KICKED,SQUEEZED SMALL CHIHUAHUA MIX UNTIL THE DOG'S EYES POPPED OUT AND FRACTURED SKULL

ROBERT CARINI MUST GO TO JAIL!!It is crucial that you write to all the parties listed below.   Signing the petition will only go so far.  Please email, fax, or snail mail and insist that Robert Carini be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.Lexington Dog Abuse CaseMany of you are aware of the animal abuse case of last month in Lexington, VA, where a dog suffered a fractured skull and was euthanized by a veterinarian.It is appropriate that every person reading this get involved now.There were many reports about the case.  One of them is at the end of this alert.  Please read it.This is what I understand is involved:  1.   Robert Carini has been charged under 3.1-796.122 which covers animal cruelty.            This is case # C 072166 & 672.   On Tuesday, 4/3/07, at 11:30 am, there will be a preliminary hearing for Mr. Carini who will be represented by a Public Defender.NOTE:  This is a new time and date.3.   The hearing will be at the General District Court in Lexington.The court is located at 150 S. Main Street, Lexington.The phone is 540-463-3631.4.    The Judge who will hear the case is Hon. Gordon F. Saunders.            He can receive letters at the Main Street address above, or via fax:  540-463-4213.            NOTE:  There is no email address for Judge Saunders available to the public.5.   On 3/30, Judge Saunders will listen to the evidence.NOTE:  The Judge will not take comments from those in the audience.6.   The Asst. Commonwealth Attorney, Lawrence Muir, will prosecute the case.Mr. Muir's phone is 540-463-7337.Your comments can be mailed to Mr. Muir at 17 Court House Square; Lexington, VA  24450; or sent by email to:  Lmuir@lexrockca.net7.   With sufficient evidence, this case may be "certified" to go to the Grand Jury.8.   The Grand Jury is scheduled to meet on 5/7/07, and if this case gets to the Grand Jury, the case will be "set", and a trial date announced.NOTE:  This step on 5/7 is not open to the public although the trial will be.9.   The Commonwealth Attorney for Lexington/Rockbridge is Robert N. Joyce.  He phone is the same as Mr. Muir's.Your comments can be mailed to Mr. Joyce at the Court House Square address above, or sent by email to:  Bjoyce@lexrock.ca.netThis is what I ask you to do:1.   Come to the hearing in Lexington on 4/3/07 at 11:30 am and show support just by being there.  Know that you will not be able to speak out.2.   Before the hearing, be in touch with the Judge, with Asst. Commonwealth Attorney Lawrence Muir, and with Mr. Muir's supervisor, Commonwealth Attorney Robert N. Joyce.a.   Contact by US mail, by email, by fax, or by phone.  (Contact information is above.)b.   Ask that Mr. Carini be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.c.   Ask that he be prevented from owning companion animals for the remainder of his life.d.   Ask what can be done regarding the owner of the animals and any complicity she may have had in the case.3.   Write letters to the editor:a.   Write a letter to the editor of the local Lexington papers regarding your wanting the maximum penalty for Mr. Carini.                                    News Gazette in LexingtonDarryl Woodson  editor@thenews-gazette.comRockbridge WeeklyJerry E. Clark   jerry@chartwellcorp.comb.   Write a letter to your own local paper describing this situation briefly, say you have asked for the maximum penalties, and should the same situation come up locally, you will ask for the maximum penalty.  4.   Contact city/county officials:a.   Contact the Lexington City Mayor and the Lexington City Council, thanking them for being ready to support animal cruelty laws locally.                             Mayor John Knappjknapp@rockbridge.netTim Golden, Council Member & Vice Mayorgoldentp@mail.vmi.eduFrank Friedman, Council MemberFWFriedman@hotmail.comMimi Elrod, Council Membermelrod@wlu.eduJim Gianniny, Council Memberjgianniny@lexedu.orgJack Page, Council Member pagejh@vmi.eduRon smith, Council Memberrwsmith@kalex.kendal.org  b.   Contact your own city or county officials, telling them that you would expect maximum punishment for animal cruelty when it happens locally.5.         Contact state officials:a.   Contact the state delegate and senator representing Lexington, thanking them for being ready to support and enforce maximum punishment for animal cruelty.                              Sen. Emmett W. Hanger540-885-7440district24@gov.state.va.usDel. Ben Cline877-946-9908ben@bencline.comb.   Contact your own state delegate and senator, and tell them you will expect them to support and enforce maximum punishment for animal cruelty when it happens locally.NOTE:  Please consider here voicing your own goals for your delegate and senator re: animal cruelty laws.  Perhaps you ask for them to be more stringent.  Perhaps you mention that VVAW is addressing animal welfare issues generally, and specifically asked for and received a modest increase in abuse penalties last session, but failed to win support for cockfighting and dogfighting bills.6.         Contact ACOs:a.   Contact  Charles (Chuck) Hurley, the ACO for Lexington, who did his job and did it well.  Let him know people across Virginia have heard about this case and are grateful for what he has done.                   Charles Hurley, ACO - Special Enforcement OfficerLexington Police Dept.11 Fuller Street; Lexington, VA 24450 540-462-3759LexPD1528@yahoo.comb.   Contact your own ACOs and let them know you will support them as they enforce the animal abuse laws just as you've supported the Lexington ACO, and that you expect them to enforce laws to the maximum.c.   Contact Kevin Kilgore, President of VACA (Virginia Animal Control Association) and ask that VACA give recognition to the case and this ACO, Mr. Hurley.                                    Kevin Kilgore                                     President, VACA and Chief, Animal Control, Hanover County                                    804-365-6485                                    fax:  804-365-6488                                    kmkilgore@co.hanover.va.usWatch for a trial date to be announced by the Grand Jury, but remember that this may not get to the Grand Jury unless there is sufficient contact made with the Judge and Commonwealth Attorneys.In each contact you make, include your name and address.  It would also be appropriate to indicate you are part of VVAW (Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare). Let us know what you do.Let us know the response you receive.Lillian Clancy/Don MarroLocal man charged with fracturing dog's skull, breaking its neckby Scott Leamon/Matt DooleyWSLS NewsChannel 10Thursday, March 1, 2007Lexington police charged a man under the Virginia T-Bone Law with felony animal abuse for allegedly hitting one dog so hard it fractured its skull in at least three places.  Police believe he treated another so badly, one of its eyes popped out of its socket.Robert Carini was in the Rockbridge Regional Jail as of late Thursday night.  He is charged with two counts of felony animal abuse which caused a veterinarian to euthanize both animals.Police said in court records both dogs belonged to Carini's girlfriend, who has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the case.Lexington-area vet, Dr. Martha Tubman, saw the first dog, a Chihuahua, last October. She said the dog, a female, couldn't stand by herself, was covered in her own feces and urine, and had one eye hanging from its socket.Dr. Tubman said it looked as if the eye had been that way for at least 24 hours.She said the dog lived in a crate with minimal food and water."The water that was in the cage," Dr. Tubman said, "I guess from the trauma to the eye was a bloody slim.  It was the most disgusting thing."Tubman said she had to put down the second dog on February 24th after police brought it, also a female chihuahua, to her office in a coma.The second dog's x-rays are the ones shown below.Lexington police chief Steve Crowder said his animal control officer didn't have enough evidence to arrest Carini for abusing the first dog last October.Carini is due in Rockbridge County General District Court on March 30th.Living in Virginia since 1991, court records show he has prior criminal record of two assault charges from New Jersey in 1999.