Animal lovers across the state are gathering signatures in hopes that voters will decide to make animal cruelty a felony in 2012. Idaho is one of just three states that don't have felony penalties for the most extreme animal cruelty cases, nor for repeat offenders, said Virginia Hemingway, founder of Stop Torturing Our Pets. Hemingway's group, along with other animal welfare groups across the state, are working together to try to gather more than 47,000 signatures by next April to get their initiative on the ballot, The Idaho Statesman reported. Jeff Rosenthal, director of the Idaho Humane Society, said the state's largest animal welfare group supports the initiative and will do what it can to help/Associated Press. More here.

Question: Should Idaho create a felony category for extreme animal cruelty cases?