Archive for the ‘Dog Fighting’ Category

I plucked this blog post right off of Georgia Humane’s blog. They do so much in Georgia to help fight animal cruelty and they rescue hundreds of animals every year. Like most 501c (3) charities, they operate soley on donations and donations are way down. Please read this article and help, foster and volunteer if you can! Please help spread the word about this magnificent charity!

THE GEORGIA HUMANE SOCIETY NEEDS YOUR

HELP WITH FIGHTING CRUELTY IN GEORGIA

Each year in Georgia hundreds of animal cruelty/abuse cases go ignored simply because many counties in Georgia do not have the resources to to see that these cases are prosecuted. The Georgia Humane Society has been instrumental in assisting areas that need help with cruelty cases and seeing to it that those that abuse, mistreat and neglect animals are brought to justice and punished for their crimes. Too many dogs, cats and horses are abused and neglected in GA and although there are laws that prohibit these cruel acts, many areas need help. You can help us help those without a voice by supporting Georgia Humane Society with our mission to put and end to the abuse.

Left: “Noodle” (and babies) and “CiCI” were living in cramped, unsanitary conditions and being over bred at a puppy mill in North Georgia where over 300 dogs were seized, rescued, received medical attention and were adopted into loving homes thanks to the assistance of the Georgia Humane Society.

Below: “Pedro’s” story ended sadly, unfortunately, and his abuser almost walkedaway unpunished because the animal control agency in this rural GA county wasnot familiar with how to prosecute abusers. Georgia Humane Society was able to assist in this case and Pedro’s abuser is now in jail serving time for this horrific crime.

Often times, the cruelty and neglect cases that the Georgia Humane Society is notified about to assist with have been reported to local enforcement; however, in most Georgia counties, there are no animal cruelty officers trained to deal with these situations so the suffering continues until the Georgia Humane Society takes on an active role in resolving the problem. Roughly 75% of the cruelty and neglect complaints that our organization receives are from concerned citizens whose requests for looking into these situations go ignored. In many cases, the Georgia Humane Society will be the only agency in GA that will step in and see to it that these cases are properly investigated and abusers are prosecuted.

Georgia’s pets deserve better and the Georgia Humane Society has found loving homes for thousands of abandoned, neglected and abused pets and has been the driving force behind seeking  justice for many pets that have fallen victim to abuse and neglect crimes.

All donors will be updated quarterly with the cruelty and neglect cases that the Georgia Humane Society has assisted with around the state so you can see how your donations have helped to save lives. The Georgia Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) registered charity and relies strictly on donations from the public and grants from charitable foundations and does not receive any funding from state or federal agencies.

“True benevolence or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation.”
– Joseph Addison

I read the story below today and it got me thinking. This case of absolute cruelty and neglect took place right here in our backyard in Gwinnett County; Suwanee to be exact.  I believe it’s our responsibility to not even think twice before reporting neglect and cruelty to animals, but not everyone feels the same. Some people would rather not think about the dog chained to a tree next door, not even knowing whether or not the dog has food or water- the basic needs of all living creatures. I suppose this is because they don’t want to cause rifts with their neighbors.

There are many places that a person in this situation can contact for help. At the end of the story, which I found on CBS Atlanta, I’ll list a few places that can help if you know an animal in need of rescue from their humans.

Gwinnett County Man Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges

Two Dogs Were Found Nearly Starved To Death

By Jennifer Mayerle, CBS Atlanta Reporter

SUWANEE, Ga. — Police are investigating a severe case of animal abuse in Gwinnett County. Two dogs were found so skinny they were near death. Police have arrested their owner, Jimmy Mixon, on charges of animal cruelty.The dogs were found in the backyard of a home on Cherokee Trail in Suwanee. Billy Hooper was working in a yard next door. The dogs were in the backyard. He had seen the dogs before, but not like this.“I knew the dog was in trouble ’cause it was laying on the ground. It didn’t respond, when I talked to it, it just laid there and it was jerking,” said Hooper.There was a Shepherd-mix named Beau, and a Boxer named Titan.“They were real skinny, the bones were showing real bad in the stomach area,” said Hooper.Hooper called police. Mixon didn’t answer when reporter Jennifer Mayerle showed up to ask the tough questions about his dogs. He did offer an excuse, according to police reports, “He and his wife just had a baby and it had been difficult. He was sorry but he was doing the best he could.”Animal Control Officer Joey Brooks says there’s no excuse. The dogs didn’t get that way overnight and Mixon had to know the dogs were suffering.“Both of them were severely emaciated, when we walk up and find a dog laying there almost unconscious, then that’s very severe,” said Brooks.Titan was so fragile, he didn’t make it. Beau is putting on weight, but he may have suffered brain damage because of the lack of food and water.“If you can’t take care of them, don’t get them,” said Hooper.Beau is being treated by a vet until he’s healthier, which may take a few weeks. He’ll then be put up for adoption at Gwinnett County Animal Control.

What You Can Do About Animal Cruelty

The Humane Society of the United States

If you witness or suspect animal abuse or neglect, please take the following steps:

This story is pure ridiculousness. I just have to keep hope that our system will grow up one day. Ugh. Story found on CNN.

Supreme Court strikes down law banning dogfight videos

The Supreme Court has struck down a federal law designed to stop the sale and marketing of videos showing dogfights and other acts of animal cruelty, saying it is an unconstitutional violation of free speech.

The 8-1 decision was a defeat for animal rights groups and congressional sponsors of the unusual legislation.

