After Witnessing Horrifying Animal Abuse, Women Decides to Change the Week Animal Abuse Laws in Mississippi

The reason I post this is that I commend this women and also to point out the obvious – cruelty laws are too week. You’ll see in this article why she is motivated and also examples of egregious cruelty that essentially go unpunished. It’s true, animal cruelty needs to be made a felony.

Here are a couple paragraphs from the article below:

“Buddy, the 16-week-old black Labrador retriever who was tortured with PVC pipe glue in Gautier, inspired Ladnier to begin an online petition. Ladnier plans to present the list of names to the House of Representatives in January in order to help change the law.”

"Any action of abuse or cruelty is a simple misdemeanor," Ladnier said. "Ev-eryday, someone comes home from work or school and kicks the dog simply because they had a bad day. Everyday someone strangles a cat or dog as an act of power and superiority. Someone has tied a litter of kittens in a sack and tossed them in the river or bayou. A puppy was thrown against a wall for having an accident on the rug. Cats are tied to a clothesline because it is rumored they will fight to the death to be freed. A dog has gone days with no food or water while tied to a tree."


Article:

Support to change the animal cruelty law grows

http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/
index.ssf?/base/news/1156328102263070.xml

Wednesday, August 23, 2006
By CHERIE WARD

The Mississippi Press

MOSS POINT -- Beth Ladnier of Moss Point is a woman wanting to help change the animal cruelty law in Mississippi.

"After everything that happened with Buddy I de-cided someone needs to stand up for our animals," Ladnier said. "For years and years we've heard stories like Buddy's and no one ever does anything. I decided I would."

Buddy, the 16-week-old black Labrador retriever who was tortured with PVC pipe glue in Gautier, inspired Ladnier to begin an online petition. Ladnier plans to present the list of names to the House of Representatives in January in order to help change the law.

"Any action of abuse or cruelty is a simple misdemeanor," Ladnier said. "Ev-eryday, someone comes home from work or school and kicks the dog simply because they had a bad day. Everyday someone strangles a cat or dog as an act of power and superiority. Someone has tied a litter of kittens in a sack and tossed them in the river or bayou. A puppy was thrown against a wall for having an accident on the rug. Cats are tied to a clothesline because it is rumored they will fight to the death to be freed. A dog has gone days with no food or water while tied to a tree."

Ladnier said these acts of abuse and cruelty happen on a daily basis in Mississippi and remembers a few years ago when a Moss Point home was discovered boarded up with several cats and dogs that were dead from lack of food and water.

"My husband was one who helped go in and clean the house up," Ladnier said. "It was horrific. These animals can't run to a domestic violence shelter. They can't call 911 or have the police protect them. What do they do? They limp back to their abuser with low-cast eyes and ask for a little love. Just a pat on the head or a kind word just to be cast aside again. It's got to stop and the prevention starts with changing the law."

Bill Richman, director of the Jackson County Animal Shelter, said stories like the ones Ladnier described are, unfortunately, an everyday occurrence.

Richman said a couple of years ago a puppy was found in the same area of Hickory Hill abused through a crude attempt at castration.

"It was practically the same neighborhood," Richman said. "It didn't get the same attention this dog has received, but we did try and find the people responsible. We even put out flyers to find the owner of the dog."

Richman said that dog, like Buddy, had to be euthanized.

Richman said he wants state and city officials to consider changing the animal cruelty laws.

"It needs to be a felony because the laws are too weak," Richman said.

"Just one animal abus-ed is too many and I wish the Lab wasn't the worst I've ever heard of, but I'm sad to say I've heard and seen worse."

Richman said he'd like to see strengthened all of the laws in place to protect animals.

"It's so hard to take an animal away from an abusive situation," Richman said. "We have to practically jump through hoops and then they just get a slap on the wrist. They pay their court cost and maybe a $10 fee and then walk away. We need laws in place so we can get things done faster. If we could move things along faster then we could save more animals from abusive situations."

Richman said the local judges always work well with the animal shelter, but until the law changes their hands are tied as well.

"They always do as much as the law will allow," Richman said. "They have to abide by what they're given. It's hard to make a difference when you have nothing backing you up."

Rep. Carmel Wells Smith said the animal cruelty law does need reviewing and she has been interested in the Buddy story from the beginning.

"I think it's just a matter of the proper wording," Smith said. "I cannot comprehend a mind that would find enjoyment in the acts of cruelty that were done to Buddy. It sickens me and makes me wonder what someone like that would do to a child."