Now in our 10th year, CT Votes for Animals has lead the way and been a driving force at the state legislature fighting for the protection of animals. With the landmark passage of Desmond's Law, the first law in the country to allow attorneys to advocate in court on behalf of animal abuse victims, courts are taking notice and animal abusers are being held accountable. But there's another important piece to the puzzle that needs to be fixed and we're working on it this year.  CVA is actively involved in supporting a bipartisan bill that will restrict the use of Accelerated Rehabilitation (AR) for felony animal abuse cases.  AR, a pre-trial program designed for non-serious crimes, has been frequently used in animal abuse cases.  The result is that those charged with the most egregious and cruel offenses can get off without a fine, no jail time, and no record.  Imagine: you could hire someone to care for your pet, parent or child who has been accused of a violent crime and never know it.  The AR program should not be used in felony animal cruelty cases and CVA wants to make sure that happens this session.