Target: Jimmy Dixon, Chair of North Carolina House Standing Committee on Agriculture
Goal: Prohibit convicted animal abusers from owning or having prolonged access to animals.
Dozens of dogs, four cats, three ducks, and a ferret were the alleged victims of a massive animal hoarding case in North Carolina. The animals were reportedly kept in deplorable conditions, and witnesses claimed that the residence in question was the site of an illegal animal rescue. Lisa Maria Meatyard has been charged with nearly five dozen counts of animal cruelty. She, along with another woman, was arrested in connection with the case.
The true outrage, however, is that this case could have been avoided if justice had taken its course previously. In 2021, authorities found over 60 dogs in a reported state of severe neglect on Meatyard’s property. Meatyard was given probation for that incident. But shortly after the probation ended, Meatyard was restored access to animals. During the same year, Meatyard was convicted in a separate case from 2020 on five counts of animal cruelty. And as far back as 2010, the woman was accused of purchasing sickened puppies and subsequently selling them via Craigslist.
Under North Carolina law, the absolute maximum a person convicted of animal cruelty can be restricted ownership of or access to animals is five years, and that benchmark is far from a given for most offenders. Sign the petition below to demand lawmakers strengthen statutes that have given a greenlight to cruel recidivism.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Representative Dixon,
A woman in Caldwell County was arrested for the third time on charges that she neglected and endangered multiple animals. Despite having been convicted on some of these charges and receiving probation as part of a plea deal on others, this woman was granted access to more animals following her probation. The third charge – this time involving 59 counts of animal cruelty – occurred after this access was restored.
Such cases can no longer fall through the cracks because of lacking laws. Currently, only the most severe felony animal cruelty cases result in a complete prohibition of contact with animals for the offender, and even these guardrails have a five-year expiration date. Animal cruelty, and especially cases involving animal hoarding, have a high rate of recidivism. Laws must reflect this reality that puts countless innocent living beings at risk.
Please advocate for strengthening existing animal cruelty laws by expanding and lengthening no-contact orders for individuals found guilty of or pleading to animal cruelty. Help save the lives of future animals.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Magda Ehlers
