August 13th / 15th
"Dog Burners Must Be Put Away Forever"
Pie in the sky idiots like to say that Michael Vick's dog fighting saga
served a useful purpose. They argue that the infamous case helped to heighten
public awareness of animal abuse, and at least one city's data supports
that argument. Ever since Vick's so-called conviction five years ago,
telephone calls to the Richmond Animal Care and Control Office have skyrocketed,
now numbering over 15,000 per year, one third of which involve animal
cruelty. "More people are asking us to investigate these crimes", said Jody
Jones, a spokesperson for the animal control office. Meanwhile, an increasing
number of governing bodies have stiffened the penalties for anyone convicted
of torturing an animal. Here in North Carolina, legislators recently passed
"Susie's Law" (so named for a dog that had been set afire) which will take
effect on December 1. That's all well and good, and I'm also glad that
offenders like Vick are being made to speak to youth groups about the error
of their ways. Unfortunately, the new laws and the hollow messages aren't
getting through.
Earlier this month, Greensboro police arrested three teenagers and a ten
year old for burning a dog. One of the boys, a 17 year old, was charged with
felony cruelty to animals, felony burning of personal property, and felony
conspiracy. The ten year old was released to a parent. Unfortunately,
despite all the hoopla about legislative reform and lessons learned, animal
cruelty by young people is still on the rise.
For example, in Monmouth, New Jersey, the Humane Society has processed
over 1,200 cruelty cases in the past year. The organization's Bruce Sanchez
noted, "we're seeing animal abuse coming from new areas - middle class, upper
class. It's no longer centered in impoverished areas". The fact is that a
few, twisted young people have always done unspeakable things to dogs and
cats, and the problem is getting worse in recent years.
April 8, 2009 - in Dallas Texas, two dogs, one of whom was recently
pregnant, were set on fire by two 17 year old boys.
May 27, 2009 - in Baltimore, Maryland a dog was set a blaze by two 17 year
old twin brothers. "This is one of the most cruel things I've ever seen",
said one veteran police officer.
September, 2009 - in Montgomery Alabama, a young man beat a dog with a
shovel, soaked him in lighter fluid, and set him on fire while chained to a
post. The youth later confessed that he tortured the dog because his parents
wouldn't let him drive the family car.
July, 2010 - in Springfield, Massachusetts a young person burned a dog to
death and dumped the body in some nearby woods.
No one knows exactly why certain kids torture animals, but one thing we do
know is that such behavior poses a threat to society both now and in the
future. As far back as April of 2005, the Journal of Child Psychology and
Human Development reported conclusively that childhood cruelty to animals
leads to, "dangerous aggression against others at a later age". And for the
past two decades, the FBI has been warning criminal justice officials that
serial killers start out by torturing pets.
Animal abusers often justify their actions by saying that they didn't know
any better. Michael Vick's defenders, for example, claimed that dog
fighting was ingrained in the football star's culture growing up, so his behavior
was normal. I'm sorry folks, but there are just some things that anyone at
any age knows is wrong, and hanging a dog, or setting him on fire is one
of those things. I don't care where you live, how many parents you have, or
how much (or how little) money you have, - a normal human being knows it's
wrong to pour gasoline on an animal and watch him burn to death. Young
people who commit these crimes are evil, and they remain evil as adults. That's
why a little jail time or community service isn't going to change or deter
them. You just can't rehabilitate evil.
Sadly, it may be time for prosecutors to try certain juveniles as adults,
then ask for life in prison for those who confess to, and are convicted of,
committing a heinous crime against an animal. Only then might we curb
animal abuse now, and prevent murderous violence against humans in the future.
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