Yesterday we blogged about the tragic case of Dusty, an abused and tortured cat in Oklahoma, and the urgent need to ramp up humane education efforts across the country. Children are growing up without learning compassion and respect – and when we hear stories about the Dallas man who threw his wife’s dog to its death off a freeway overpass during an argument yesterday, how can we be surprised?
When are people going to learn some impulse control; some compassion; some respect for the value of life?! That man perpetrated a felonious act of unspeakable cruelty for what? A petty vendetta and the chance to hurt his wife because of some marital dispute?
Animals may be classified as property by law, but that doesn’t give people the right to abuse and discard them like a pair of old shoes. Remember, people - Animal cruelty is a felony in Texas (and in Oklahoma, where poor Dusty is recuperating after her repeated torture at the hands of abusive teenagers).
Humane education can help teach people about being more respectful to our animal companions, but people also need to learn (and consider) consequence when they take rash and harmful actions against animals. County DA needs to ensure that people who perpetrate these felonies are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and required to make restitution to the communities they are degrading by their inhumane behavior.
Humane Education is not just for kids! It can be incorporated into any number of adult programs, including anger management classes, domestic violence counseling, parenting classes and more. It’s clear that adults need to learn and demonstrate compassion if our kids are to ever understand its value.
Please help us make the world a better place by supporting our Humane Education efforts and by encouraging our legislators and law enforcement to ensure animal cruelty felonies are treated with the seriousness they deserve!
Reference:
Texas Penal Code (Title 9 – Offenses Against Public Order and Decency; Chapter 42 – Disorderly Conduct and Related Offenses)
Sec. 42.092. CRUELTY TO NONLIVESTOCK ANIMALS
“A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:
(1) tortures an animal or in a cruel manner kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal…”
“[This] offense … is a state jail felony, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the person has previously been convicted two times under this section, two times under Section 42.09, or one time under this section and one time under Section 42.09.”
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