Meet Nitro.  Born to a loving family in New York, he was one of eight dogs starved to death in 2008 at a highly-regarded Youngstown dog training facility called High Caliber K9.  Steven Croley, the owner and trainer of High Caliber K9, spent four months in jail.  Was that enough?  Many didn’t think so, and Nitro Foundation was formed, led in Ohio by Mike Smeck.

"He lived on that property, and the kennel was right behind his house. This wasn’t a case of 'I forgot to feed my dog.'" Smeck said.

That outrage led to the push for Nitro's Law, which would make abuse by an animal’s caregiver a felony in Ohio. Nitro's Law failed when it was first introduced in 2009. It was then reintroduced in 2011 and passed the Ohio House overwhelmingly this February. It now waits for Senate approval, but the clock is ticking until the bill reaches its deadline just two months from today. Why the delay? Do our senators think animal cruelty cases should be just misdemeanors? I contacted Senate President Tom Niehaus to comment.

After a week and five emails between his press secretary and me, I finally received a response from his press secretary that said, "Senator Niehaus said it is too early to know what will happen to Nitro's Law. The caucus needs a chance to discuss the issue when they return for fall session in November."

Nitro's supporters think the election year is behind the delay.

"It's a political issue, first of all. Another thing we've been told is that we're trying to be more harsh on animal abusers than humans with similar crimes. If you look at the Ohio revised code chapter 29, and you look at all the assault charges and murder charges – which is all we're trying to get." Smeck said.

So supporters wait and are hopeful the Ohio Senate will take action before 2013 arrives. Until then, they worry animal abusers will seek refuge in Ohio beacuse of its lax laws.

"The law right now is encouraging, I will say, for the animal abusers to go back and do it again because they think over here in Ohio, the consequences are not that strict," said Virginia Holmes, a Nitro's Law supporter.

If the bill has not passed once the new year arrives, the process must start all over again, which Smeck says Nitro Foundation will do and, as always, with only the best of intentions for animals and humans.

“We don't want to see people go to jail. We want to see this law be a deterrent, so people can possibly think before they commit an act of abuse," he said.

Without a stricter punishment, there is no doubt Ohio's animal abusers, like Steven Croley, have little incentive to quit leaving helpless companion animals dead or abused. The images on one Google search (be advised, these are graphic images) of abused animals are startling and heartbreaking. 

If you want to take action and learn more about Nitro's Law, visit www.nitrofoundation.com. The clock is ticking for the Ohio Senate to act. Please contact me on my Facebook page with your thoughts.

**WATCH "NITRO'S LAW" - Thursday, Nov. 1 on WNWO News at 6pm.**