Target: Scott Rueter, States Attorney, Macon County, Illinois
Goal: Seek maximum punishment for couple accused of leaving dogs outside in below zero temperatures.
Five dogs were apparently found freezing to death outside a home in Decatur, Illinois. Thanks to concerned neighbors, authorities were notified of the situation.
When sheriff’s office deputies arrived on scene, they reportedly found the dogs in bad shape. According to accounts, one of the five dogs was in such bad shape that it was immediately confiscated and transported to a local vet. Unfortunately, this poor animal, an American bulldog, was suffering from extreme hypothermia and was euthanized at the University of Illinois Veterinary Clinic in Urbana.
The sheriff’s office reports that 42-year-old Mark Miller, Jr., and 39-year-old Nyssa Richards were both charged with animal cruelty and neglect, Class A misdemeanors. As is often the case with animal abuse, both Miller and Richards were simply given a citation and a notice to appear. They were not arrested or jailed.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Rueter,
It is important to forgive and to be kind, but there is no excuse and no forgiving for animal abuse.
Sheriff deputies in your jurisdiction recently cited two individuals for apparently leaving five of their dogs outside in negative 16 degree wind chills. One of the dogs suffered severe hypothermia, causing vets to euthanize the poor animal.
There is no reason five dogs should be left outside to freeze to death in these conditions. As is often the case with animal abuse, the two individuals accused of this crime are not sitting in jail, but are walking the streets free. We ask that you please prosecute this case to the fullest extent allowed under the law.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
