PETITION TARGET: Jefferson County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski
UPDATE (3/25/2021):
Paul Garcia has been convicted on a count of felony animal abuse, with a judge handing down a sentence on June 9, 2020, of seven years’ incarceration at the Department of Corrections.
The sentence will run alongside Garcia’s other conviction, on May 7, for an un-related federal gun charge that earned him 10 years in prison.
Meanwhile, we are happy to report that the dachsund “Jimmy” — whose real name is Flick — was reunited with his guardian. He received significant medical care following his ordeal and now is living a happy life of attention and adoration. Although he isn’t 100% back to health, he is “the best 99% we’ll ever witness,” his guardian posted on the dog’s Facebook page following the incident.
“He’s a light of his own,” Flick’s guardian wrote. “He begs like no other and we give in most of the time.”
We applaud the Jefferson County court system and its prosecutors for taking decisive and significant action in this case. We also thank the more than 29,000 people who signed our petition demanding justice for Flick and accountability for this animal abuser.
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A Barnhart, Missouri man is accused of binding a dachshund’s legs and mouth with duct and electrical tape, then throwing the helpless animal from a vehicle like garbage. The terrified dog suffered in the freezing cold for twelve hours, unable to free himself or cry out for help.
The dog, who’s since been named Jimmy, was malnourished, cold, and appeared to have a concussion when he was finally found by a sheriff’s deputy. Temperatures had dropped into the teens while Jimmy lay helplessly in the ditch.
Police traced fingerprints on the duct tape, and arrested a suspect for felony animal abuse and armed criminal action. He’s being held on $50,000 bail.
Authorities must act to ensure that Jimmy’s abuser never harms another animal again.
Sign this petition urging Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski to make it clear that such animal cruelty will not be tolerated, and push for a lifelong ban on Jimmy’s attacker from ever going near an animal for the rest of his life.
