CONCORD. N.H. (AP) — Nine lives notwithstanding, killing a cat in a hit-and-run soon could become illegal in New Hampshire.
State law already requires drivers who injure or kill dogs to notify police or the animals’ owners, or else face a $1,000 fine. It is unclear why cats and other pets were left out of the initial law, but the state Legislature is currently considering an expansion that would give cats equal footing to canines.
Republican Rep. Daryl Abbas sponsored the bill after the death of his 5-year-old cat, Arrow. The Animal League Defense Fund says there has been a trend of similar state laws that recognize the bond between animals and their human companions.
