Harsher Penalties for Animal Abuse in NY

CBS News (May 24, 2011):

The New York Police Department says Irving Sanchez, 46, was arrested after allegedly being caught on an elevator's surveillance camera brutalizing a pit bull puppy.

The video was captured Sunday in the Wagner Houses in East Harlem. It shows a shocking attack.

In the video, a man police say is Sanchez is seen walking into the elevator with a small pit bull puppy named Max. Once inside the elevator, the man is seen dragging the dog from side to side of the elevator by its leash, hurling it into the elevator walls.

Then the man leans in and hits the dog repeatedly with the handle of the leash, wielding the strap like a club.

Finally the man starts stepping on the dog and appears to kick him.

Sanchez was arrested the next day. He is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

Source: CBS News

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The abuser may face a fine or at most, minimal prison time. Animal abusers rarely stop there, and if their abuse is not addressed with the seriousness it deserves at the animal level, studies show that these people are likely to go on to commit further violent crimes.

We are aware that, under our current laws, a person convicted of animal abuse only faces up to 2 years in prison and a $5000 fine -- a maximum penalty which is rarely imposed. In the case of Max, the more likely penalty Mr. Sanchez will face is merely having to pay a fine. This needs to change.

We the undersigned are calling on our elected officials to protect our society from violent criminals by imposing harsher penalties for those convicted of animal abuse, and requiring all abusers to pay for and attend a treatment program to prevent future abuse.