Help fight violence against animals in middle Georgia!

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UPDATE!! (August 9th, 2007)

Wow!  This is FANTASTIC news (see e-mail below).  Thanks to everyone who participated in the first demonstration in May, signed the petition, helped make signs and participated in the demonstration today during the trial/sentencing.  As you can see from Mr. Henderson's e-mail, our efforts were extremely appreciated.  What a difference we have made in our community!  Look for this story on the evening news with the local news channels.  Here is a great video that is on Macon.com.  http://www.macon.com/149/story/108793.html.
Thanks again to you all, and please be sure to thank our Assistant District Attorney, Gerald Henderson, for his passionate work on this case. 
 
Lindsay Abernethy
 
Mr. Henderson's e-mail:
 
Dear Lindsey:

The remaining two codefendants plead today. The second one, literally
changed his mind and decided to plea as we were beginning the hearing.
They both received 24 months probation with 60 days to serve, no credit
for time served. They had been in custody for 20 days on new felony
charges. (entering autos and shoplifting) They are to be
psychologically tested and are required to comply with any recommended
treatment or counseling. Since they are now on felony probation, any
new offense will qualify for a additional 60 day sentence. In addition,
they will face potential recidivist sentencing if they continue to
commit new offenses. It is my hope that they will be rehabilitated or
at least come to understand what they have done wrong.

Thank you for your support and the support of everyone who signed the
petition and demonstrated in front of the Court House, it was a morale
boost for the members of my office and the macon police department
officers who came to testify.

Thanks once again.
Jerry Henderson


UPDATE!!! (June 23, 2007):

http://www.macon.com/210/story/73301.html

Trial set for one of boys accused of burning dogsBy Tim Sturrock - Telegraph staff writer

A court date was set Friday for the trial of one of the boys accused of burning two dogs to death in Macon.

The boy will go to trial July 12 in the two May incidents that involved three boys, two of them 14 and the other 13, Bibb County assistant district attorney Gerald Henderson said. All three were charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty charges.

One 14-year-old admitted to the charges last week and was sentenced to 60 days detention, 24 months of probation and a psychological evaluation. Another boy in the case did not appear at his scheduled arraignment Friday because his lawyer had a medical emergency, Henderson said.

The two cases came to light May 15 after a woman in south Macon discovered what turned out to be a mixed-breed dog burning in the corner of her yard on Cliffview Drive. After that incident, another woman told police she believed the boys burned her daughter's chow puppy.

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The citizens within this city (and others throughout the state) are outraged by the behavior of the 3 teenagers who killed a dog by setting it on fire on May 15, 2007 and by the teenager who threw kittens down a storm drain on May 14, 2007 in Macon, Georgia. We are submitting this petition to the local law enforcement, all listed juvenile court judges%u2019 offices in the area, Sen. Robert Brown (who helped harshen the punishment  for offenses violating the Georgia animal cruelty law  from a  misdemeanor to a felony), President Joey Brooks of the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals, Inc., the Georgia Department of Agriculture (Animal Section), and local newspapers in hopes that these minors will be given harsher punishment than probation and that they will be forced to go to psychological counseling for their violent acts against these animals.
 
In July of 2000, Catoosa County Juvenile Court Judge Ken Poston stated that %u201C%u2026cases of cruelty to animals by juveniles have been shown to be a possible indicator of later violent tendencies.%u201D  Compelling research shows that pet abuse is a predictor of domestic violence. Paying attention to this kind of abuse can save human lives. Researchers, the FBI, and other agencies in the USA have linked animal cruelty to domestic violence, child abuse, serial killings and the recent rash of killings by school-age children. Among the most notorious of those have included Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler), Theodore Bundy, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Jeffrey Dahmer, Marc Lepine, Carroll Edward Coleis and Martin Bryant,  all of whom exhibited a history of animal torture and killing in their childhood. Five of six students in the USA who went on shooting rampages in 1999 had histories of animal cruelty in their childhoods. (http://www.animal-lib.org.au/lists/violence/violence.shtml)

Please acknowledge and consider the names of the persons who have signed this petition as a voice for the city of Macon that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior from our youth and that we hope they will be penalized for their criminal acts and receive professional help in hopes that they might not become our city's future criminals. 
Lastly:

1st: Please hurry and leave comments on the Macon.com web siteconcerning the Dog Burned Alive!
http://www.macon.com/198/story/43843.html

2nd: Write an Email or fax a letter urging Macon ADA Gerald Hendersonto prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the 3 teenagers that haveset TWO dogs on fire!It turns out the 3 "youths" have been returned to their parents forsupervision until they go to court on May 25th. Apparently this is thesecond dog they set on fire.  Please read:http://www.macon.com/198/story/43843.html       

An Excerpt from the article:       
Allegations have surfaced that the three teenagers arrestedTuesday for burning a dog to death may have burned another dog May 9in the same neighborhood, according to a Macon Police Departmentarrest report.         Porsha Drewery, of Rutherford Avenue, told police afterTuesday's incident that she believed the boys burned and killed her14-year-old daughter's chow puppy also."They were just hateful," she said. "They did it for fun."Drewery said the boys admitted to her that they'd burned 2-month-old Camille after she found the injured dog charred on her back porch."Its nose was gone," Drewery said. "It was shaking." The dog was suffering and Drewery said her neighbor shot Camille, putting the chow out of her misery.
TAKING ACTION NOW, could influence the DA to throw the book at these three monsters!  Please post a comment to the Macon News ArticleToday!
 
Please send LETTERS urging the full prosecution to :ADA Gerald HendersonEmail: ghenderson@co.bibb.ga.usFax: 478 - 621- 5880
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Thank you for taking the time to read this petition and voice your opinion. Nothing will bring those poor dogs back but we can protect the remaining animals that could suffer the same fate or worse if these children are not educated and action taken to correct their behavior.