more than $5,000 in fines and restitution and was permanently prohibited from possessing any animals.

“I think we’re making inroads,” said Christine Fraser, veterinarian for the state’s animal welfare program.

But Fraser believes more needs to be done.

She’d like to see an animal endangerment law similar to that for child endangerment. She’d like better regulation on out-of-state shelter animals that come into Maine for adoption and tighter rules on breeding kennels.

“Unfortunately, you discover a lot of these missing links when you go to apply them (the laws),” Fraser said.

At Rockin’ T Equine Rescue, Tuttle believes Maine needs to better enforce the laws it already has. She’d like veterinarians to be required to report abused animals, as doctors are now required to report abused children. She thinks humane agents should have police powers.

Otto believes Maine is doing a lot of things right, with laws that are both comprehensive and tough. But when it comes to the lives of animals, the Animal Legal Defense Fund attorney agrees that Maine can’t stop now.

“There’s always room for improvement,” he said.

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