Most Animal Abuse Ignored By Legal System
Print This Post
“According to a report issued by the state Legislature’s Office of Legislative Research earlier this year, 1,369 cases of animal cruelty were brought before the courts from 2004 through 2007. Of those, only 182 were found guilty and one was found not guilty. The vast majority of the cases — 1,186 — were either dismissed or nolled, meaning that prosecutors declined to pursue them.”
“Animal rights advocates believe that it’s not because the cases lacked merit but that judicial officials lacked interest.”
That means nearly 87% of animal cruelty cases are never prosecuted. The animal abusers who are prosecuted are given a slap on the wrist or the problem is handed off to someone else: another agency or another country. Abusive criminals are merely put on probation, put on medication, or put in a plane to a foreign country. Our courts don’t want to deal with our society’s rampant animal abuse.
This news comes from an article entitled “Few animal cruelty cases reach court” >>
The article describes three cases:
- Jay Baldwin killed and abused kittens. He was given a new form of “accelerated rehabilitation” tantamount to probation.
- J.D.* was charged with animal cruelty for starving dogs. He was given a suspended sentence and is now on probation.
- A man who drilled holes in a dog’s head was not prosecuted but instead deported.
While I don’t think harsh prison sentences will necessarily prevent animal abuse and while do think everyone deserves a fair trial (everyone is innocent until proven guilty) I do think our courts need to take animal cruelty more seriously. I agree with quoted Irene Hudobenko that “It’s a recognized fact that many who commit violent crimes against people often start out on animals.” For the safety of our citizens and for the moral development of our society, we must take animal cruelty very seriously.
Moreover, that’s just the cruelty that’s recognized by law. For instance, everyday cruelty that happens in factory farms and slaughterhouses doesn’t count because that’s not illegal (yet). This cruelty is utterly ignored, by courts as well as the public:
—
*Name shortened to initials per comments.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE!!
I’m responding to this post as one of the accused listed above. It pisses me off how people can say I starved my dogs and all I got was a suspended sentence when they dont even know my story. I loved my dogs with all my heart I cared for them 3 years. I fell into hard times and ended up homeless living in my car. I fed my dogs everyday before I fed myself, they were my first priority. When they became ill and starting having diarrhea I didnt know what to do. As much as I would feed them they were still losing weight and fast. I struggled with the decision everyday, and finally decided to bring them to the pound where I would turn them over so they could get proper help. Unfortunately I never made it to the pound, I was visiting my girlfriend at the hospital on my way there when a women saw my dogs in my car, they had a bowl of fresh water on the seat and the windows were opened. She then called the police who arrested me on site, no questions asked. I didnt ask for any of this to happen it just did, so neone whose got a problem with me, know the whole story before you slander me name…
Joseph, I’ll change the original post to use your initials.
We have the power to stop animal abuse. This is not normal . There animals, living organisms. We could make a diffrence please help out. Have a heart
I am sick to my stomach, my heart bleeds, for the suffering of the animals, at the hands of so called humans, and now at the lack of concern by the legislators, the court system, etc. There is simply no excuse for it. There are laws, and should be even harsher laws put into action against these abusers, which show they do not have a conscience. It is not fair and everyone in America needs to be made aware of this awful thing that is happening so often. Please if you are a lawyer, a judge, a police officer, anyone that has the authority to do something to STOP THIS ABUSE, TO SHOW ABUSERS THAT THIS IS NOT GONG TO BE TOLERATED, LET THEM BE PROSECUTED AND SWIFTLY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN BE IGNORED ANY LONGER. I read where the person in charge of the lab that was secretly taped by PETA, said, that anyone employed there would bd fired if they did any wrong doing, well, the tapes show the horrendous things that were done by them…and getting fired IS NOT ENOUGH!!!! THEY SHOULD BE BEHIND BARS RIGHT NOW WITHOUT BAIL. THEY ARE GUILTY AS CHARGED AS THE TAPES SHOW. THIS SIMPLY CANNOT BE IGNORED. I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE CHILD MOLESTERS, THEY PUT THEM AWAY AND LET THEM OUT: THEN ANOTHER CHILD IS FOUND DEAD BY THE SAME OFFENDER. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE AND ANIMAL ABUSERS ARE NO DIFFERENT. THESE PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THIS ARE SICK AND EVIL AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED INTO SOCIETY. THIS IS MY OPINION. I AM JUST SO SICK OVER THIS. I CANNOT LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND PRETEND IT DID NOT HAPPEN. PLEASE STOP THIS MADNESS….