Target: Craig Stedman, Lancaster District Attorney
Goal: Praise the decision to file animal cruelty charges against the breeder responsible for leaving a young puppy in a dire and life-threatening condition.
A breeder who neglected a puppy so badly it nearly died has finally been charged for his careless and cruel behavior. Later named Libre, the four-month-old Boston Terrier was found severely dehydrated, barely breathing and close to death. Moreover, he was emaciated and had a serious case of mange, as well as rotting skin and maggot-infested open wounds, according to the veterinarian who treated him.
After several publications reported on the puppy’s plight, a wave of public pressure to charge the dog’s former owner, including by the ForceChange community, was successful in bringing the man responsible for such severe neglect to justice. Not only has District Attorney Craig Stedman taken the laudable decision to file animal cruelty charges against the breeder, identified by the media as Benjamin Stoltzfus, he is also calling for harsher penalties for animal abuse in general.
Sign this petition praising Stedman for charging Stotlzfus and urge him to continue fighting for harsher punishment for animal abusers.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Stedman,
Thank you for charging Benjamin Stotzfus with animal cruelty for neglecting a young Boston Terrier so severely that the dog nearly died. The puppy, later named Libre, was severely emaciated, dehydrated, suffering from skin infections, mange and maggot-infested wounds and was hours from death when he was found.
This laudable decision will hopefully set a precedent for future cases of animal neglect, ensuring that perpetrators are properly punished. We also applaud your move to strengthen the enforcement and prosecution of cruelty offences and to implement harsher penalties for animal abuse.
Thank you for ensuring that the suffering Libre endured is not left unpunished and please continue to fight for stricter enforcement and punishment in cases of animal cruelty.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Janine Guido
