Man Convicted of Throwing Bleach on Kitten Must Not Go Free on Legal Loophole

Target: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost

Goal: Ensure man who was convicted of throwing bleach on kitten is not freed due to legal loophole.

Alonzo Kyles, who was accused of soaking a cat with bleach, had his conviction overturned because it was thought the cat was a stray, and stray dogs and cats in Ohio are not given the same considerations under law as house pets. Cuyahoga County prosecutors are taking the case to the Ohio Supreme Court to try and have this decision overruled. They are also requesting the law be clearly defined to say that anyone who abuses a stray cat or dog will be subject to felony animal abuse charges.

Because it could not be proven the cat was someone’s pet, the judge overturned the conviction. The law, known as Goddard’s Law, makes it illegal to abuse any companion animal and states that the definition applies to “any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any cat or dog regardless of where it is kept, including a pet store.” However, prosecutors argue that the legislators who wrote the law meant for it to protect all cats and dogs since they wrote “any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept,” instead of “any cat or dog that has received care.”

Not only is it important to change this law to make sure all abused cats and dogs receive justice, but it is imperative that such abusers be punished since they oftentimes eventually turn to either hurting or killing people. Sign this petition to demand the law be rightfully interpreted to mean that animal abusers be held responsible for heinous acts against all cats and dogs.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Attorney General Yost,

Alonzo Kyles, who was originally convicted on a felony charge for throwing bleach on a kitten, will not be punished because a judge interpreted Goddard’s Law to mean that protections only pertained to companion animals, which are defined as animals that are “kept inside a residential dwelling,” or inside another establishment where they receive ongoing care. Because the law is worded in this manner, prosecutors surmised the judge focused on the word “kept” and allowed the man who reportedly committed this act to walk free.

Specifically, reports state the man threw bleach in a stairwell where a black kitten was located to try and remove the cat, and authorities found the distressed animal lying still and meowing at the bottom of the stairs. His paws were swollen and red, and the cat did not resist help, according to officers. Although a grand jury convicted the accused party on felony animal abuse charges, the case was appealed and another court decided that because it was not proven the cat had an actual home, or since the cat had not been kept somewhere on a regular basis, his conviction should be overturned.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors would like to see this decision reversed and are further requesting that the law’s wording be changed so that it specifically states all cats and dogs, including strays, be protected from the hands of animal abusers. Prosecutors proclaim officials who wrote the law meant for all animals to receive such protections, or else they would have said “any cat or dog that has received care,” rather than “any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept.”

Since animal abusers oftentimes move on to committing more serious crimes against other human beings, both people and stray animals will likely be at risk if this law is not interpreted differently. I therefore urge you to support the Cuyahoga County prosecutors’ case to ensure that all cats and dogs, including strays, receive equal protections from cruel acts of animal abuse.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Mark Marek