Target: Jim Boyd, Majority Leader of Florida State Senate
Goal: Create stronger legal framework for ensuring animal abusers face accountability.
Suspect Duarte Silva recently faced serious charges including child endangerment, drug trafficking, and animal cruelty. In Florida, two separate cases likewise involved allegations of child sexual exploitation combined with animal cruelty allegations. One of these cases centered around alleged pornographic material involving animals, while the other case (against suspect Wesley Foy Scott Young) encompassed animal cruelty material the suspect reportedly had on his phone.
Each of these cases highlights the disturbing link between animal cruelty and felony-level crimes. By some estimates, nearly half of incarcerated prisoners have animal abuse accusations or convictions in their pasts. It is far past time that the legal system begins treating animal cruelty as the egregious and gateway crime that it so often becomes.
Sign the petition below to demand Florida strengthen penalties for animal cruelty at every level and automatically designate animal cruelty as an aggravating factor when other crimes are involved.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senator Boyd,
Florida’s statutes give considerable leeway for convicted animal abusers. Serious penalties only emerge upon repeat offenses or with overt cases of torture. These crimes should never merit a mere probationary warning because they almost inevitably lead to more crimes, often against human beings. In Orlando alone, two recent and separate cases had suspects accused of both child endangerment or exploitation and animal cruelty. Backgrounds of violent offenders bear out the strong link between animal cruelty and later serious felony acts.
Instead of slaps on the wrist, slap on the handcuffs and increase punishments even at the so-called “misdemeanor” level. And if any criminal case includes animal cruelty allegations amongst other charged offenses, don’t dismiss the cruelty as “lesser-than” and low-priority. Instead, strengthen existing law and allow animal cruelty to be weighed as an aggravating factor that will carry more stringent penalties for other crimes. Preventing animal cruelty is an important key to preventing violent crime.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Jonathas Cardoso
