Horse shot with arrows... THEY CAUGHT THE BOY . 18 years old

[caseydog]

When I was a kid, certain kids liked to do terrible things to animals. We had domesticated ducks on the pond behind our house, and some kids threw firecracker filed bread to them. Blew the beak apart on one. My family took the duck to the vet. The duck lived but was permanently disfigured.

Using firecrackers on animals seems to be a common thread with sadistic kids. One very famous Texan used to blow up frogs with his buddies when they had a good rain and the frogs came out.

Maybe PlanoVet has seen some firecracker damage, although the firecrackers today are not as powerful -- for good reason, it seems.

I'm guessing those kinds of kids either end up in prison as adults -- or work on Wall Street.

CD

[planovet]

I've seen animals shot with BB guns, pellet guns, shotguns and various other calibers. Also have seen arrows. No firecrackers though.

I was working at an emergency clinic one evening when Animal Control brought a dog in. Someone had taken a baseball bat to the dog because it would not stop barking. It had numerous broken bones but we had to put it down because it's back was broken. I believe they did catch the guy but that was back when laws weren't as tough as they are today. I did volunteer to take a baseball bat to the accused but I was denied.

After 23 years I've seen more than I wanted to.

While not every person that abuses an animal turns to a life of crime (some may even become President), here is something to think about:

The Animal Abuse-Human Violence Link

Until recently, violence toward children, domestic violence, and elder violence were considered unrelated to violent acts toward animals. A growing body of research and evidence demonstrates that individuals who perpetrate acts of cruelty against animals rarely stop there. Animal abuse can be a warning sign of future serious violent behavior, especially among young offenders. Increasingly, child protection and social service agencies, mental health professionals and educators regard animal abuse as a significant form of aggressive and antisocial behavior, and consider it an important red flag in identifying other violent behavior. Please consider the following facts:

* The FBI considers animal cruelty to be one of the predictors of violence and considers past animal abuse when profiling serial killers.

* National and state studies determined that from 54 to 71 percent of women seeking shelter reported that their partners had threatened, injured or killed one or more family pets (Anicare Model workshop, Tacoma 2004). If children are victims of domestic violence they may in turn represent that abuse with an animal, the only being they feel they can control.

* In assessing youth who are at risk of committing interpersonal violence, the U.S. Department of Justice emphasizes the importance of including information about past animal abuse.

* More than 80 percent of families being treated for child abuse were also involved in animal abuse. In 2/3 of the cases, the abusive parent killed or injured the pet. Sadly, in 1/3 of the cases, a child victim continued the cycle of violence by abusing a pet.

* A study in 1997 by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University found that 70 percent of all animal abusers have committed at least one other criminal offense and that almost 40 percent had committed violent crimes against people. They also found that over a 20-year period, a group of individuals who had abused animals as youths were five times more likely to commit violent crimes, four times more likely to commit property crimes and three times more likely to have drug or disorderly conduct offenses than a matched group of non animal abusers.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Here in the Phoenix area a few years ago somebody shot a miniature pony about a mile from my house. Later a horse was shot. This progressed to people being shot who were riding on bicycles (typically Hispanics riding to or from work in the dark). The killer became known as the Serial Shooter. Turns out it was three people. One got 25 years to life (convicted on 2 stabbings), one got life for testifying against the other two, and the mastermind got 6 death sentences. People who are cruel to animals are sick and twisted, and often don't stop with animals.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 29-ON.html

[caseydog]

Interesting information, Mark.

BTW, my comment about ending up on Wall Street was a joke (mostly), but there is a new book out called, "Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work," that talks about how these types operate in the corporate environment, and sometimes climb to the top.

I just heard about it -- I haven't read it, at this point. People wonder how a CEO, for instance, can layoff ten-thousand workers, and give himself a big raise for cutting costs. Or, how can bankers except taxpayer bailout money and then give themselves big bonuses. This book supposedly helps explain this behavior.

I can't imagine torturing an animal, but then again, I can't imagine failing miserably as a banker, taking bailout money to save my bank, and then giving my self a bonus. I gotta wonder if some of these guys were cruel to animals as kids.

CD

[Geron]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/22175965/detail.html

[planovet]

Richardson was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals. He is being charged as an adult, authorities said.

[starleen2]

I didn't want to say it at first to avoid a stereotype - but it sounded like a punk kid trying out his skills. I say fine the heck out of him and make him do community service by teaching proper bow and arrow courses to Juveniles.

[Geron]

I don't remember double posting. But . . . they say that happens as one gets older

[caseydog]

I didn't want to say it at first to avoid a stereotype - but it sounded like a punk kid trying out his skills. I say fine the heck out of him and make him do community service by teaching proper bow and arrow courses to Juveniles.

The deer fall into that category, but a horse?

I'd like to see a psychiatric evaluation before making a decision between fine/community service, and prison.

And, as for teaching him to use a bow and arrow, I'd say this person has given up his right to keep and bear arms for good. I don't want to read in the news some day that "the man who opened fire in the mall was once arrested for shooting a horse, but legally bought his assault rifle at a gun show because a Georgia judge gave him a second chance."

CD

[planovet]

I didn't want to say it at first to avoid a stereotype - but it sounded like a punk kid trying out his skills. I say fine the heck out of him and make him do community service by teaching proper bow and arrow courses to Juveniles.

