Make Animal Cruelty A Felony In Ohio

My friend is the one who got me started on this petition. She has done a LOT of research, and apparently A. We need signatures from Ohio only B. The signatures are better if they are in printed form (as opposed to the internet) and C. There is a lot that has to be changed about how this was worded. So for that reason, this was closed. Thanks and appreciation to all animal lovers who have signed.

In November of 2012, 5 dogs and 4 cats were found starved to death in a Warren, Ohio home. The conditions of the house were deplorable, with animal feces everywhere. The four kittens were kept in a crate, outside, with no way to get food or water themselves. Only one dog was rescued from this house of horrors.

Drug paraphenalia, needles and such, were found in the home. Which suggests that the couple was too busy getting high to care about the welfare of their pets. Most people who can't care for an animal will at least give it a chance for a happy life in another home. The fact that this couple not only didn't do that, but also sat by and watched as all 9 of their pets starved to death is unconscionable.

This is not even the first our area has heard horror stories of outrageous cases of animal abuse. A Pit Bull was found with her throat slit, alive but badly wounded. Two dogs were thrown from a bridge and died. At what point does the law decide to just throw the book at these people?

In December, Tiffany Charleton and Michael Kelley went before Warren Municipal Court on charges of 9 counts of animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty is a second-degree misdemeanor in Ohio and carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail. So doing the math, you would think that these people would get the full 810 days of jail time at the very least right? 

Wrong. They pleaded no contest and so received only 45 days in jail, 5 years of probation, and during the probationary time, they can own no animals. This couple should never be allowed to own animals again, and they should be serving far more time than 45 days in jail. What are nine lives worth? Apparently not much from a legal standpoint. 

Please ask that the laws in Ohio be changed to include animal cruelty as a felony charge. Ask that our judges punish individuals like Tiffany and Mike to the fullest and that they restrict first time offenders from ever owning a pet again. Why give them the chance to take another life? These animals deserve justice.