Last week, an unknown man tied three dogs to train tracks heading through Cleveland, Ohio's Tremont neighborhood. Two of the dogs were killed by oncoming trains. A third, small dog named Chessie survived by ducking the train just in time.
A railroad worker found the dogs and called the police. Chessie was transferred to Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter. The dogs were tied on a secluded stretch of tracks away from housing, so it was very lucky that Chessie was found and rescued.
The case is currently under investigation, but, if found, the guilty party may only receive a slap on the wrist for his evil acts. Ohio's animal cruelty laws are some of the weakest in the country. No matter how extreme the cruelty is, first offenders are only charged with a second degree misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 90 days.
Animal cruelty of this scale must not be taken lightly. Many murderers have been known to hurt animals first. Please sign the petition to urge Ohio State Senators to strengthen animal cruelty laws.
Dear Ohio State Senators,
We, the undersigned, are concerned with current Ohio animal cruelty laws. We understand that no matter how extreme the cruelty is, first offenders are only charged with a second degree misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 90 days.
Last week, an unknown man tied three dogs to train tracks heading through Cleveland, Ohio's Tremont neighborhood. Two of the dogs were killed by oncoming trains. A third, small dog named Chessie survived by ducking the train just in time.
A railroad worker found the dogs and called the police. Chessie was transferred to Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter. The dogs were tied on a secluded stretch of tracks away from housing, so it was very lucky that Chessie was found and rescued.
We are troubled that the guilty party may only receive a slap on the wrist for his evil acts. We believe that it is important to put a stop to his actions immediately, as he is otherwise likely to hurt animals again.
Animal cruelty of this scale must not be taken lightly. Many murderers have been known to hurt animals first. We respectfully urge you to strengthen animal cruelty laws in the state of Ohio so that first offenders will receive a felony sentence when appropriate. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
