Target: Peter J. Lucido, Prosecutor of Macomb County, Michigan
Goal: Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the individual charged with third-degree animal torture and animal abandonment after a malnourished dog was allegedly discovered locked behind a gate in a home.
When officers conducted a welfare check at a Shelby Township home and no one answered the door, they reportedly discovered it was improperly latched and entered — whereupon they found a barking dog trapped behind an upstairs gate in a malnourished and underweight condition. The dog was taken by animal control for veterinary evaluation, and the home’s resident was subsequently charged with third-degree animal torture — a four-year felony — and abandonment of an animal. A court has ordered the accused to wear a monitoring tether and to have no contact with any animals as a condition of bond, signaling the seriousness with which the court views the alleged conduct.
Third-degree animal torture in Michigan carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, and the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office has made clear in related cases that cruelty toward pets represents a profound breach of law and ethics. That same resolve must be applied fully here.
Demand that the accused face the maximum penalties available under Michigan law for both the animal torture charge and the abandonment charge, and that justice is served for this dog who reportedly could not call for help.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Prosecutor Lucido,
We are writing to urge your office to pursue the maximum penalties available under Michigan law against the individual charged with third-degree animal torture and abandonment of an animal following the alleged discovery of a malnourished dog locked behind a gate inside a Shelby Township home. According to police, officers conducting a welfare check found the door improperly latched and entered after no one responded, where they discovered the dog barking behind an upstairs gate in a malnourished and underweight condition. Animal control officers transported the dog to a veterinarian for evaluation, and the accused has since been charged with the maximum available animal torture charge as well as abandonment.
Your office has previously stated clearly that cruelty toward pets “represents a profound breach of both the law and our collective ethical standards,” and that you are “obligated to defend those who cannot defend themselves.” This dog was reportedly locked away and starved while her owner failed to respond to a welfare check — a circumstance that speaks to seeming willful concealment of an animal’s suffering. Both charges filed in this case must be prosecuted with equal seriousness.
We respectfully but firmly demand that your office pursue conviction and the maximum available sentencing on both the third-degree animal torture charge and the abandonment charge. This dog had no way to seek help or escape her alleged condition — the justice system must now speak for her.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: auimeesri
