Over seven months, thirteen animals died slowly on a property in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Investigators found goat skulls scattered across ground soaked in mud, feces, and animal remains, and a dog, a horse, three ducks, a goose, and a turkey all lost their lives the same way, through prolonged neglect and lack of basic care.
Sign the petition to demand the court require mandatory mental health counseling as part of sentencing in this case.
The man responsible now faces 13 counts of animal cruelty and two counts of criminal trespassing after a grand jury indictment. He's already been barred from owning animals of any kind and banned from returning to the property, and several surviving animals are now recovering with the help of local rescues. But a lifetime ownership ban only prevents future harm if the underlying issue that led to this kind of prolonged, repeated neglect is actually addressed.
Ownership bans and criminal charges deal with the aftermath, but they don't explain why someone would let thirteen animals suffer and die over the course of months without intervening.
Mandatory mental health counseling gives the courts a chance to identify and treat whatever drove this pattern of neglect, rather than simply removing access to animals and hoping the underlying behavior doesn't resurface in some other form.
Rehabilitation like this protects every animal or vulnerable being this person may come into contact with in the future, not just the ones already lost.
Sign the petition to demand the court require mental health treatment alongside every other consequence in this case.
