05/28/2026
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act was signed into law by President Trump, making extreme acts of animal cruelty — like crushing, burning, or drowning animals — federal felonies for the first time. The bipartisan legislation closes a loophole that previously only banned videos of animal cruelty rather than the underlying acts themselves. Now the FBI and other federal law enforcement can prosecute these crimes across state lines or on federal property. Animal advocates hailed the law as a big step forward for animal protection in the U.S., saying it gives prosecutors more tools to go after serious abuse. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate before being signed, showing rare bipartisan support for animal welfare.
