Here in the Cayman Islands and going back two years ago, a third horse was found sexually assaulted at the Equestrian Centre. One of the previous horses (a pony) had to be euthanized’

Where are the police on finding the perpetrator(s)?

I don’t know and my inquiries have produced nothing – or “our enquiries are still ongoing”.

If three human beings had beed sexually assaulted, and even if all three were dumb, I know things would be different.

Today, in iNews Cayman, we have published a simply awful story from Care2 with the title “Left to Starve, Great Dane Gnaws Off His Own Foot to Survive”. The photograph that goes with the story is heart wrenching.

The story starts:

Luke, a 6-year-old Great Dane, apparently once tried to jump his owners’ fence. In response, they tied him in the backyard on a runner, which is a wire with plastic coating. Somehow, Luke apparently got his leg tangled in the runner.

Unable to extricate himself, and with no help coming from his owners, poor Luke gnawed off the bottom portion of his rear leg.

No one noticed Luke’s distress ― probably because no one was feeding or caring for him for quite some time. He had no water or food dishes near him when police finally found him after a neighbor’s tip.

It’s unclear if he chewed off his foot out of hunger or just to free the leg, but most imagine the worst.

The Noah’s Ark Rescue Facebook page notes:

He is so starved that it is hard to believe he has the strength to take two steps. He looks like a dog that is not going to live past the end of the day. His eyes are sunken into the back of his eye socket. His nasal cavity and eyes are infected and drain constantly. I have seen a lot of sick dogs but what has happened to Luke is beyond inhumane.

Two persons have been charged with ill treatment of animals. Whether these people go to trial and are found guilty and the sentence meets the crime, remains to be seen. Unfortunately I do not believe even if it goes all the way, the sentence will not be enough.

What normally happens is prosecutors rarely do the right thing and prosecute animal abusers..

I turned to the website of Animal Legal Defense Fund and they have answered the question why animal abusers are rarely prosecuted.

This is what they say:

There are many reasons why a prosecutor may choose not to pursue criminal cruelty charges, even when it appears to us that the perpetrator is obviously guilty.

First, many courts are under-funded and overwhelmed with cases and some prosecutors are forced to work on cases they feel they can win. If animals are a low priority to them, they may choose to disregard some or all animal abuse cases. In addition, politics sometimes dictates which direction these cases take and the utilitarian attitudes towards animals in certain jurisdictions, particularly rural areas, often plays a large role. Another reason may be that the prosecutors are inexperienced, or just new to prosecuting animal abuse cases. They may not know that the Animal Legal Defense Fund is available to help or may be reluctant to ask for help.

An additional reason is that the case may simply lack the evidence needed to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the perpetrator is guilty. Prosecutors are bound by oath to professional rules of conduct which require them to refrain from filing criminal charges in any case not properly supported by probable cause. Sometimes the investigation is of such poor quality that a prosecutor has little to work with. If the evidence has not been destroyed and a more thorough investigation could obtain the necessary evidence to prove a case, a prosecutor can order another investigation to push the case forward. However, poorer jurisdictions may not have the money or resources to do so. If it is truly impossible to obtain the evidence, then there is nothing a prosecutor can do.

What can you do?
Call or write your local prosecutor’s office and demand that all animal abusers be charged appropriately and that they be given the maximum sentence possible under the laws of your state, with mandatory psychological treatment. Mention that when the next election rolls around, you will be voting for the most animal-friendly candidate. Also consider writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper about this issue.

SOURCE: https://aldf.org/article/why-prosecutors-dont-prosecute/

Our police are too busy and animals are at the bottom of the list. This is the same excuse with prosecutors. After all animals are dumb. They don’t make good witnesses.