One of the things that we need to know are the existing laws in our area regarding animal abuse, neglect, etc.  I started doing my research on this subject today (while the website is being edited by some friends) and I was truly baffled. 

   I started at the beginning of the alphabet - "A" for Alabama.  Let me lay the groundwork for you here.  I am originally from Alabama, where animals are not always valued as much as in other areas of the country.  For instance, I had a former friend that used to order purebred German shepherds from Germany, then turn them loose on her property.  As puppies.  No fence.  The dogs would get hit in the road out in front of their house and they would simply order another one.  (Yes - they had money.)  The dogs slept outside, were not allowed inside the house. They were "THINGS".

   One day, her husband accidentally ran over the family cat on his way to work.  Instead of taking it to the vet, he tossed it in the back of his work truck, intending to dispose of it later.  Well, he forgot.  That evening he met his wife and their kids for dinner, and after dinner the kids ran out and jumped in the back of the truck.  And there was "Fluffy".  Still alive, bleeding and not in good shape.  The kids had a meltdown, crying and screaming about their poor "Fluffy" and the husband was forced to take the cat to the vet.  They left the cat at the vet's office and tried to console the kids.  I'm not sure what his story was as to how "Fluffy" ended up in the back of his truck in such horrible condition or what he told the vet to keep from getting charged with animal cruelty.  Anyway, much later that night, the vet called to inform him that "Fluffy" had not survived her massive injuries, loss of blood, exposure, etc.  The couple received a huge vet bill a few days later and I've always thought of it as GREAT KARMA!  My own father was brutal to animals - dumping unwanted puppies tied up in bags in the Alabama river, and even dumping my own dog out in the woods after she was hit by a car.

   Now that you know the general level of disrespect of animals in some parts of Alabama, let me tell you about the laws in Alabama regarding animal abuse - and compare them to possessing marijuana.  I'm not supporting the possession or use of pot and I know marijuana is illegal, but it's a very low-class drug, is not considered a narcotic, etc.  But in Alabama, if you have pot in your possession, you are guilty of a misdemeanor, can be fined up to $6,000 and spend one year in jail.  If you have any amount of pot for anything OTHER than personal use, it is a felony, you can be fined up to $15,000 and be sentenced from 1 to 10 years in jail.  Pretty tough huh?  I mean, for having one "joint", you can spend a YEAR in jail and have to sell your car to pay your fine and if you're taking some to a friend or whatever, you've just thrown your life away.

   But you can beat a dog or any other animal, to death, neglect it to death, and all you get is a Class B misdemeanor charge and: ". . . first conviction of a violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both fine and imprisonment; on a second conviction of a violation of this section, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both fine and imprisonment; and on a third or subsequent conviction of a violation of this section, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or both fine and imprisonment."

   So you can beat a dog to death, or starve it, and if you do it a second or third time, you get the same fine and the same sentence.  How many times can you actually beat or starve a dog to death in Alabama before the punishment goes up?  But have a joint in your pocket and you're in more trouble than if you beat a dog to death THREE TIMES.  

   That's not all - it goes on for pages and it is so confusing I still don't understand all of it.  But I do understand this:  It's not against the law to shoot an animal on your property with a BB gun if it's defecating or urinating on the property.  And if you kill, disable, disfigure, destroy, or injure an animal if it's trespassing on your property and it had been on your property within the past six months, you won't be prosecuted if you pay the owners or offer to pay the owners.  How do you pay for the value of a beloved pet?  And how do you prove the dog had been there within the last six months?  It's a "get out of jail free" clause.  Animals DO get out of their fences sometimes, and that shouldn't be a death sentence.  

   Beating and torturing a dog is a Class A misdemeanor.  If you skin the animal and sell it's fur, then it's a Class C felony.  This makes NO sense. You can beat and torture an animal to death and it's a misdemeanor, but take the skin off when you're through torturing it and it's a felony. 

   I hate to review the rest of the 49 states to see what low value they place upon animals - especially farm animals.  

   If you'd like to take a look for yourself, you can go to http://aldf.org/article.php?id=259 and find the laws for every state.  I'm hoping to find the same type of data base for cities to help LAW members educate themselves on the laws in their home town.

   We have a HUGE TASK ahead of us.  Not only to get tough, common sense laws passed but also to make sure that they are enforced - which is already a huge problem.  Especially in smaller, rural towns.