www.utahhumane.org

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On the last morning of September, a Washington County rancher went to his corral to feed his two horses, both of whom had been in excellent condition the night before, and found one of them dead — riddled with almost 50 shots from a small-caliber gun. The Humane Society of Utah immediately responded to the grisly news with outrage, specifically because all the wounds were inflicted in the animal’s abdomen and back. "This horse died a slow, agonizing death," said HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt. "The animal’s owner feels that the shots were purposely directed to these vulnerable areas to guarantee a great deal of suffering for the horse, ‘almost like a vendetta killing,’ in his own words."

If the animal, whose name was Crookneck, did indeed endure "a tremendous amount of torture," as his owner believes, then this case definitely meets the definitions the Humane Society has established for demanding third-degree felony status for this type of crime. "Utah is one of only seven states that still regards such an action as a misdemeanor," said Mr. Baierschmidt. "The person or persons who did this should do serious jail time and pay a hefty fine, not just get their hands spanked and then walk away."

The Society has repeatedly introduced a bill in the state legislature, now usually referred to as "Henry’s Law," which would put some teeth in the codes regarding deliberate animal torture, but all attempts have so far been defeated. "We’re hoping that this incident will make some of the legislators, particularly those from rural districts, who felt that Henry’s Law was too extreme, give the matter a little more consideration," said Mr. Baierschmidt.

Over the past decade a large body of scientific research has been collected which clearly demonstrates a direct link between violent cruelty to animals and violence against human beings. "Anybody who could do what was done to Crookneck has severe psychological problems and should be held strictly accountable," say HSU officials. "Our organization is offering a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever caused the prolonged, miserable death of this harmless creature."

For more information, all 261-2919.

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