Does North Dakota Have A Public Animal Abuser Registry?

You hear sick and sad stories all the time from pet fosterers in North Dakota and local animal shelters. People do terrible things. They neglect, abandon, and even go as far as torturing animals.

We have public sex offender registries, which are absolutely 100 percent necessary, but I think we also need a public animal abuser registry. North Dakota has several laws that criminalize animal cruelty and abuse, but many of these crimes are misdemeanors and we really don't have an easy way to track who we need to watch out for.

I know many local shelters have internal "do not adopt" lists, and you can search by name on the ND Courts website, or do background checks, but I truly think we need a free, public, easy-to-access registry for our North Dakota communities.

Does North Dakota Have A Registry?

According to LegalTeamForLife.com,  Florinda and Tennessee have public registries, and California and Rhode Island have put forth proposals to get statewide registries, but to my knowledge, North Dakota doesn't have one.

There are a few reasons our state would benefit from having one:

1. A statewide system would make it easier for shelters. It would provide a consistent system rather than fragmented records across counties.

2. It's kind of a public safety concern. If you have a pet, and your neighbor has a history of abusing animals, this tool would allow you to keep your animals away from them and away from potential harm.

3. I'd be lying if I said a little public shaming wouldn't be satisfying. If you hurt an innocent puppy or kitten, your name and picture should be plastered on the internet for all to see.

I know there are * some * resources out there on the internet, but they may not cover crimes in North Dakota, and their records might not be up to date. What do you think about this? Send us a message in the app.