That's the minister in you talking. The LEO in me says that's it's a felony and the boy needs a little time in a 6X10 room to think about it. And I agree with the Dog, banned from ever owning weapons. A convicted felon can't legally own firearms but in this case anything that shoots an arrow should be added.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Although my natural instinct is to agree with my fellow teardrop buddies who abhor this crime and want to see swift and severe justice, I am reminded of the many things I have been forgiven of and tend to lean towards the sage advice of starleen2.

Thankfully for all of us, we won't be involved in the decision.

[caseydog]

Being a bit of a "bleeding-heart liberal," I tend to think of prison as a place for violent offenders. Non-violent offenders should be dealt with in other ways.

Having said that, someone who shoots a horse full of arrows qualifies as violent, in my mind. But, at 17 years old, is he ready to be written off? And, will sending him to prison, AKA Violence University, just make things worse for the rest of us?

That's why I think the first thing a judge needs to do is order a psychotic examination on this kid. Is he a future serial killer in the making, or just a kid who had bad parenting?

But I do also believe that there are a lot of people who should NOT be allowed to keep and bear arms who do have them, and use the second amendment to protect rights they shouldn't have. This kid has demonstrated to me that he has no right to keep and bear arms. If he gets a deferred adjudication, he could get his gun rights restored upon completion of his probation. That concerns me.

Of course, if the kid's parents are wealthy and/or connected, he'll face an entirely different justice process than he will if they are like the rest of us.

CD (steps off soapbox)

[rbeemer]

instead of a fine or prison, etc. The judge should just have the boy enlist in the Army infantry where he will learn responsibility get training and understand that people do shoot back

[queeniejeanne]

So what is the possible punishment by Georgia Law.....if it is like here, the area officials didn't see anything wrong with puppies in tow sacks dropped from bridges into creeks to get rid of them....hopefully, as with our folks here, they have progressed beyond those horrendous acts as a means of population control. We now actually offer spay/neuter programs. When we lived in Idaho there was a lone moose who lived in a valley not far from town. One night two young men, just having fun, shot both front legs off the moose, and left him that way. It was a horrible fact that these kids didn't have any regard for an animals life. Even if it had been moose season, which it wasn't, it is a terrible situation. I can't remember what they did to the boys, seems as it was just community service. Queenie Jeanne

[planovet]

So what is the possible punishment by Georgia Law.....

I found this that might explain (the publish date was 7/6/2000):

RINGGOLD, Ga. -- A new law on the books in Georgia could be bad news for anyone charged with cruelty to animals. On May 1, Georgia's animal cruelty law became a felony instead of a misdemeanor, said Georgia Sen. Robert Brown, D-Macon. That means the penalty can be up to five years in prison and a fine of $15,000, instead of a sentence of less than a year behind bars. A recent Catoosa County case, in which two 14-year-old boys violently killed a kitten, points out the need for the law, said Mark Haskin of the Catoosa County Rabies Control and Animal Shelter. The boys were arrested and released to their parents' custody. They could be charged with a felony under Georgia's new law. "In general, any person could be tried as an adult, through the discretion of a Superior Court," said Catoosa County Juvenile Court Judge Ken Poston, but he could not comment on a specific case. He said, however, cases of cruelty to animals by juveniles have been shown to be a possible indicator of later violent tendencies. Sen. Brown has been proposing the stricter penalties for several years. "I was convinced that there's a correlation between people, especially kids, who do heinous crimes to animals, doing the same things to humans when they get older," Sen. Brown said. This year, the law passed, though there was opposition in the Georgia House of Representatives. Sen. Brown said some lawmakers who represent rural areas where hunting is popular feel there were sufficient laws on the books. "I'm hoping this will increase the awareness of citizens ... it's not boys will be boys and girls will be girls, especially when people are viciously abusing animals," Sen. Brown said. Under the old law, animal cruelty ranging from neglect or abandonment to torture was a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $5,000, imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or both. These penalties will still be in place for minor animal crimes, Sen. Brown said. Darla Procter, an employee at the Catoosa County Rabies Control and Animal Shelter, said they see more animal neglect, such as not providing adequate food and water, than cruelty, except for the kitten's death last month and a dog that was set on fire nearly five years ago by a lady who was schizophrenic. "In the six years I have worked here, those are the only two instances where the people didn't show any remorse," Ms. Procter said. In most cases, people are becoming more educated, said John Pitner, Catoosa County Animal Control supervisor. "The Legislature knows they need something to fit the crime," Mr. Pitner said. "Anytime you raise a punishment or increase a fine, it will help things." Georgia's animal cruelty law still differs from Tennessee's, which was last amended in 1992. Tennessee law sets punishment as a fine not exceeding $2,500, or 11 months and 29 days in jail, or both, the forfeiture of the animal and the cost of care, said Hamilton County Humane Educational Society officials. Intentionally killing an animal is a class B felony in Tennessee and may result in a fine of $2,500 to $300,000, 11 months and 29 days to 2 years in jail or both, officials said.

Bleeding heart liberals aside , this boy/man needs to be taught a lesson. I don't think a fine is enough. I'm not saying lock him up and throw away the key, but a few days in jail might teach him a lesson and give him time to think about his actions. That being said, his family will get a lawyer and plead it down to a misdemeanor and a fine.