Each day on the news or the internet, I read the most horrendous stories of animal abuse, things that make me wonder how the human race can revel in such monstrous behavior.

Here in Florida alone, the stories are heart and gut wrenching:

• A man, who had been convicted twice before of running puppy mills with extremely deplorable conditions, was arrested again when several neighbors complained that the man had several puppies locked in an abandoned business with no food or water in the middle of summer.
• A woman and her two young children were observed beating a kitten in a neighborhood park. The kitten was injured so badly it had to be euthanized. Later it was discovered this was not the first time she had been accused of animal abuse.
• Socks was a 9 month old yorkiepoo that knew only pain and fear for most of his short life. For some reason he was locked in a bathroom for weeks with a rubber band wound tightly around his mouth. The children who lived in the home told their teacher at school that they were afraid their puppy was dying. Authorities were called and found the puppy emaciated and weak with the rubber band growing into the roof of the pup’s mouth. Authorities are investigating the mother for prior animal and possible child neglect charges as well.

These repeat offenders need to be stopped. Now several states are hoping to do just that by implementing the same type of registry that sex offenders must register.

It is a well-known fact that those who abuse animals are much more likely to abuse other people, even their own children.

Suffolk County which lies on the eastern half of Long Island, has begun taking steps to create the nation’s first animal abuse registry. The registry requires that all people convicted of cruelty to animals register or face jail time.

"We know there is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence," said Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper, the bill's sponsor. "Almost every serial killer starts out by torturing animals, so in a strange sense we could end up protecting the lives of people."

The registry will be online for the public to have access to it. Some of these abusers go so far as to steal neighbor’s pets for the purpose of torturing and killing them.

Cooper is also pushing for legislation that would prevent anyone who is required to register on the list from owning a pet.

Florida Senator Mike Fasano is drafting similar legislation calling it Dexter’s Law in memory of the kitten mentioned above who was beaten by the mother and her kids.

This bill is long overdue and it is my fervent hope that all states take a hard look at similar legislation. Not only could it save the lives of many dogs and cats, it would also focus on the perpetrators and what other living creatures they are exacting their terror on.