What is our world coming to when living creatures are used for macabre entertainment purposes? When will our animals get the rights they deserve when abusers are prosecuted in court rooms? Is it really sufficient to ban someone from owning a horse for 10 years after they have been convicted of gross negligence? Shouldn't we be considering these offenses just as drastic as offenses committed against fellow humans, or even worse, as these animals can't fight back. This makes me sick.

It reminds me of this case earlier this year: (Warning, very graphic) - http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/421803_sound96324874.html

How ignorant must you be to throw an animals life and welfare out the window? It's one thing if you have a psychological condition and you're not mentally at the same standard with 'society' as to what is right and wrong, but some of these people make me think they are just sick people who enjoy torturing animals. I guess you just have to be one of the crazy people like us barnmousers to truly understand that animals have rights, too. I'd have to agree with you too, Justice, that if you think animals have rights, you must be some dumb PETA activist who would rather chain themselves to a tree than allow the timber company to ruin the wild bird habitats. What is so wrong with sticking up for the rights of other living creatures? People make me sick. Just plain sick.

I am with both of you Justice and Ash. Unfortunately people know they won't truly be punished for causing pain and suffering for non-human animals. I'm not a peta supporter - infact I feel peta and other extremists have done more to harm the animal welfare causes than to help them.

That said I have volunteered for animal welfare groups and do believe that we must stop seeing non-humans as less than us. As disposable. As less intelligent. We need to stop feeling that we know what they can learn and what they understand - we don't know. We can't know. We see the world in human terms, they see it in the terms of a wolf, dog, cat, chicken...etc. I was talking to my son last night when we were walking the dog and we were looking at the stars and thinking about life somewhere other than earth. And then we started talking about different senses and said, maybe we wouldn't even be able to percieve the 'aliens' with our senses. Look at how many ways like has developed on earth.. A dog has senses we don't a dog relies more heavily on smell and hearing....and other senses...Their world is not our world even though we exist together...Does that make sense?

Anyway until people stop feeling that the human way is right/the best...etc...and that we are above the 'dirty' creatures who lack opposable thumbs...Until we stop feeling everything the animals, ocean, trees, etc is here for OUR use...things will not change.

Food animals will live short brutal lives, dogs, cats horses, and other companion animals will be dragged, burned...cut...because the laws and society at large says 'it's JUST an animal.'

And politicians will only do something if large numbers of their constituents make noise about the treatment of animals...thus animal welfare issues are usually placed on the back burner...or 'watered down'...so as not to lose votes....

arrrghghgh

appologies for the mini-rant...

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/01/003.shtml

one charged so far.. one to go

no probs justice, lets hope they get more than a slap on the wrist too mate, alot of us in australia are all stirred up about it..

aw man what is our world coming to people do such things like that should be shown how it feels like to themselves eg. have them dragged behind a car

Hi,

I am new here but I have some thoughts ...

When people abuse animals in that way, they need to be punished to the full extent of the law, and the law needs to be updated to punish animal abusers more strenuously. People who do these things to animals, usually end up doing horrible things to children. A fine and saying they can't own horses for 10 years is not nearly enough - they also need intensive rehab and psychiatric help to ensure they don't "graduate" to hurting people.

This is, in part, why I object to some animal activists who advocate that animals should not be considered property. The punishments for animal cruelty are often so lax, that they may be more strenuously punished by the approach of damage to/loss of property. I WANT my horse to be my property, even though I don't think of him that way. In my mind he is my companion, but for the purpose of making sure others don't do him harm, I need him to be my property.

Poor pony!

It's a start, Shai... At least there is a court date!

I agree that the penalties for animal abuse need to be re-evaluated where the incidents of abuse seem to be escalating in occurence as well as degree of cruelty. Used to be that a good beating could get you mentioned on page 8, small print, at the bottom as it was such a rarely reported incident a but hugely offensive issue... Now, seems like in order to get that 15 minutes of fame, that almost EVERYbody thinks they are entitled to, one must be graphic, over the top and, frankly, out of their right mind. Poster children for drug abuse combined with unemployment notwithstanding....

I am aware that there are mental insufficiencies and/or conditions that disallow a being to fully comprehend the scope of humanity (right vs wrong decisions, good vs bad behaviour). Animal cruelty charges should come with an immediate, mandatoury psych evaluation and penalties should automatically require/include a MINIMUM 6 month daily gig with a GOOD psych facility. Seriously. These are ill people (or are they?). Can't reason with or simply punish a sick mind and expect the light to go on or the acts of cruelty to stop without some type of diagnostic intervention and therapy and...gasp....medication. No guarantees there, either, but at least the perpetratour would be known, dealt with and familar to authorities... to a point.

