Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds has issued a blunt warning to pet owners: treat your dogs and cats humanely or you might wind up in the hoosegow. That’s right. Prison.
Even if you don’t go to jail, abusers are likely to have their pets confiscated and adopted out to new owners, said Reynolds, who started an animal abuse unit soon after taking office last year.
Because he is cracking down on animal abusers, Reynolds recently was named one of the nation’s top 10 animal defenders by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a national non-profit group based in Cotati, Calif.
To report abuse, people should call their local animal control (in Cobb, the number is 770-499-4136), unless it’s an emergency, in which case, dial 911.
“We’re seeing more and more,” he said. “We’ve had some egregious cases. One now pending involves a man alleged to having decapitated some puppies. Another involved a Yorkshire terrier.”
According to court documents, Marcell Sibley, 29, of Smyrna, grabbed his Yorkie, put it in a cage and threw it off an apartment balcony. Then he threw the cage into a dumpster. The dog survived, and Sibley was sentenced to three years in prison. The dog, adopted by a Florida family, is in good shape, said Sherwin Figueroa, an assistant DA.
“It had some serious injuries,” Reynolds said. “We’re not going to put up with this. Felony animal cruelty carries a minimum sentence of one year, maximum five, and a fine not to exceed $15,000.”
Theresa Schiefer, another assistant DA, said felony cases are rare, but misdemeanor charges are becoming more common for things like neglect.
Most people erroneously think because they own their animals, they can treat them as they please, including cruelly, said Figueroa. She said research indicates that people who neglect or are cruel to animals are more likely to abuse children.
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, a national group, is holding an animal cruelty conference in Atlanta in May, and Reynolds will be the keynote speaker.
“We are getting serious about cruelty to animals,” Schiefer said. “We are on the forefront, having a unit like we do. We have seen an uptick in cases of malnourishment.”
The Georgia Legislature recently strengthened the state’s animal cruelty laws.
Figueroa, vice president of the State Bar of Georgia’s Animal Law Section, and Schiefer hope to make the process of cracking down on animal abusers easier. Stephen Wells, executive director of the ALDF, applauds Reynolds for “creating the first-ever Cobb County Animal Abuse Unit, which seeks justice for abused animals and sends a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”
Reynolds has told his prosecuting team to use forfeiture statues to make sure abused animals are permanently removed from people who hurt them. The unit has been successful in handing down indictments of felony animal cruelty cases.
The lesson, said Cobb police Lt. Cheryl Shepard, is that “if you are going to live in Cobb County, you are going to treat your animals in a manner the law dictates and if not, we’re going to take a tough stance.”
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