Governor Tate Reeves stood up for the rights of animals on Thursday by signing “Buddy’s Law” at the State Capitol.
The bill, which goes into effect July 1, requires children who abuse animals to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
Buddy’s Law is named after Buddy the dog, who was allegedly strangled with an extention cord and set on fire in North Mississippi by a 12-year-old. He suffered severe burns to his face and had to wear bandages for a year. Buddy has fought an incredible battle since last April, and is the definition of inspiration. There have been people all over the country and the world asking about him and keeping up with him. During that time, he was covered by national and even international news sources and social media sites, and he garnered a lot of attention for the lack of strong animal cruelty laws in Mississippi.
Animal lovers and fans of Buddy’s who have followed his journey gathered at the Capitol to support Buddy on his big day.
“We were finally able to uncover his face. As you can see, he is completely healed. He loves people. A lot of people have poured their hearts into him,” said Dr. Elizabeth Swanson told WLBT.
