Bill seeks to curb animal 'thrill killings' by requiring reporting of incidents

Drivers of off-road vehicles would be required to report collisions with animals under a bill proposed Wednesday in the state Legislature intended to curb "thrill killings" of animals.

The bill is in response to a Jan. 26 incident in downtown Fort Atkinson that left 62 ducks dead. In another incident, 57 ducks were killed near Fond du Lac by snowmobilers Jan. 13, and five deer were killed Jan. 9 near Waupaca in the same manner.

Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ, whose office is handling the Fort Atkinson incident, said the reporting requirement would make it harder for people to claim such killings were accidents if they failed to notify law enforcement. The bill also covers motorboats and applies to any motor vehicle not used on a street.

"Accidents happen, but the authorities need to know about it," said state Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, the bill’s author. "It is disingenuous for someone to say it was an accident when they did not report the incident to law enforcement or the DNR."

No one has been arrested in the Fort Atkinson incident, and the defendants in the Waupaca case said they were hunting when they hit the deer. Three men have been charged in the deer killings, with two brothers in the case facing multiple charges of mistreatment to animals.

.Under Jorgensen’s bill, people convicted of such killings would be subject to the penalties for animal cruelty and, therefore, could be sentenced to up to a year and a half in prison and two years of extended supervision, and face up to $10,000 in fines. Failure to report collisions would entail a $200 fine.

Judges would also be able to order a mental health assessment for those convicted, which could "go a long way to helping those who are truly sick," Jorgensen said.