(ROME CITY) – A Northeast Indiana lawmaker has been given an award by the Humane Society of The United States.

Indiana State Representative David Abbott, a Republican from Rome City, has been awarded the Indiana 2020 Legislator of the Year Award by the Humane Society. The honor is given to Abbott for his work regarding the protection of exotic animals.

Recent bills introduced by Abbott have aimed to end the possession, sale and breeding of wild animals in Indiana. The bills have been instrumental in putting new regulations on roadside zoos in the Hoosier State.

The Indiana Attorney General's Office recently shut down one roadside operation that housed 6 lions, 16 tigers, 7 tiger-lion hybrids, 6 cougars, 2 leopards and 3 bears.