Target: Bradly Burget, District Attorney, Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Goal: Secure restitution, strict enforcement and monitoring of a multi-year dog-ownership ban, and publicly champion stronger penalties after dozens of pit bulls were reportedly found starved, chained and infected.
Authorities reportedly discovered 42 pit bull dogs chained outside in squalid conditions and a deceased puppy on a property, with many dogs malnourished, injured, and—with veterinary testing—all infected with staph. The defendant entered a no-contest plea to part of the case and received a brief, concurrent jail term with fines that can suspend confinement upon payment, limited community service, and a multi-year prohibition on possessing dogs. Animal-welfare advocates argue this response does not reflect the depth of suffering allegedly endured by the animals.
Prosecutors have explained that Louisiana’s joined-misdemeanor sentencing caps restrict the total jail time and fine that can be imposed when multiple counts are handled together in a single case. Even within those constraints, key protections remain essential: full restitution for rescue, medical, and housing costs; rigorous compliance checks to enforce the dog-ownership ban; and meaningful community-service terms that align with state law. Beyond the individual case, publicly supporting targeted legislative reforms could help ensure large-scale cruelty cases no longer default to outcomes that reportedly fail to deter repeat harm.
To prevent future suffering and to honor the resources expended to save these animals, the office should help facilitate restitution efforts, request robust, court-enforceable monitoring of the defendant’s no-ownership period, and endorse statutory changes that raise penalties and remove aggregation loopholes in large-victim cruelty cases.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear District Attorney Burget,
The reported discovery of 42 pit bull dogs chained in filthy conditions—with a deceased puppy on site, widespread malnourishment, injuries, and testing that found staph infections in every animal—is profoundly troubling. While we acknowledge the sentencing caps that apply when multiple misdemeanors are joined, the outcome in this case has been widely perceived as inadequate to the gravity of the alleged neglect and suffering.
Within existing law, we respectfully urge your office to help secure full restitution for the rescue organizations’ documented veterinary, boarding, and rehabilitation expenses; to seek strict and verifiable enforcement of the multi-year prohibition on dog ownership (including random compliance checks and swift action on any violations); and to ensure community-service obligations reflect statutory expectations for cruelty offenses. These steps would help address the harm reportedly inflicted and reinforce accountability going forward.
We also ask you to publicly support targeted legislative reforms that would strengthen penalties and sentencing options in large-scale cruelty cases—so that dozens of alleged victims are not effectively treated as a single offense. Clear advocacy from prosecutors can help lawmakers craft changes that deter future abuse while respecting due process. Thank you for your attention to this case and for any actions you take to ensure justice and prevention.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Denniz Futalan
