North and South Dakota are now the only states lacking felony animal-cruelty laws thanks to a cattle rancher from Idaho and Governor Butch Otter who signed Idaho’s first-ever felony penalties for extreme animal cruelty. I’m Susan Allen stay tuned for Open Range .Interesting most media outlets never mentioned that the man behind Idaho’s new animal cruelty laws was not a humane society activist but a republican  cattle  rancher.  Idaho’s new  HB 650 was designed to strengthen the state’s cockfighting ban and providing for stronger penalties in cases of animal torture.  Thanks to Rep. ken Andrus from Lava Hot springs it goes beyond that  in fact both the The Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA applaud the Idaho House of Representatives for passing a bill provide for stronger penalties in cases of animal torture. Andrus designed the legislation to make  organizing a cockfight a first offense felony if illegal drugs or gambling are involved, and a second offense felony if razor-sharp gaffs, instruments or chemical enhancements of any kind are used on the birds in a cockfight. In addition, the bill makes torturing animals a third offense felony. Under existing law, each of these crimes is a misdemeanor, with no felony penalties available even for the worst repeat offenders. Andrus has stated that he is frustrated with the final version because it doesn’t have  a clear definition of companion animal torture . Both HB650 and the new law exempt standard agricultural practices, such as branding, castration and dehorning