Animal Cruelty and the Law
December, 2014–Baltimore police break up a dog fighting ring involving 225 dogs and puppies.
November, 2015-Baltimore Animal Control officers rescue 17 animals from what’s described as a house of horrors and neglect.
July, 2016- A dog is found burned to death inside a trash bag in Baltimore.
Who hasn’t cringed at stories like these and hoped the perpetrators are severely punished?
Here’s how Maryland stacks up against other states in imposing penalties for these kinds of crimes.
According to the ASPCA’s Senior Manager of State Legislation Chloe Waterman, compared with other states, Maryland’s penalties for felony animal cruelty are about average; penalties for misdemeanors are on the lower side.
Misdemeanors include failing to give adequate food, water, veterinary care or protection from the weather. They can bring up to 90 days in jail, and up to a $1 thousand fine.
Felonies include dog fighting, beating, torturing, mutilating or killing an animal. These carry a maximum 3-year sentence and a $5 thousand fine.
Wesley Corning, the Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney who handles animal cruelty cases involving adults, has about 20 of these cases pending at any given time, and has a good rate of success in prosecuting them.
In fiscal year 2015-2016, over 80% of 46 cases resulted in guilty verdicts. That statistic includes plea deals and instances where a judge offers Probation Before Judgment (PBJ). Probation and PBJs result in no jail, but do result, usually, in supervised probation, and require offenders to pay fines and restitution.
Corning favors stiffer penalties, particularly for dogfighting and for any case where an animal suffers death or serious injury.
Waterman believes cases of extreme neglect deserve felony status and would like to see repeat offenders given stricter sentences.
Corning says one thing is causing some states to increase sentences for animal- related crimes. It’s the likelihood that these offenders may also be dangerous to people. There is ample evidence of a link between animal abuse and crimes like child abuse and domestic violence.
As for Maryland, there have been some legislative victories in recent years. For example, the General Assembly has passed laws restricting outdoor tethering, and has also made dogfighting paraphernalia illegal.
During the upcoming legislative session, Waterman and others will push for a law requiring veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty, the same way that doctors and teachers must report suspected cases of child abuse.
So, that’s the legal scoop. Here’s the amazing other half of this story.
In Baltimore City, it’s a cooperative effort between Animal Control, the Police Department, the State’s Attorney’s office, and BARCS to help the animal victims of abuse and neglect.
Their dedication is enormous. Watch this video to see how they work to bring animals to safety and give them a chance to heal.
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