PETITION TARGET: Richmond City Council Members
Twelve dogs were allegedly left alone for weeks without sufficient access to water and resorted to eating food scattered across the waste-covered floor in an Amissville, Virginia home, according to InsideNoVa. One of the dogs was in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized, and the other 11 needed life-saving care, including fluids and parasite treatments. Charges were filed, but they do not erase the lasting trauma these dogs suffered.
Justice for abuse cases like this starts with making sure that the abuser cannot harm other animals. The nearby city of Richmond, Virginia has taken action to do just that. Richmond City Council members are considering a city code amendment to strengthen penalties for convicted animal abusers, Newsradio 1140 WRVA reported. If passed, the amendment would deny abusers the right to have animals for as long as five years.
According to Newsradio 1140 WRVA, this change will bring the city closer to Virginia’s state law regarding animal cruelty. State law may include a lifetime ban on having animals for convicted felons, or a five-year ban on having animals for those convicted of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Anyone who subjects innocent dogs to a torturous life of malnourishment, dehydration, and other forms of mistreatment should be prevented from having animals so that they cannot inflict the same cruel fate on other sentient beings. While Lady Freethinker also advocates for psychological intervention, we recognize that a ban on having animals for any length of time is a significant step in the right direction. Possession bans are effective because they remove access to animals that could be abused, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Please sign this petition to urge Richmond City Council to take this first step toward preventing abusers from tormenting other animals and ensure a more compassionate future for all creatures.
