Grassroots effort for tougher animal cruelty laws - NC USA

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE, PHOTOS, AND MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Grassroots-effort-for-tougher-animal-cruelty-laws-91876224.html

by BETH SHAYNE / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Beth: BShayne@WCNC.com

NewsChannel 36
Posted on April 22, 2010 at 11:11 PM
Updated today at 11:18 PM

UNDATED -- To understand the movement for a change in North Carolina's animal cruelty laws, first, you have to know about Susie.

The pit bull mix lives in Greensboro with her owner, Donna. Her ears are cut off. There are large scars on her back. Somehow, she's still energetic and friendly with visitors, despite the fact that, as a puppy, she was burned, beaten, and left for dead.

The man convicted of doing it went to jail, but it wasn't the animal cruelty charge that sent him there. As a class I felony, animal cruelty does not warrant jail time for first-time offenders. Lashawn Whitehead was convicted of Burning of Personal Property, a class H felony.

The discrepancy drives animal lovers crazy.

"You can actually set someone's couch or trash can on fire and get a more severe sentence than torturing someone's dog," Sarah Merritt said.

The Mountain Island woman heard about Susie's case, and decided to bring a movement that's been centered in Greensboro to the Charlotte area

State Sen. Don Vaughan, D-Greensboro, plans to introduce legislation in the May session of the state legislature to reclassify animal cruelty as a Class F felony. He plans to name it Susie's law.

Susie's supporters have already begun their efforts to pass the law. In Guilford County, Susie helped her human friends go door-to-door to lobby support. Her Facebook page has more than 13,000 fans.

Susie will join Sarah Merritt and others in Mecklenburg County Saturday at Bark in the Park. She'll also be in town for door-to-door lobbying in May. She wants local people to support the law by writing letters or emails to local legislators to encourage them to vote for it.

Merritt said NewsChannel 36's coverage of Matt England, charged Monday with cruelty to animals for allegedly dragging two dogs, reinforced her commitment.

"This is exactly why we are out spreading the word about Susie's Law and trying to get people to advocate for it and support it because it would make people like that think twice before they would kill mutilate, beat, burn, do anything terrible to an animal," Merritt said.

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LAST UPDATED: April 22, 2010
by myself and Caty.