Allegedly Abused Dogs Trained to Become Killers Deserve Justice

Target: Stephen Herron, Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland

Goal: Prosecute man accused of making dogs fight and mutilate other animals.

A man in Ireland has been convicted of heinous and sadistic crimes against multiple animals. County Fermanagh’s Jason Lee Kennedy was sentenced to 27 months in jail –and banned from owning animals for a decade – after disturbing videos came to light. In the videos, reportedly filmed by Kennedy, a cat and at least one badger were cornered and viciously mauled by a pack of dogs. The terrified cat tried in vain to escape, while in the second video Kennedy can be seen dragging a badger with a rope to an area surrounded by about nine dogs. His defense: he was practicing “vermin control.”

The case seemingly goes deeper, however, because the dogs themselves were apparent victims of a dog-fighting operation believed to have been orchestrated by Kennedy. Injuries were reportedly visible on the dogs during the videos. If this allegation is true, then the suspect should have faced additional charges and an even stiffer penalty. And he should never be allowed contact with another defenseless animal again.

Sign the petition below to urge legal professionals to revisit this case and to bring the fullest weight of the law down on this alleged serial abuser.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Director Herron,

“I find it impossible to understand how any human being could deliberately set up the circumstances for such cruelty to another animal. In my opinion what the defendant did was for some distorted view of sport and is sadistic and cruel.” The judge who enacted the sentence in an abhorrent animal cruelty case brought against Jason Lee Kennedy in County Fermanagh had these strong words post-sentencing. Any human being who could orchestrate and film vicious maulings of multiple animals represents not only a threat to animals but to people as well.

But did the charges and the subsequent 27-month sentence (and 10-year animal contact ban) truly reflect the gravity of the reported offenses? Kennedy is also suspected of devising a long-term dogfighting operation (involving the dogs used in the maulings of a cat and a badger), which should have brought its own independent set of legal troubles. And that decade-long ban should have been extended indefinitely.

Please reconsider this case and file additional charges – and seek stronger punishments – that will send the most decisive message possible about individuals that would inflict depraved cruelty on any living being.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Academician NYAS