There may be a new way of cracking down on animal abusers.
A proposed law would create an animal-abuse registry open to the public which would ultimately prevent offenders from owning a pet.
Debbie Hilton withBig Dog Ranch Rescuehas plenty of dogs rescued from animal abusers.
She worries about who may be adopting dogs across the county.
"Always a concern in the back of your mind," Hilton said.
She's praising this new legislation. "Knowing who the offenders are is going to be very valuable."
There is some concern from local agencies. Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control is concerned hoarding may not be included as an offense in the bill.
Also, it only included convicted offenders, not accused.
However, Hilton sees the legislation as a step forward. "It's a very big win for our efforts. It's a big win. We're very excited about it."