MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – January is Animal Abuser Registry awareness month and animal lovers in Marion County have been fierce advocates for fur babies especially since an animal abuse case captured the attention and hearts of many in 2014.
In support of the awareness campaign, Lilly Baron, the president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Ocala said Lamar Advertising donated billboards around Marion County.
The SPCA of Ocala, a nonprofit animal rescue, says the billboards feature Molly, the poster dog for Molly’s Law which was created in response to community outrage to vicious abuse she suffered at the hands of her owner.
“The ordinance is named after Molly, an American Boxer mix, who was brutally stabbed and beaten with a wooden bat by Steven Scott Fleming in 2014,” said Baron who ultimately adopted Molly. “Molly… she was the spark that set the fireworks in action, not just for me but for the residents of Marion County.”
Baron says they all came together with the idea to create an animal abuser registry and they weren’t “taking no for an answer.”
In October 2016, the SPCA of Ocala says the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved changes to the Marion County Animal Control ordinance, paving the way for the animal abuser registry.
The registry launched on January 1, 2017, and identifies those who have been convicted of misdemeanor or felony animal cruelty crimes in the county. The goal of the database is to provide citizens, pet sellers, and rescues a resource to verify that they are not placing an animal with a convicted animal abuser.
You can check the registry here.
A little more than five years later on April 24, 2022, a documentary came out detailing the story of Molly and her journey. The premiere was held at the Marion Theatre. You can watch it below.
Molly passed away at the age of 15 last year on February 22, 2023. Her legacy lives on through the law which supporters are trying to expand.
“I have learned so much since having Molly, that is why I am a big part of the animal abuser registry locally but now I am trying to get an animal abuser database statewide,” said Baron.
Baron says other Florida counties have followed Marion County’s lead and created animal abuser registries. While she feels that’s good, she recognizes it’s inefficient.
“We have to get this passed statewide. For law enforcement, rescues, and breeders… for them to go to see who is on that registry, they’ve got to check ten counties,” said Baron. “We need it all in one place.”
Baron hopes to rally support. She plans to start a petition. In addition to signatures, she’s not shy about asking others to help spread the word.
To learn more about Molly and the law created in her honor, click here. If you’d like to donate to the nonprofit, you can send a tax-deductible contribution to the SPCA of Ocala, PO BOX 413, Ocala, FL, 34479.