The specific case before the court dealt with tapes showing pit bulldogs attacking other animals and one another in staged confrontations.

The justices Tuesday concluded the scope and intent of the decade-old statute was overly broad.

“The First Amendment itself reflects a judgment by the American people that the benefits of its restrictions on the government outweigh its costs,” said Chief Justice John Roberts. He concluded Congress had not sufficiently shown “depictions” of dogfighting were enough to justify a special category of exclusion from free speech protection.

The high court threw out the conviction of Robert Stevens, a Pittsville, Virginia, man who sold videos through his business, Dogs of Velvet and Steel. According to court records, undercover federal agents found he was advertising his tapes in Sporting Dog Journal, an underground magazine on illegal dogfighting.

Among the products Stevens advertised was “Catch Dogs,” featuring pit bulls chasing wild boars on organized hunts and a “gruesome depiction of a pit bull attacking the lower jaw of a domestic farm pig,” according to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based appeals court that ruled on the case earlier.

Stevens was charged in 2004 with violating interstate commerce laws by selling depictions of animal cruelty. He was later sentenced to 37 months in prison, and promptly appealed. That sentence was put on hold pending resolution of this appeal.

He argued his sentence was longer than the 14 months given professional football player Michael Vick, who ran an illegal dogfighting ring.

It was the first prosecution in the United States to proceed to trial under the 1999 law.

The video marketer is not related to Justice John Paul Stevens, who turned 90 Tuesday. The court made no mention of the milestone as it held a two-hour public session.

Nearly every state and local jurisdiction have their own laws banning mistreatment of wild and domesticated animals, and usually handle prosecutions of animal cruelty.

Several media organizations had supported Stevens, worrying the federal law could implicate reports about deer hunting, and depictions of bullfighting in Ernest Hemingway novels.

Roberts agreed, saying, “We read [the federal law] to create a criminal prohibition of alarming breadth.”

“Jurisdictions permit and encourage hunting, and there is an enormous national market for hunting-related depictions in which a living animal is intentionally killed,” said Roberts. “An otherwise-lawful image of any of these practices, if sold or possessed for commercial gain within a state that happens to forbid the practice, falls within the prohibition of [the federal law].”

During oral arguments in October, the justices offered a number of wide-ranging hypotheticals over what the law could forbid, including: fox hunts, pate de foie gras from geese, cockfighting, bullfighting, shooting deer out of season, even Roman gladiator battles.

Only Justice Samuel Alito dissented in the case, and he focused on one of the most disturbing aspects raised in the appeal, the marketing of so-called “crush” videos, in which women – with their faces unseen – are shown stomping helpless animals such as rabbits to death with spiked-heel shoes or with their bare feet.

“The animals used in crush videos are living creatures that experience excruciating pain. Our society has long banned such cruelty,” he said. The courts, he said, have “erred in second-guessing the legislative judgment about the importance of preventing cruelty to animals.”

Roberts suggested a law specifically banning crush videos might be valid, since it was narrowly tailored to a specific type of commercial enterprise.

Alito noted that would not help dogs forced to fight each other, where, he said, “the suffering lasts for years rather than minutes.”

The government had argued a “compelling interest” in stopping people who would profit from dog attack tapes and similar depictions.

If the law had been upheld, it would have been only the second time the Supreme Court had identified a form of speech undeserving of protection by the First Amendment. The justices in 1982 banned the distribution of child pornography.

Post by: CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears
Filed under: Supreme Court

“Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.”
– Thomas Edison

It saddens our hearts to hear about dog fighting and any type of cruelty. I just read today about a second dog fighting ring in Georgia being busted with the assistance of the ASPCA. I want to share the story, it’s one of the milder ones. Please help to spread the word, and if you know or suspect someone of any type of cruelty, please report it.

ASPCA Leads Second Dog Fighting Bust in Georgia

For the second time in a week, the ASPCA helped respond to a suspected dog fighting ring in rural Georgia. On February 21, five days after the ASPCA rescued 26 alleged fighting dogs left to die in Sandersville, GA; the Washington County Sheriff’s Department received a second tip.

The anonymous call led deputies to a property in the East Sandersville section of Washington County, GA. When the Washington County Sheriff’s Department arrived, two dogs were in the act of fighting and three men fled the scene. ASPCA Investigators helped secure the scene and found nine other dogs on the property. Eight of the dogs found were severely underweight and some of the dogs were suffering from various skin ailments.

On February 16, the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team along with Washington County officials rescued 24 dogs and recovered the remains of 6 others and identified a total of over two dozen grave sites. While the two cases are very similar in nature, authorities believe they are unrelated.

“The second tip came in because the witness had seen the first case on television news reports,” says ASPCA Senior Vice President of Anti-Cruelty, Matt Bershadker. “This just proves the importance of reporting cruelty and the fact that it inspires others to take action as well.”

Authorities have two suspects in custody in conjunction with the East Sandersville case. Other arrests and animal cruelty charges are anticipated. The dogs from East Sandersville have since joined the two dozen others at an emergency shelter, where officials from the ASPCA and United Animal Nations are caring for their immediate needs. The dogs from both cases are being provided with all necessary medical care and are in the process of undergoing behavioral assessments.

For the latest information about the rescued dogs or for information on how you can report cruelty, please visit ASPCA.org.

From beasts we scorn as soulless,
In forest, field and den,
The cry goes up to witness
The soullessness of men.
~M. Frida Hartley