Target: Matt Ballard, District Attorney of Rogers County, Oklahoma
Goal: Ensure the full prosecution of couple facing two animal cruelty charges after 25 animals were allegedly found in poor and dangerous living conditions inside a family home.
A troubling case has emerged in Oklahoma after authorities reportedly discovered 25 animals living in poor conditions inside a residential property — a home co-owned by a husband and wife, one of whom operated a dog rescue. Both the husband and wife were initially arrested after authorities found the animals in reportedly dangerous and unsanitary conditions. However, in a development that has raised serious concern among animal welfare advocates, charges against the wife — who operated the rescue — were subsequently dismissed, with prosecutors stating they believed she had been “attempting to care for the animals” and would “think critically” about the conditions going forward. Her husband, a co-pastor at a Bible church who has since resigned from his position, still faces two counts of animal cruelty.
The decision to drop charges against the rescue operator — despite the reportedly poor conditions in which the animals were found — has been met with significant public concern. The animals were found in conditions authorities described as posing risks to their welfare, and the scale of the alleged neglect — 25 animals in a private residence — raises serious questions about oversight of small rescue operations operating without formal inspections.
Animals found in poor and dangerous living conditions deserve the protection of the law, and those allegedly responsible for those conditions must face meaningful accountability. The District Attorney must ensure this case is pursued in a way that sends a clear message about the obligations of anyone who houses and claims to care for animals.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear DA Ballard,
We are writing with concern following a case in which 25 animals were reportedly found living in poor and dangerous conditions at a residential property, leading to the arrest of both occupants on animal cruelty charges. We are concerned that charges against one of the accused have since been dismissed, and urge vigorous prosecution of the remaining two counts of animal cruelty against the co-accused, who has since resigned from his position as co-pastor at a local Bible church.
We are deeply troubled by the reported conditions in which these 25 animals were found. We acknowledge the prosecutor’s statement that one of the accused was attempting to care for the animals, but we remain concerned that the dismissal of charges in the face of reported dangerous conditions may send an inadequate message about the legal obligations owed to animals in human care.
We respectfully demand that your office pursue the maximum available penalties on both remaining counts of animal cruelty and ensure that any sentencing outcome includes a prohibition on future animal ownership. Twenty-five animals reportedly found in dangerous conditions deserve the full protection of Oklahoma’s animal welfare laws — and those allegedly responsible for those conditions must face real and meaningful consequences. We ask that your office ensure justice is served.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Lorna Pauli
