Animal cruelty UPDATE
Sen. Sue Madison and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel are both ready to try again on legislation to make first offense animal cruelty a felony, something 40 other states have managed to accomplish. But the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the likes of Rep. Chris Thyer continue as roadblocks to moving the state out of the medieval era. Thyer's straw man yesterday:
"If I'm riding my horse in my pasture and it breaks its leg, and I shoot it to put it out of its misery, will I have violated the law?" asked Rep. Chris Thyer, D-Jonesboro. "You say no, but this proposal says I could be guilty of a felony if I kill a horse that could have survived with veterinary treatment.
"I can get a broken leg treated. It may cost more than I can afford, take months and leave the horse where I can't ever ride him again, but I can get the leg treated."
UPDATE: Rep. Steve Harrelson, on Under the Dome, says the bill's fate depends on committee assignment in the House. In Agri, a wholly owned Farm Bureau subsidiary, it's still dead, he says.
This means, of course, that the fate of animal cruelty legislation could be in the hands of House Speaker Robbie Wills. He'll make the committee assignment under House rules.
Comments
As long as I can remember animal haters have used one 'what if' after another to block legislation that 'might' put a dent in their animal hating/pocketbook. And every one of their stupid 'a farmer might be charged for slaughtering his cattle' scenarios is as transparent as the self-serving motives behind em. Rep. Thyer joins a long line of animal haters I'll never support for anything. No reasonable person, Rep. Thyer, is buying the horse crap you're putting out. No reasonable person believes any of us would be convicted of animal cruelty through your horse story alone...in fact, animal lovers/activists would applaud the humane act of putting an animal out of its horrific suffering. I sure hope the Farm Bureau et al are paying you enough to play their animal-hating stooge.
Aside from protecting animals from cruelty, society needs to pay close attention to those who thrive on abusing helpless animals...like the David Huckabee. First the animals...then the rest of us.
I DETEST (strong words for me) animal abusers. I've never found one redeeming characteristic in everyone I've known (luckily, not many). I'll also bet that young Huck has more dead animals under his sick belt.
Posted by: zelda![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 15, 2008 07:48 AM
Will it be a crime to step on ants?
Posted by: bugeyedlittlefreak![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 15, 2008 11:45 AM
What about mice?
Posted by: Basil![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 15, 2008 03:10 PM
You can hunt deer with a lisence, what about dogs? My friend thinks her neighboor is a stray dog-eater. Is it "cruelty" if you're gonna eat it?
Posted by: Basil![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 15, 2008 03:13 PM
Barbecue or stir fry?
Posted by: bugeyedlittlefreak![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 15, 2008 04:41 PM
Its such bull that's blocking the passing of this. If the legislation did pass that would most likely open the door to organizations like the SPCA that would know how to handle individual cases. Okay, so your horse breaks its leg and you can't treat it, then instead of shooting it to save a buck, you call these organizations and they will more then happily take your animal free of charge, take care of it the best way possible and rehome it. You're not held liable if you can't afford proper care and surrender the animal to someone who can.
Posted by: ash![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
May 27, 2008 12:05 AM