It’s time for Kansas to get tougher on people who abuse and torture animals.

Kansas is one of only nine states that treat animal abuse as a misdemeanor. One state legislator has introduced a bill that would make extreme cruelty to animals a felony. Another has introduced a bill that would require animal torturers to undergo psychological evaluation, serve a county jail sentence and have a sample of their DNA entered into a crime database.

Those requirements make a lot of sense. It has been well documented that many people who abuse, torture or kill humans had previously made animals their victims. Requiring psychological evaluations for animal abusers may allow them to get the kind of help that will keep them from moving on to crimes involving humans. A jail sentence and having their DNA permanently on file may help drive home the seriousness of their crime.

State Sen. David Haley, who introduced the bill making extreme animal cruelty a felony, said he was moved by a case in 1997 when a small dog named Scruffy was tortured, burned and beaten to death by three men who videotaped the whole episode.

Clearly, such behavior shows little regard for living creatures. It’s not surprising that people who would treat an innocent and defenseless pet with such cruelty would move on to treating humans in the same heartless manner.

Sen. Phil Journey, who introduced the bill requiring psychological evaluations, said making a first offense of animal abuse a felony would reduce the bill’s chances of passage. That may be true, but 41 other states apparently think extreme animal cruelty justifies a felony conviction. Why not Kansas?

Cracking down on animal abuse is a protection not only for animals but for humans who later may be victimized by the same offenders. Extreme animal abuse is a horrific and sickening crime. Kansas should send the message that such aberrant and dangerous behavior is a serious crime that demands a serious punishment.