Legislation that would allow judges to prohibit convicted animal abusers from adopting a pet or working in the pet care industry, and would create an online cruelty registry awaits Senate confirmation. This is the second incarnation of a bill known as Moose’s Law, sponsored by Assemblyman Troy Singleton, D-7th of Palmyra, and Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-7th of Delanco. It was first introduced after a 2012 incident in which a woman left a Delran family’s dog, Moose, in a hot car to die, but Gov. Chris Christie pocket-vetoed it. Even if you are not an animal lover, animal abusers are five times more likely to harm humans, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. We need to give animal-cruelty laws and punishments more clout, and this is a good place to start.
To putting a face and a name to homelessness in the county.
Conducted by Monarch Housing, under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, NJ Counts, a tally of the homeless, is underway. The count, which is held every January across the state, is used to allocate resources, but it’s also a way for social services organizations to make a human connection with these individuals.
To the super hype.
If you’ve been living in a cave without a TV, tablet or smartphone for the last month, we’d like to remind you that Super Bowl XLIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday with the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. From “deflategate” to “I’m only here so I don’t get fined,” it’s been a crazy few weeks leading up to the annual money-grab/championship game. We don’t know which issue was the most ridiculous or received the most attention: Marshawn Lynch’s awkwardness and repetitive answers at the league’s Media Day event or word that Tom Brady is using garlic to battle the common cold. We may never know for sure whether the Patriots illegally deflated footballs, but the air is rapidly hissing out of our enthusiasm for the big game.
