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Should there be tougher sentences for animal abusers?

By MSN NZ
Friday, January 29, 2010
Should there be tougher sentences for animal abusers?
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The news this week that two men slaughtered 33 dogs has left many Kiwis wondering what can be done to prevent this kind of animal cruelty.

The SPCA continues to look at prosecuting the perpetrators but National MP Simon Bridges says current penalties not enough to deter animal abusers.

Mr Bridges has called for tougher sentences for people convicted of animal abuse crimes.

The 33 dogs were slain when a neighbourly dispute turned ugly — Russell Mendoza claimed one of Rowan Hargreaves' 39 dogs killed his fox terrier so he and a friend shot 33 of the 39 dogs, many of them pups, at point blank range.

The dogs reportedly screamed in agony and were terrified as the animals around them died.

As one of the injured dogs attempted to bite the rifle the shooter blew its head off, witnesses have said.

Mr Bridges said today the three-year maximum jail sentence for animal cruelty was not enough.

He seeking support for a private member’s bill he is putting in the ballot at Parliament to raise the maximum penalty for wilful ill-treatment of animals to five years' imprisonment.

Do you think there should be tougher sentences for animal abusers? Have your say below. <br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-NZ&vid=ce927bb2-e93a-4e64-bae3-d6d5a33d1faf" target="_new" title="Charges For Dog Massacre">Video: Charges For Dog Massacre</a>

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User comments
How can 1 person own 39 Dogs? What are the local council doing? Aren't there limits to numbers? 1 or 2 dogs max per residential address is the law I believe? If not, it should be. This amounts to a Pack and a pack of dogs will always behave far more agressively than individuals. While the killing of all these dogs is horrible, they are pitbulls and this huge number together should never have been allowed and would inevitably cause trouble, as the death of the neighbours dog has already proven.
DEFINATELY...how would the abusers feel if thesame was done to them,,
it should be along the lines of this, whatever is done to the animal..should be done to the abuser. if done purposely of course. like this guy killing the 33 dogs.. well we cant kill him 33 times. so stab him 33times. or a year jail time for each dog. .. which is classed as life. ..and let his inmates "stab" him with "things". annnd ontop of that. do what the government normally does and charge the abuser some ungodly amount of money. like..5000 a dog.
As above ^ "money talks" Yes money talks and yes it goes a long way as far as court goes but its not the only thing that freaking talks, come on people you have a mouth, so use it. TALK. Speak up for those who can't. It is not and never will be okay to abuse & torture animals.It's very true that those who abuse animals go on to abuse people. And yes the may have been ill treated themselves but that doesn't make it "okay", until they get the rightful punishment is handed down, nothing will change. Amongst other reasons, people do it because they can. Because they can get away with murder. Quite literally.
I'm interested in whether the Police will charge these offenders for the crimes involved upto and including the shooting of the dogs. Also whether the offenders have 100percent proof that it was one of these pets that attacked their pet. These offenders carried rifles and ammo in public onto a 'private' property, unwelcomed, forced the owner and his visitors into a 'life-threatening' situation, and then proceeded to inhumanly kill these loved pets. They haven't even helped clean up after. They probably went home laughing. They should get a year imprison for each, 'using a rifle in close quarters to people (as per law), unlawful trespass, and minimum of 6 months per animal kill or injured. Sentences need to be harsher for all crimes. And "human rights' activists should keep of the bandwagon also.
people that hurt animals tend to hurt people.
Why the double standards.Cutting off a kittens head is considdered cruelty.DOC useing 1080 to poison possums which can take up to two days to die in exreme pain is accepted.RSPCA should prosecute the government first
they will keep doing it untill the laws change. all the laws need to change maybe the goverment needs to watch americas pet rescu those people have the same authorisation as police and do not let people get away with harming animals.its sick,animals feel the same as we do so why should the punishment be any different.but apparently its different to stab or shoot a dog than a two year old baby.get a life and get some harsher punishments i say.
interpretation is an individual thing. for all that bashed my comments, they were in summary stating that crime is not illegal in nz, there will be no punishment relative to this crime of shooting these dogs, just as there isnt for most crimes in nz. my comments were mostly sarcatic, and merely a 'spot the difference' tactic. it all boils down to what your expectations of the legal system are, realistic, or unrealistic, its simple, and there is little logic in any sentencing. but just a though for all of you that eat meat, the way that animals are slaughtered is babaraic isnt it? think about that next time you are sinking your teeth into your juicy steak fresh off the bbq. or what about the chickens you all eat?? hypocrisy, interesting topic isnt it. xx
Absolutely there should be tougher sentences for animal abusers. Why are human beings so arrogant to think we can treat animals (and other people) without respect and dignity? It is well established that people who abuse animals usually go on to abuse humans. It all stems from a disregard for life. Many people say that we can do what we want to animals because we are the top of the food chain or "God allows us to dominate animals" (actually, stewardship is how I would interpret the Bible in our relation to the treatment of animals). But we have a responsibility to treat them properly because we have the power to do so. People that abuse animals make me sick, because it is a sick, sick thing to inflict pain on another living thing.

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