PAWS TO PONDER

by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society

Did you know, April is Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month?  So designated years ago by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

But how do we prevent animal abuse?  By the time it is reported, it has already happened. So technically, it is the alleviation of animal cruelty when the animal(s) is seized or surrendered, and the abuser is charged and found guilty.  

Animal abuse takes many forms.  The most egregious cases are felonies when an animal dies, is seriously injured, or suffers for a long period of time. But this varies from State to State. In New York, aggravated cruelty to animals is when, with no justifiable purpose, he or she intentionally kills or intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal.  “Aggravated cruelty” means conduct which is intended to cause extreme physical pain; or is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner.  In 2021, an emaciated, urine and feces covered St. Bernard was brought to us as a stray by her actual owner.  She was at death’s door from starvation which causes a myriad of painful symptoms through each stage of her physical deterioration.  Her owner was charged but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and given a one-year probation sentence.  Mika survived because of the outstanding veterinary care she received at Country Willow Veterinary Hospital and the many months of recuperation at the shelter despite the loss of her front leg.     In our opinion, her adult owner should have been charged with a felony for nearly killing her and causing painful suffering throughout her ordeal and leaving her with medical issues for the rest of her life. 

In 2003, a local dog fighting case ended up as a multi-state sting operation resulting in the County court conviction with subsequent sentencing of the offender to seven years in prison.    This case pre-dated the enactment of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act) which makes cruelty to animals a federal offense, especially for some specific cases like sadistic crush videos and dog and cock fighting, which often cross state lines thus making it difficult to prosecute due to multiple jurisdictions and varying state laws.   Under the PACT Act, it is now “a federal crime to intentionally crush, drown, burn, or suffocate any non-human mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian or subject animals to any other type of serious bodily harm”.  Federal felonies are punishable by up to seven years in federal prison and often-staggering fines. And Federal inmates are ineligible for parole and must serve the entire duration of their sentence behind bars.  Still, there’s no doubt that stricter laws are needed across the Country to address animal abuse and neglect in all its tragic forms. 

 “A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being.”  Muhammad 

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