— from Jane Alden —
I had reason, today, to speak to a police officer regarding animal abuse. What I learned was so shocking that I want to share it. It seems that in WA, animals are considered ‘personal property’, and that if you were to see an animal being abused, and try to get the animal away from the abuser, you could be arrested for theft. I was told that I should do nothing, but call the police, and let them handle it.
Well……that means, 1. If you don’t have a phone on you, the abuse goes on while you find a phone, and on, as you wait for the police to arrive. 2. What kind of human being can stand by, watching an animal suffer at the hands of a human, and not do everything they can to stop it? Instantly?
I said as much to the officer, who was, by the way, in total sympathy, yet duty-bound to uphold the law as it stands. Which has got to be very, very hard sometimes, and I salute him and others for doing their jobs in spite of the pain it must sometimes cause. I’m thinking of the pain of having to enforce stupid, even cruel laws. I told the officer that I can guarantee him, without hesitation, that, if I see someone hurting an animal, I WILL do everything I can to get that animal away from its tormentor. He said, “Then you will go to jail.”
Well, I, for one, am so far from being okay with this that I am spreading the word about it wherever and whenever I can, and will communicate this information and my objections to it until I can see some movement towards alteration, by law,
Elections are coming up. We can change this barbaric designation of animals as property, and lessen the suffering so many of them endure if we can keep it in our minds as we look to our choice for congress men and women.
I most emphatically DO NOT want to go to jail! But I would in a heartbeat, if it meant protecting an animal from harm. They are not our property! Anyone who’s ever loved an animal knows that. I would say they are a kind of angelic presence among us. Anyone who deliberately hurts an animal, hurts, in my opinion, the very thing within themselves that matters. They darken whatever portion they had of Light.
Why not bring this up to our state legislators, Kevin Ranker, Kris Lytton, and Jeff Morris? https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
We need an animal rights bill in Washington.
Yes, last year,I researched the Laws in WA regarding this issue and was shocked. When the Law Fails to protect I believe that it is our Duty as Citizens to take action, however we can. There are still many people who do not see the reality of the selfless service that animals give to Humanity.
Apparently, it has been shown that humans who abuse animals go on to abuse the vulnerable
humans in our society. Time to Lobby our State Legislature for laws with Teeth!
Spirit Eagle
I’m not sure I understand this. Under WA law (RCW 16.52.205) — there is first degree animal cruelty. Granted this is for extreme abuse.
But there is also RCW 16.52.207: Animal cruelty in the second degree—Penalty.
(1) A person is guilty of animal cruelty in the second degree if, under circumstances not amounting to first degree animal cruelty, the person knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence inflicts unnecessary suffering or pain upon an animal.
(2) An owner of an animal is guilty of animal cruelty in the second degree if, under circumstances not amounting to first degree animal cruelty, the owner knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence:
(a) Fails to provide the animal with necessary shelter, rest, sanitation, space, or medical attention and the animal suffers unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain as a result of the failure;
(b) Under circumstances not amounting to animal cruelty in the second degree under (c) of this subsection, abandons the animal; or
(c) Abandons the animal and (i) as a result of being abandoned, the animal suffers bodily harm; or (ii) abandoning the animal creates an imminent and substantial risk that the animal will suffer substantial bodily harm.
(3) Animal cruelty in the second degree is a gross misdemeanor.
(4) In any prosecution of animal cruelty in the second degree under subsection (1) or (2)(a) of this section, it shall be an affirmative defense, if established by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence, that the defendant’s failure was due to economic distress beyond the defendant’s control.
Do you have the same conviction for 56 billion farmed animals that are destroyed each year?
–Do you have the same conviction for 56 billion farmed animals that are destroyed each year?
Factory-farmed? Yes, *I* do (but I am not Jane)! I am also struggling with smaller-scale meat production, but that’s personal. My dog and horses are delicious in many cultures, but I’m not prepared to see the life leave the eyes of my simple egg-layers, either!
Back to the question of this Opinion, I do not doubt Jane’s testimony or Janet’s research. The truth remains that animals deserve the best their brothers and sisters of the human species can devise, in spite of the latter’s large brains and questionable priorities.
I don’t see an easy answer to this. There is no authorization for direct citizen intervention, but you can call and report it immediately. The law exists to address the problem. The issue is enforcement and prosecutorial priorities, which are difficult to manage in legislation. (If you are aware of a particular case that seems to evade enforcement, I think that talking to the sheriff about it would be worthwhile.)
Thank you, Jane for reporting this to us. If there is any “action” that would need to be taken (though I wonder what that action would be) , I’d think those on an Island like ours would be the right ones to instigate it. I was away for only 2 days recently, and was made acutely aware of the special place we live in, as I sat in traffic jams, listened to traffic noise and totally lost “sight” of the live critters around me. The only respite was stopping to view one of the estuary fingers at the base of the Salish Sea near Olympia, and picking ripe, un-dusty blackberries along the shore.
I am disappointed and surprised that our state finds itself a victim of this language and understanding in this matter.
For years Maine had a high incidence of animal abuse and a “slap on the wrist” attitude towards prosecution.
Once legislators were presented with information that showed that animal abuse citations were often a precursor of domestic violence, physical assault and arson arrests new legislation was passed.
This is no small matter and we should be aware of the
implications of both overt and neglectful abuse.
As “personal property” threats against family pets used to intimidate spouses and children will continue.
This is just one of reasons we need to think of this as more than an animal issue.