Tougher Sentencing for Crimes Against Animals

We need tougher sentences for animal abuse and torture. Please help make this happen!

Most of you have read the thread about the burglars baking the poor dog in the oven. The maximum sentence for such a horrible crime is only 5 years. The sentences for torturing animals are far too lenient.

None of the existing animal rights groups is working toward legislation for tougher sentences against those who torture animals for sadistic pleasure. There is a real need for such an organization.

All the members of TCS care a lot about animals and would be willing to fight for their rights. If we all join forces, we can raise public awareness and really make a difference in punishing the monsters that commit sadistic crimes against animals.

How will we do this? I have a few ideas, but your ideas are needed too. Please post any ideas you have about actions we can take to get tougher sentencing for these terrible crimes.

These are the ideas I have so far. Please help build on them.

A letter writing campaign to government representatives. In the US, that can be done here. If you have contact info for other countries please post it.

An organization name. For example, Coalition for Animal Justice.

A website to promote public awareness.

Emailing and posting on forums to get more people involved.

My letter has been sent. Thank you for starting this thread. This is a cause that I think will be important to all TCS members and all animal lovers.

I think you will need facts. Lots of facts. What type of people commit these crimes? What do they go on to commit? How many commit further crimes? Why is it a benefit to people without animals?

I think something like this is important when paired with education. I see so many children who just don't understand how to treat animals because no one has bothered to tell them.

Personally I wish we'd stop sending non-violent drug offenders to jail for 17 years and send these type of people instead. But I suppose that's another soapbox entirely.

Originally Posted by eatrawfish

I think you will need facts. Lots of facts. What type of people commit these crimes? What do they go on to commit? How many commit further crimes? Why is it a benefit to people without animals?

I think something like this is important when paired with education. I see so many children who just don't understand how to treat animals because no one has bothered to tell them.

Personally I wish we'd stop sending non-violent drug offenders to jail for 17 years and send these type of people instead. But I suppose that's another soapbox entirely.

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I like that brand of soap!

Originally Posted by ugaimes

I love this idea Barbara

So should we start some sort of collective movement to get things done? Sure we can all do things individually, but as a group? Wow, we'd be unstoppable!

My best friend is the president of the animal law society at Macon Law School. I've told her about what happened with the dog and will stay on her about being active in this fight because I think, as soon-to-be lawyers, her society will know a lot about how to get laws changed.

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I think it would be really effective if we had a collective movement by forming a coalition. If we have future lawyers helping us to work on this cause, we can get something done. When I think of what happened to the dog, what happened to Eileen's (Eilcon) Charlie, Gail's Sheba, Cazimauw's Casmo, Miss Mew's Tigger, and the millions of other innocent animals that have been abused by these monsters, I can't just stand by and do nothing.

Originally Posted by eatrawfish

I think you will need facts. Lots of facts. What type of people commit these crimes? What do they go on to commit? How many commit further crimes? Why is it a benefit to people without animals?

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Our efforts will be more effective if we approach the issue as it affects people, since there are a lot of people who don't care about animals. Kids that torture animals grow up to become rapists and serial killers.

Originally Posted by eatrawfish

I think something like this is important when paired with education. I see so many children who just don't understand how to treat animals because no one has bothered to tell them.

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Children need to be taught to apply the Golden Rule to animals as well as people. We could put up a site for children about caring for and respecting animals.

Originally Posted by eatrawfish

Personally I wish we'd stop sending non-violent drug offenders to jail for 17 years and send these type of people instead. But I suppose that's another soapbox entirely.

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Violent crimes should always carry stiffer sentences than non violent crimes.

This is a wonderful idea!

I dont have any idea right off hand....(and I dont wish or want this to happen!)
But I think it would make a big difference if one of the top law officials was to have one of his pets tortured...laws for torturing animals would do a 360' turn around.

I also agree that we should stop sending non-violent criminals to prison for 20 years!

This is the kind of thing that caused me to start this thread. Warning: This will make you very sad and very angry.

Kitten Tortured and Killed

If the monster who did this is caught do you think they will get jail time? I doubt it and that's because there is no justice for animals. There will never be justice for animals if we don't do anything. These monsters not only cause animals to suffer but they inflict unimaginable pain on the people who love the animals.

PLEASE contribute ideas to help get the Coalition for Animal Justice up and running. If we all put our heads together we can get it done!

make sure you are aware of pet-abuse.com I have my info about Sheba's case posted on this site and I tell you it gives me much satisifaction to see the word CONVICTED after by neighbors name!!

Barbara, I responded to your pm about this earlier and am 100 pecent behind you. The collective voice of people who care about animals can make a difference. After what happened to Charlie and the two kittens I posted about in Crossing the Bridge (we believe it was the same person involved in both cases) I can't just sit back any more either. I don't know about other organizations but our local SPCA doesn't take these cases seriously enough. I've been told (and need to confirm this) that there's never been a case of animal abuse successfully prosecuted in this county. That needs to change.
I'll do whatever I can to help you in this effort and encourage everyone else at TCS to do the same.

