We've had a rash of dog cruelty stories here in Tucson.
A Shih Tzu was tied to a cactus in the middle of the desert and left to die (rescued, and now in a loving home) A pit bull was used for target practice by two young men (rescued, but euthanized) Today, I read an awful story about a pregnant German Shepherd mix named Cissy, who was tied up and left without food or water. And a greyhound named Otis, who had his tail sawed off and his face burned with cigarettes. Plus -- and I quote -- "details too graphic for most."
Pima County Superior Court Judge Howard Fell sentenced the owner of Otis and Cissy, Wayne Allen Dean, to two years in prison, adding that Dean wasn't an appropriate candidate for probation, given the acts he committed and his unrepentant attitude.
Dean's lawyer objected, saying that the two guys who'd shot the pit bull didn't end up going to prison.
Fell's succinct reply to that was: "I didn't sentence them."
Dean is quoted as saying (presumably in his defense): "I wouldn't sodomize that dog. That's insane."
He also pleaded guilty to an indictment that included nearly a dozen felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty counts. The mind boggles. No, it doesn't. It recoils in horror, and disgust.
Both dogs were rescued, but Otis, Cissy and her puppies subsequently contracted distemper, and had to be euthanized. Judge Fell ordered Dean to pay the $5,250 it cost the county to care for them, despite Dean's lawyer's objection that the dogs only had a "fair market value" of $180.
One can't help but notice that these animal abusers always seem to be men .
I think prison is way too good for them, especially in light of the fact that most of their victims (including Cissy's innocent puppies) end up paying the ultimate price. You know what I think we ought to do to people like Wayne Allan Dean? I think we ought to neuter them. Humanely, of course. Under anaesthetic. Just like we do to dogs.
This isn't nearly as cruel as what they do. In fact, it's not cruel at all. We'd actually be doing them a favor. They wouldn't have to worry about getting testicular cancer afterwards, would they?