This horrible news comes to us from PETA.
Here’s an interesting sidenote to this story. Springfield is VERY near to Branson, Missouri which, as you may know, bills itself as a family-friendly town and depends on tourist money. How family-friendly is animal torture and abuse? What does this lack of concern say about that part of Missouri? Oh, and did I mention that the area around Branson and Springfield is rife with puppy mills? You might even say that two of the main income sources there are entertainment and puppy mills. Great combination isn’t it? (NOT!)
So if you’re going to contact these officials, PLEASE be firm but polite. It will do more good in the long run.
Two employees of City Utilities (CU) in Springfield, Mo, apparently recently found a cat trapped in a garbage receptacle at one of their employers service centers. By the time they left the scene, the cat had been stoned to death. The animals skull was crushed in the attack, according to news sources. (Follow this link to read the article that ran in the News Leader.)
It appears that neither of the suspects has been held legally accountable for their alleged attack. Please help us change that.
On November 27, CU announced that the accused had been suspended from work and ordered to perform animal welfare-related community service; one employee was demoted and the other was denied any chance of promotion for a year. A CU spokesperson apparently deemed the matter a mere personnel situation.”
In fact, this is clearly a criminal situation. (Follow this link to read another article from the News-Leader.) Each suspect should be charged with the Class A misdemeanor offense of animal abuse. Missouri Revised Statutes Section 578.012.1 stipulates that a person is guilty of that offense when a person: (1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal,” and Section 578.005(3) defines an animal as every living vertebrate except a human being.”
On November 28, PETA caseworkers were shocked to learn from a Springfield Animal Control Program supervisor that that agency did not know of any criminal investigation into the suspects actions or of any related pending criminal charges against them.
Please respectfully remind the following officials that those who abuse animals rarely do so only once and almost never stop there. Politely explain that the safety of Greene County and its animals may well be at stake and that their employers workplace penalties do not replace the penalties that state law reserves for these suspects if they are convicted of the crime that they are accused of.
Ask that each of these offices take all necessary actionincluding criminal prosecutionto ensure that this defenseless cat was the workers last victim:
The Honorable Darrell L. Moore
Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Greene County
1010 Boonville Ave.
Springfield , MO 65802
417-868-4061
417-868-4160 (fax)
dmoore@greenecountymo.orgRon Boyer, Supervisor
Springfield Animal Control Program
417-833-3592Chief Lynn Rowe
Springfield Police Department
321 E. Chestnut Expy.
Springfield , MO 65802
417-864-1810
417-864-1713 (fax)
spdwebsitemail@ci.springfield.mo.usPlease forward this message to others in Missouri or elsewhere who might be willing to lend their voices to this important issue.
Thank you for your compassion for animals and for your willingness to act.
Sincerely yours,Dan Paden
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