Originally Posted by ugaimes

I'd like to help too

. I feel very passionately about this.

I think what we need first is a plan. Who is going to do what? What is our ultimate goal? What steps are we going to take? Will we involve other groups? As Gail said, pet-abuse.com is a great resource.

I think organization is our first step (that's the public administration side of me coming out

).

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Agreed. Getting organized and developing a plan are musts. I mentioned this idea to the coordinator of our group who said she's heard of people who are supposedly active in this, but she hasn't heard of much being accomplished She doesn't know the determination and committment of people at TCS!

Y'all have asked about research. Well, here's a good place to start:

http://straypetadvocacy.org/html/legislation.html

The site was started by Laurie (LDG) and Christy (o'keefecl) and I later became involved as web designer and researcher. This section is near and dear to me, because this topic is very close to my heart. There are links to many articles about the need for cruelty legislation and the link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. The legislation section is, I believe, current with the most recent legislative sessions of the states.

I have to be honest...this is an uphill battle. Animals can't vote, and as such they aren't much interested in what happens to them from a political perspective. You have to approach it from a human perspective, as was already stated here. The other thing to remember is the prison overcrowding and mandatory sentencing that is already in place. This leads to the other problem, which we've even seen here. Violent criminals are already serving shorter sentences because there aren't enough spaces for those who commit crimes with longer mandatory sentences, i.e. drug charges. This is going to be an area of resistance to imposing harsher sentences for an additional type of crime.

Some things to think about. I applaud you for taking on this huge task!

Originally Posted by ugaimes

I'd like to help too

. I feel very passionately about this.

I think what we need first is a plan. Who is going to do what? What is our ultimate goal? What steps are we going to take? Will we involve other groups? As Gail said, pet-abuse.com is a great resource.

I think organization is our first step (that's the public administration side of me coming out

).

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I think the ultimate goal should be to work toward harsher punishments for both adults and children who torture and/or murder other people's pets. I agree we should approach it from a human-centric perspective so our message is received by more people. I would like to present it as a crime against people because when these monsters torture and kill people's pets they inflict extreme pain on those people. That pain can last for many years. This kind of crime should be treated like any other violent crime.

Another goal would be to promote public awareness of the issue and how common these crimes are so they will know that their pets aren't safe outside by themselves.

We should definitely join forces with other groups if possible. There is power in numbers and it would increase our chances of getting something accomplished.

As far as steps we would take, I'm thinking letter writing campaigns, media stories, press releases, putting up flyers in each of our cities to promote public awareness, a Coalition for Animal Justice Website (which I volunteer to host).... Any more ideas will be appreciated.

Here's the hard part. How to get organized. I have no idea. This is where I'm drawing a blank. HELP!

Originally Posted by valanhb

I have to be honest...this is an uphill battle. Animals can't vote, and as such they aren't much interested in what happens to them from a political perspective. You have to approach it from a human perspective, as was already stated here. The other thing to remember is the prison overcrowding and mandatory sentencing that is already in place. This leads to the other problem, which we've even seen here. Violent criminals are already serving shorter sentences because there aren't enough spaces for those who commit crimes with longer mandatory sentences, i.e. drug charges. This is going to be an area of resistance to imposing harsher sentences for an additional type of crime.

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Excellent points! This is certainly not going to be easy and the prison overpopulation problem is probably the biggest roadblock we will face. It doesn't make sense for violent criminals to get shorter sentences. The non violent criminals should be the ones getting shorter sentences and our tax money should be used to build more prisons. Maybe our group can work on this subject too since it poses a hindrance to what we are trying to do.

TCS had a bumper sticker contest for spaying and neutering. I know it would only be a small start, but it could help raise public awareness.

I emailed a letter to my congressman (as suggested in post #1), but I think more people would be willing to if there was a pre-written option. I don't have any idea how to set that up, but maybe one of the more eloquent writers on this site would know how.

We want Bumpy! We want Bumpy!

Our latest rescue (as of yesterday), a four-month-old kitten, is yet another example of why this is so necessary. Two teenage boys armed with a baseball bat decided it would be fun to chase her through the neighborhood. They had her trapped under a bush and were just about to start beating her when another boy intervened. He brought her to a neighbor who called us.
She was pretty traumatized, but otherwise okay.

That's one happy ending, but there are not enough.

Originally Posted by eilcon

Our latest rescue (as of yesterday), a four-month-old kitten, is yet another example of why this is so necessary. Two teenage boys armed with a baseball bat decided it would be fun to chase her through the neighborhood. They had her trapped under a bush and were just about to start beating her

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Originally Posted by eilcon

when another boy intervened. He brought her to a neighbor who called us.
She was pretty traumatized, but otherwise okay.

That's one happy ending, but there are not enough.

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Thank God that boy was there - just in time.

Lets try to keep this thread active so those who haven't seen it will have the opportunity and may have some suggestions.