My name is Eric, and I run I Love Every Dog because I believe every dog deserves a life free from fear and hunger. That's why I can't stay quiet about what happened on County Road 24 in Cherokee County, Alabama.
In July, sheriff's deputies found dogs so malnourished that one had to be rushed into emergency veterinary care for a severe injury. David Canipe, 64, and Dimples Canipe, 57, were arrested, but each was only charged with a single misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.
Here's what troubles me: Alabama law allows penalties of up to fifteen thousand dollars and ten years in prison per animal in cases of aggravated cruelty to a dog or cat. A misdemeanor charge doesn't come close to reflecting what deputies found on that property. If the evidence supports it, this should be charged as felony cruelty to a dog, not treated like a parking ticket.
I'm asking District Attorney Summer Summerford, who oversees prosecutions for Alabama's 9th Judicial Circuit covering Cherokee County, to personally review this case and pursue the maximum charges the evidence allows. Dogs who suffer this kind of neglect can't tell a judge what happened to them. Prosecutors are the only voice they have.
Please sign my petition and join me in asking District Attorney Summer Summerford to upgrade these charges to match the severity of what was done to these dogs. A misdemeanor sends the message that starving an animal to the point of emergency surgery is a minor offense. It isn't, and Alabama's own laws say so.
Thank you for standing up for animals who can't stand up for themselves.
— Eric, I Love Every Dog
