Target: Mike Ramsey, District Attorney, Butte County, California
Goal: Seek the maximum felony penalties and a lifelong animal-ownership ban for the individuals who allegedly confined 38 dogs in squalor, leaving one puppy dead in a crate.
Rows of reeking kennels reportedly overflowed with trash, insects, and piles of feces when police and the local SPCA entered a residence during a welfare check. Officers said they discovered 38 dogs—many crammed together and soaked in waste—and, most heartbreaking, a lifeless puppy inside a filthy crate. Two residents have since been arrested and now face more than 80 cruelty-related charges.
Rescuers purportedly spent five exhausting hours removing the animals from the property. Video and photographs taken on scene allegedly show dogs standing in their own excrement, with little ventilation and no clean water. The Northwest SPCA has waived adoption fees in an emergency effort to house the survivors, whose numbers have overwhelmed the shelter’s capacity.
Felony charges have been filed, yet meaningful justice must still be secured. Stiff sentencing—including significant prison time, fines, and a permanent prohibition on owning animals—is crucial to deter future abuse and to honor the suffering these dogs reportedly endured. The district attorney’s office has the authority to press for the harshest possible outcome and ensure this case sets a precedent for zero tolerance toward extreme neglect.
PETITION LETTER:
District Attorney Ramsey,
Police and SPCA personnel report that 38 dogs were rescued from a local residence where heaps of refuse, insects, and layers of feces covered every surface. Officers also say they documented a deceased puppy inside a crate. Two suspects now face dozens of felony cruelty counts, yet the full weight of justice has not been realized.
The conditions described—cramped kennels, toxic odors, and animals forced to stand in their own waste—seemingly reflect prolonged, severe neglect. Community members justifiably expect that such alleged cruelty will meet with decisive legal consequences. Anything less risks sending the message that large-scale suffering can be met with leniency.
We respectfully urge your office to pursue the strictest penalties allowable under California law, including substantial incarceration, financial restitution for the shelter’s costs, and a lifetime ban on possessing or caring for animals. A forceful prosecutorial stance will protect future animals and reaffirm that Butte County rejects cruelty in all its forms.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Ms angie gray
