NATCHEZ &8212; A Natchez woman wants to see some muscle added to the state animal cruelty law.

Jacqueline Stephens, owner of Fydeaux&8217;s Pet Company, said she heard about a woman starting a petition to make animal abuse a felony, instead of the current misdemeanor charge, and jumped on the idea.

Beth Ladnier of Moss Point started the petition because of an abused dog named Buddy. The Labrador puppy was found with his eyes, nose, ears and mouth filled with glue.

&8220;It was just so sad,&8221; Ladnier said. &8220;That person did that because there are no strong laws to enforce. You&8217;re just going to walk away after paying a little fine.&8221;

Mississippi&8217;s current laws classify animal cruelty as a misdemeanor, which could result in a $500 fine or five days in jail. Ladnier and Stephens, among others, want the charges to be a felony, which would result in significant jail time.

&8220;Somebody&8217;s got to speak up for the animals,&8221; Ladnier said. &8220;It&8217;s not OK to beat your wife or child or elderly mother. Why is it OK to beat an animal?&8221;

Stephens took the idea and ran with it. She is distributing e-mailed and paper petitions to anyone and everyone.

&8220;I want it all over the state,&8221; Stephens said.

Animal abuse is not new on Stephens&8217; mind. Customers tell her horror stories of animal abuse all the time, she said.

And just recently, she adopted a puppy from someone who rescued it on the Natchez Trace.

&8220;They saw it. He was thrown from a pickup truck going 50 or 60 miles an hour,&8221; Stephens said.

The small Jack Russell terrier mix still has signs of cuts and abrasions from when he hit the ground.

Newman, named for Paul Newman because he has blue eyes, is healing well.

Stephens has talked with Sen. Bob Dearing, who said he would support, or even author, legislation classifying animal cruelty as a felony.

&8220;If it were a felony, it would be a truly serious offense,&8221; Dearing said. &8220;And a person with a felony, if they&8217;re convicted, would not be able to vote or run for political office.&8221;

Dearing said the options were to change the wording in the current laws from misdemeanor to felony or to introduce entirely new legislation to take the place of the old laws.

&8220;We have a long way to go &8212; it has to be a statewide effort,&8221; he said.

Dearing said a petition would be a good start to the legislature considering the action in the coming session, starting in January.

&8220;If I&8217;m from a particular area and I had a petition handed to me with 100 signatures on it, it would certainly have a bearing on me,&8221; he said.

Anyone interested in signing the petition can pick one up at Stephen&8217;s store at 207 State St. or call 601-445-8811.