Animal cruelty cases reported throughout the state include the January beating and stabbing deaths of three sheep at Omao Farms on Kaua'i; the 2006 murder of Porky, a pet pig on O'ahu who appeared in local television ads; and the 2002 machete slaying of a German shepherd named Blaze on the Big Island.

Until recently, Hawai'i teetered on the brink of national embarrassment as one of only eight states where animal cruelty was limited to a misdemeanor. This meant that no matter how violent or heinous the act of cruelty, a conviction would always be a misdemeanor. A scan of the law books found that even the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong offered felony-level protection to their animals.

In 2007, Sen. Clayton Hee introduced landmark legislation: a felony-level cruelty provision. Animal welfare advocates rallied in support and aggressively urged for its passage and on June 1, Gov. Linda Lingle signed the bill into law.

The bill gives the justice system and law enforcement the teeth it needs to deal with animal cruelty. Hee's legislation is a direct reflection of the community's consensus on animal protection. It's a big step, but to reduce cruelty, the community needs watchful neighbors, well-educated families, responsible pet owners and judges who care.

Felony-level cruelty has been introduced at the state Legislature over the past eight years, but never gained broad support. Instead, this bill focuses on pets and makes the intentional torture, mutilation or poisoning of companion animals eligible for a felony offense. It applies to pet dogs and cats, smaller animals and even pet pigs.

Hawai'i's humane societies had hoped the definition of pets could include all animals but were pleased that the recent high-profile cases involving companion pigs ensured their inclusion. All four island humane societies also advocated for horses, commonly considered pets by people, as they are neither work animals nor livestock.

And on the federal level, in May President Bush signed into law a bill that cracks down on animal fighting, blood sports that are far from victimless crimes. Dogfighting and cockfighting are violent death duels fueled by gambling and other illegal activities.

The newly passed Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act gives law enforcement teeth to enforce the federal animal fighting law. It provides felony-level punishments — up to three years of incarceration or $250,000 in fines — for violations of the federal animal fighting law, as well as the foreign import and export and interstate transport of cockfighting birds and weapons.