Animal professionals, such as trainers, have a deep responsibility to the creatures with which they are entrusted. Animals can't speak for themselves or fully understand what we say to them, so it is the miraculous work of trainers to effectively communicate with their subjects while building trust and empathy.
That is the recent news out of Idaho is so disgusting. Two horse trainers were caught on tape horrifically abusing a horse that was in their care.Unfortunately, the laws in Idaho are still far too lenient when they come to animal cruelty, and we're concerned these two may not be held properly accountable.
Sign the petition to demand the Idaho legislature amend the laws so we can get true justice for this poor horse!Someone sent the
footage of the trainers to the Idaho Sheriff's Office, and when you hear the descriptions of their actions, it will be very obvious why someone reported them.
The footage shows a horse lying helpless on the ground. Above it stand the two trainers, meant to be teaching and caring for this living, breathing animal. Instead,
they continually kick, whip, and beat the horse. They can be seen using gruesome tools like a pipe and a two-by-four plank of wood.They abused their positions of power to enact cruel violence. This cannot be allowed to go unpunished.
Thankfully, the horse has been taken into protective custody and is safe from the hands of these cruel trainers. But in the state of Idaho, there is no felony statute for animal cruelty if it is a first offense --
meaning these two might only see a minimal amount of jail time and a meager fine as low as $100.What Idaho really needs is a new law which can
define certain animal cruelty as a felony, even if it is a first offense, and allow a judge to sentence perpetrators accordingly -- like
banning them from owning animals and working with animals ever again!We implore the lawmakers in Idaho to use this case to move a new law forward without delay.
Without action, these trainers could go back to abusing horses in no time at all, and others across the state could be abusing other animals with little fear of consequences.
Sign the petition and join us in demanding true justice for this abused horse! Idaho must pass a law making animal cruelty a felony, and punishable as such!