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N.D. (KFGO News) – A final vote could come in the North Dakota Senate today on a bill that would make some cases of animal cruelty punishable by up to a Class C Felony.

Travis Bjerke is a veterinarian at Casselton Veterinary Services …

The bill creates a tiered system of animal cruelty charges a violator could face, starting with a Class A Misdemeanor with the possibility of a year in jail all the way to a Class C Felony with a maximum of five years in prison.

The Humane Society ranks North Dakota 48th nationally when it comes to animal cruelty law. It is also just one of only three states without felony penalties for animal cruelty.