The proper authorities need the power (and a set of titanium ones...) to say AND maintain the: "You can NEVER harbour another animal, for any reason. Period." penalty. 











-- Edited by justice on Saturday 26th of February 2011 08:14:35 AM

should have a result today... we are just waiting for sentencing..

Murphy’s Creek men were sentenced at Gatton magistrates Court today after they pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty against Shetland Pony, ELF. The charges related to the incident involving the dragging of Elf behind a car on Christmas Day.
Andrew Cook (33) was sentenced to three months imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years. A conviction was recorded and he was ordered to pay $3,820 which was half of the restitution costs. His son, Zackery Hudson (17), was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $3,820 in restitution. No conviction was recorded.

The court heard the pony had been dragged for three kilometers on bitumen at speeds of up to 40kph. Both men expressed remorse. Summing up, Magistrate Carroll said the pair showed reckless disregard for the pony’s welfare and this behaviour would not be tolerated.

Although, in this instance, the case was prosecuted by the Queensland Police, RSPCA Qld’s Chief Inspector Michael Pecic said the RSPCA were disappointed in the sentences.

“The Magistrate indicated that he did take the matter seriously but we don’t feel the sentences in any way met with community expectations. They certainly will not act as any deterrent," Mr Pecic said.

As we have followed Elf's story, we know he received specialised treatment at Redlands Equine Veterinary Clinic for nearly three weeks. Equine Centre and RSPCA Qld vets feel that he is healing well, although he still may have to have another operation to remove fragments of bone from his hoof.

“In over 40 years as an equine veterinarian, I believe Elf is the toughest little horse I have seen,” said Dr David Lovell. “He arrived with four different problems, any one of which, in another horse, could well have been enough to bring about their demise.

Not Elf! He had severe shock, abrasion wounds to eight different joints that had gone through skin and joint capsule and exposed the actual joints. Plus, worst of all, the soles of both hind feet had been ground bare and he’d developed a terrible case of laminitis. Unbelievably, all conditions have dramatically improved and Elf should be able to anticipate many years of happy healthy life.”

Elf is now in Foster Care and will soon be adopted by a charity called…wait for it… ELF! (Equine Learning for Futures.), that develops and implements equine based educational programs for disadvantaged youths and children. The charity uses horses in the in the learning process to facilitate change, positive personal growth and promote positive self esteem.

“Learning to work effectively with such an animal takes effort and personal responsibility but the rewards are empowerment and an ability to make healthy behaviour and hence life choices,” said ELF founder Jill Strachan.

“We’re hoping to adopt Elf permanently. Eventually he’ll be taking part in the training programs but until he recovers completely he’ll be staying at my property where he’ll be stable mates with a 17 hand thoroughbred (which is horse-speak for height of the horse).”

“If all goes well this could be a perfect life for Elf,” said RSPCA Qld Senior Veterinarian Dr Anne Chester. “After all he’s been through, we’re all praying that this really will turn out to be the ultimate happy ending.”

my pleasure mate, lets hope the kid does end up in the army he might make something of himself... his dad on the other hand has a list a mile long of different offenses and just one step sideways will go inside..and he will stuff up

Could someone just take the Nenderthal perpetrators for just a brief drag behind a vehicle? Just a few times around the block and I'd be satisfied. Or give them the choice between that and a $5000 donation each to an animal rescue, would make me feel a little better.

Hi

This sort of story will never stop until people change the entire way they think about animals.  They have feelings, thoughts, wants, needs and are sentinent just as we are.  The want to know how the world works, how they fit in it and do understand life and death far better than most of us do... they are not human, we are not a dog, cat, or horse either... neither is less, just is.

I have seen/heard about more than my share of this crap that this pony has suffered.  In stb racing/training it is considered to be acceptable to tie a horse behind a 'gate' attatched to a truck and run them behind it... at best the horse goes around and learns nothing... when things go wrong-- this happens often... the horse has it's neck hurt, is pulled through lameness, and forced to go no matter what... and at worst, it is dragged.  Stb horsemen think that this is a suitable way to teach a horse that it cannot balk... some have been dragged to death... most memorably by the Fire Chief in London Ontario (dragged, drowned with a hose, then shot in the head), and recently by a horseman in the Sarnia Ontario area, who drove the horse till it was exhausted, then dragged it behind a truck till it was dead, then took it to hide the barbaric thing he had done and attemped to burn the body.

While the penalty is so weak people will continue to do what they will with horses, they feel they 'own' them, and can do as they wish. 

In my humble opinion they people who did this to this wee pony should suffer the same fate, see if they think it was okay after that????

take care
Deb McDaid
Tiocfaidh Ar La Racing and Eventing Stable