Are animal cruelty charges harsh enough?
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Most people would say animal cruelty is a brutal crime that should get you locked away if you're caught. However, KIMA learned a many of these cases never lead to a jail cell.
For most, they're part of the family. Adopted children with four legs instead of two. And while more than limbs separate the babies from pets, both require love and attention.
It's something Daniel Newbrough says comes easy. And why Daniel can't understand a case like the hoarding raid last April. Nearly 50 dogs were rescued from a Yakima home. Dozens were put down because of starvation and appalling living conditions. Evelyn Dauenhauer was charged with 9 counts of owning a pitbull and 10 counts of animal cruelty.
Whether Evelyn Dauenhauer winds up in jail lies in the hands of a jury. It's one of Yakima's only recent animal cruelty cases to even make it that far. Many point to lack of time, money and of course, how severe those charges are.
Since July, only five animal abuse cases were filed in Yakima. The city prosecutor tells us owners almost always use a lack of money as an excuse for the neglect.
Animal cruelty is considered a gross misdemeanor. Typically, the maximum sentence is one year in jail or a large fine. In Yakima, we're told charges range from community service to jail time. However, jail time is rare. Daniel thinks that should change.
"It's not going to be treated the same way as a grown man hurting a child," said Daniel. "I understand that. But, the simple matter of fact is they are living breathing beings."
Animal rights groups in Washington proposed several bills for the 2013 legislative session. One would give animal control officers the ability to issue infractions. Another would ban keeping animals in cars. The Central Washington Humane Society tells us it's a step in the right direction.
Yakima police arrested 12 people for animal cruelty last year.
Evelyn Dauenhaur's trial is scheduled to start a week from today. KIMA will be there to cover it.
This town makes me sick to my stomach !!! I also have have seen horrible cases of animal abuse & neglect with very little done to the abusers. I know the Law Enforcement Officers and Animal Care facilities are very, very busy and overwhelmed in this town and are under staffed but the court system is the defining word on placing harder penalties !!! It takes the public to make noise and take action to change this...Animals need us to be their voice !!
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When people place no value on children before birth; why would they care about their pets?
I agree that all animals should be treated humanly.
I would also say that a person capable of torturing and mistreating an innocent animal; is not far removed from someone who would do the same to a human.
Having done animal rescue for the past ten years here in Yakima Valley I have seen horrific animal abuse. I've never seen anything done to the perpetrators to my dismay. I would love to see a grass roots effort by animal lovers in the Yakima Valley to change this. Down the street from me is a puppy mill where 45 small dogs live their entire lives in rabbit hutches with NO ROOF on them. Those dogs' feet never touch the ground. I took fotos to the sheriff's office. Nothing was done. I just rescued a horse that has been tethered on a ten foot rope for the last few months; animal control was called. They were not breaking the law as the horse got fed and water once a day. No shelter in either case, just plain wrong and abusive...but totally legal....hmmm. This has got to change. It's going to take many dedicated people with a common purpose to make that happen.
I believe anyone caught abusing animals should get large fines and jail time! if all they get is a slap on the wrist, they will continue to do it.... It is a crime of the worse kind, abusing something that cannot defend themselves....To me, it is the same as abusing the elderly or a child, they also cannot defend themselves! I would also make them work at a shelter for a few months, maybe they would learn to see animals differently and treat them better!