Increase Animal Abuse/Neglect Penalties in Arkansas

  • by: Katelyn Helms and the facebook group Animal Negligence Ends Today
  • recipient: Boone County Judge Mike Moore boonecountyjudge@windstream.net ; Senator John Boozman @JohnBoozman ; Senator Mark Pryor  www.facebook.com/MarkPryor ; Representative Steve Womack www.facebook.com/RepSteveWomack & @rep_stevewomack ; Governor of Arka
Though animal cruelty is a class A felony now in Arkansas we are not getting the care we need for the voiceless. In Arkansas the maximum penalty is one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. There is also counseling that is required for convicted animal abusers but no ban and no PPO (pet protective order) according to www.pet-abuse.com The HSUS has over 56,000 supporters in AR which suggests that many people would support harsher laws and enforced laws on animal neglect and abuse.
We suggest that Arkansas police and public enforce the laws, up the penalty, close loopholes and effectively protect all animals from acts of cruelty including those in shelters and rescues. The regulations for licensed kennels need to be enforced. Chapter 14.21.03 section G states Safeguards, including, but not limited to, hours and methods of operation, landscaping and screening, controlling noxious or offensive emissions, including lighting, noise, glare, dust and odor, are satisfactory.
 We believe that there should be a something like a “secret shop” to check on the conditions of shelters around. This could be done by a law enforcement officer or someone out of town to ensure that conditions were up to par.
 Since animal abuse and neglect have become illegal in Boone County there have been at least two cases where the law was not enforced. One of which occurred in 2006 where there were 40 dogs neglected and starving due to hoarding and the case was dismissed and another reported case in 2000 was torture-mutilation case where a 16 year old boy was alleged but never charged. There is a direct link between animal abuse and abuse against humans. This shows that in particular Boone County does not seem to follow through with cases; this is why we want to enforce the animal abuse/neglect laws and increase the penalties to these crimes. The maximum jail time we want increased to 5 years and maximum fine increased to $20,000.
We suggest creating an animal abuse registry where a picture, address, and the abusers name will be available to the public, they should stay on this registry for 5 years and pay a fee that would maintain the website. While on this site we do not want the offenders to be allowed to have possession of any animal and during the last year of time the offender is listed on website we want the offenders to complete a rehabilitation course. We also want to enforce laws that licensed kennels must follow.
The Ozark Humane Society is currently the target of this petition, we want an investigation started on this shelter to enforce the rules it should have already been following. Previous employees have proof of sheer negligence resulting in well over 20 deaths in a 3 month period. We encourage everyone to visit the Facebook group “Animal Negligence Ends Today” On this site are pictures and experiences that would horrify any friend of animals. These experiences are not just of previous employees but patrons and these experiences span from years ago to as current as within the last month. Due to Boone County Sheriff’s wife sitting on the Board of Directors for Ozark Humane Society INC. we do not want the County to complete the investigation, we want someone out of the area to complete the investigation due to the prominence of the Board Members and conflict of interests that pertain to many citizens in Boone County.
We suggest that the city and county make the ordinances more clear, and follow in the example of the city of Booneville and ordinance 789 specifically SECTION 10:  CONDITIONS OF PEN OR PREMISES.  It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation keeping or harboring dogs to fail to keep the premises where such dogs are kept free from offensive odors to the extent that such odors are disturbing to the person(s) residing within reasonable proximity to the said premises; and it shall be unlawful to allow premises where dogs are kept to become unclean and a threat to the public health and the health of the animal and failing to systematically remove all animal waste from the premises(Booneville.com). Ozark Humane Society has failed to comply with many guidelines set forth by the Humane Society of the United States and would fail to meet the criteria set forth by any of the Animal Cruelty Investigations organizations.
Join us in urging an investigation of Ozark Humane Society of Boone County, Arkansas and increasing the penalties for animal abuse/cruelty/neglect in the state of Arkansas.
 
We the undersigned;
Though animal cruelty is a class A felony now in Arkansas we are not getting the care we need for the voiceless. In Arkansas the maximum penalty is one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. There is also counseling that is required for convicted animal abusers but no ban and no PPO (pet protective order) according to www.pet-abuse.com The HSUS has over 56,000 supporters in AR which suggests that many people would support harsher laws and enforced laws on animal neglect and abuse.
We suggest that Arkansas police and public enforce the laws, up the penalty, close loopholes and effectively protect all animals from acts of cruelty including those in shelters and rescues. The regulations for licensed kennels need to be enforced. Chapter 14.21.03 section G states Safeguards, including, but not limited to, hours and methods of operation, landscaping and screening, controlling noxious or offensive emissions, including lighting, noise, glare, dust and odor, are satisfactory.
 We believe that there should be a something like a “secret shop” to check on the conditions of shelters around. This could be done by a law enforcement officer or someone out of town to ensure that conditions were up to par.
 Since animal abuse and neglect have become illegal in Boone County there have been at least two cases where the law was not enforced. One of which occurred in 2006 where there were 40 dogs neglected and starving due to hoarding and the case was dismissed and another reported case in 2000 was torture-mutilation case where a 16 year old boy was alleged but never charged. There is a direct link between animal abuse and abuse against humans. This shows that in particular Boone County does not seem to follow through with cases; this is why we want to enforce the animal abuse/neglect laws and increase the penalties to these crimes. The maximum jail time we want increased to 5 years and maximum fine increased to $20,000.
We suggest creating an animal abuse registry where a picture, address, and the abusers name will be available to the public, they should stay on this registry for 5 years and pay a fee that would maintain the website. While on this site we do not want the offenders to be allowed to have possession of any animal and during the last year of time the offender is listed on website we want the offenders to complete a rehabilitation course. We also want to enforce laws that licensed kennels must follow.
The Ozark Humane Society is currently the target of this petition, we want an investigation started on this shelter to enforce the rules it should have already been following. Previous employees have proof of sheer negligence resulting in well over 20 deaths in a 3 month period. We encourage everyone to visit the Facebook group “Animal Negligence Ends Today” On this site are pictures and experiences that would horrify any friend of animals. These experiences are not just of previous employees but patrons and these experiences span from years ago to as current as within the last month. Due to Boone County Sheriff’s wife sitting on the Board of Directors for Ozark Humane Society INC. we do not want the County to complete the investigation, we want someone out of the area to complete the investigation due to the prominence of the Board Members and conflict of interests that pertain to many citizens in Boone County.
We suggest that the city and county make the ordinances more clear, and follow in the example of the city of Booneville and ordinance 789 specifically SECTION 10:  CONDITIONS OF PEN OR PREMISES.  It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation keeping or harboring dogs to fail to keep the premises where such dogs are kept free from offensive odors to the extent that such odors are disturbing to the person(s) residing within reasonable proximity to the said premises; and it shall be unlawful to allow premises where dogs are kept to become unclean and a threat to the public health and the health of the animal and failing to systematically remove all animal waste from the premises(Booneville.com). Ozark Humane Society has failed to comply with many guidelines set forth by the Humane Society of the United States and would fail to meet the criteria set forth by any of the Animal Cruelty Investigations organizations.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
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