A severe case of animal abuse 20 miles east of Cincinnati in Clermont County has put back into the spotlight a law that toughens the penalties for those who commit the offense, which is now a felony. Ohio Revised Code Section 959.131 – Penalties involving prohibitions concerning companion animals, went into effect April 2021: No person who confines or who is the custodian or caretaker of a companion animal shall negligently do any of the following: (1) Torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against the companion animal. A number of pet rescue owners and officials at animal protective agencies and shelters are quick to point out that the Covid-19 pandemic also has been a game changer among pet owners. Some say they are seeing the number of abuse and neglect cases go up in the last two years, as …