It’s an oft-cited piece of popular wisdom that a fair measure of a society is how it treats its most powerless members. That doesn’t just hold true for children and the elderly; it goes for our furry, four-legged friends as well.

Animals, particularly domesticated species like dogs and cats that are almost entirely dependent upon humans to look after their well-being, are among the most defenseless members of our society.

And until recently Pennsylvania didn’t to nearly enough to ensure those who would neglect, mistreat or abuse them would face appropriate penalties.

That changed on Monday, when Libre’s Law took effect and ushered in stiffer penalties for animal abuse and stricter guidelines for animal owners.

Those include providing civil immunity for veterinarians and other professionals who report allegations of animal cruelty to authorities; a new grading system for animal abuse offenses that includes third degree felony charges for abuse that causes serious injury or death; extending animal cruelty laws to include horses; and increased penalties (both fines and jail time) for abusers.

The new statute amounts to the toughest animal protection bill in Pennsylvania’s history, and we all have a 4-month-old Boston terrier named Libre to thank for giving state lawmakers a shove in the right direction.

Libre was found at a Lancaster County-based Amish dog-breeding operation emaciated, severely dehydrated and infested with maggots, according to animal rescue officials. He was hours from death, rescue workers said, but made a miraculous recovery. And his story galvanized support for strengthening the state’s animal cruelty law, which had failed in the past.

No one should be naive enough to believe that simply putting tougher penalties on the books will magically eradicate animal cruelty and neglect. But neither should we be so fatalistic that we simply stop trying to protect animals from lives of pain and suffering.

In a state with such a rich agricultural history, it’s beyond belief that before Monday Pennsylvania was one of only three states without a felony-level charge for animal cruelty.

The vast majority of Pennsylvanians know the value of treating animals with respect and love. For those that don’t, state law should now begin to provide appropriate punishment for their crimes.