N.Y. Man Jailed for Starving Dog

[ECH1969]

A man who let his dog starve to death in a basement closet while he took his 7-year-old daughter to Disney World was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail.

The Long Island man was arrested in January after returning from his Florida vacation. The dog, a labrador-pit bull mix, had been left without food and water at Griffin's Northport home.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/28/national/a110727S72.DTL

[Critters2]

1. It's about time!

Cruelty to animals shows a lack of empathy that can ultimately harm people. I'm glad to see we're finally imprisoning such creeps!

[barb162]

5. yes, me too

[superconnected]

2. A year sounds like a long time, but I'm glad he got it.

I'm sick of people who torture animals, getting off.

[rd_kent]

4. No, a year is not nearly long enough!!!!

Having a pet is much like having a child. You dont need permission or a license, but you damn well sure have to be responsible for the welfare of it, or you pay the price. IMHO, anyone who abuses an animal is just as bad a someone who abuses a child.

[ECH1969]

3. I think its important to differenciate sadism from stupidity

There is no enough info here to tell either way.

[jilln]

12. Does it really matter?

Anyone stupid enough to leave a living creature without food and water for that period of time is a danger to society.

[Tracer]

6. Sad to say ...

... this is hardly uncommon -- as anyone who has ever watched "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet knows all too well.

[Beaverhausen]

9. Unfortunately, you are right

I just can't believe how some people treat their "pets." :cry:

[DBoon]

7. I bet the dog dehydrated

lack of water will kill very quickly

[B3Nut]

13. One of my dogs was found locked in a bathroom

with no water and an open bag of dog food, in 90-degree Ohio weather. The landlady came to the house to find the tenants had skipped out about a week prior. They found the emaciated Pit Bull Honey in the bathroom. She had heartworms and intestinal parasites. Luckily, her daughter is a vet tech and they were able to fix her up. I saw her on the net and ended up adopting her. No clue how old she is, I think she's about 11 or 12 now. Sadly, she has cancer, and might not be with us much longer. :(

Then there's the nitwit art teacher in Milwaukee (how such an English-incompetent moron could land a teaching job is apalling to me) who had 4 pit bulls and a mutt locked in his basement...for 5 YEARS! He said he took the dogs after his brother "got killded". The dogs were "fully growed" when he got them. And Milwaukee lets someone like this TEACH THEIR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!! He fed them every week or so, never let them out. My wife and another rescue lady took pictures, and even with all the evidence, the useless subhuman assholes in Milwaukee said they couldn't press charges...not enough evidence. He surrendered the dogs to our rescue. One had to be euthanized for temperament issues, another had to be euthanized because of cancerous masses that were incurable among other things. The male pit bull had a big chain COMPLETELY EMBEDDED in his neck. His neck looks better now, but getting him to do business outside is a challenge, he can't stand going outside. He wants right back in. He has separation anxiety issues as well, he's very needy. We're trying to find him a home with at most one other dog, so he can get the 1-on-1 he really needs. He's a sweetie, but thanks to that jackass "art teacher" he's damaged. An old female pit and the mutt have found good homes, though. But the authorities in Milwaukee are going to burn in hell for not prosecuting this dirtbag. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Todd in Beerbratistan

[Marnieworld]

14. On behalf of dogs-thank you

My heart also breaks for the tragic lives of so many animals. I try in the ways that I can to help when I can. That's all any of us can do. There should be stiffer penalties for animal cruelty and education about care and human treatment in the schools to prevent cruelty in the future. I am touched by the kindness that you gave that you wrote about. Animals are so helpless that they are so fortunate to find someone like you. :hug:

[Mythsaje]

8. Good...

What a jackass.

Should have been more, in my book, but at least it's something.

[Karenca]

16. I think so too

should have been more.

Poor dog:cry:

[DBoon]

10. this almost happened to our dog (care-taker flaked)

We were gone for a week, having arranged for someone to come by daily to walk and feed our dog. When we came back, we quickly realized this individual had not shown up once. This was during the middle of the summer, when it is hot. We fortunately left plenty of water for the dog (he was also overweight, so the lack of food wasn't as big a deal...).

The 'care taker" worked for a local vet clinic as a tech. We let the clinic owner know exactly what had happened.

And our dog was (and is) a lab-pitbull mix as well.

On edit: the dog always has the full run of the back yard when we are gone, in case anyone was wondering

[0007]

11. The stupid asshole!

[mitchum]

15. What a sick and careless fuck