The harrowing case of "Puppy Doe," as one canine victim of
severe abuse came to be called, became infamous nationwide, and
Puppy Doe became representative of all mistreated animals. As the
case swept over the nation, a collective outraged voice demanded
that perpetrators of such severe abuse towards innocent animals be
handled in an appropriate manner by the justice system - in other
words, such people should not be able to "get away with it," as
most laws, with light penalties and minimum or no reporting
requirements, have previously enabled. In Massachusetts, that voice
culminated in the passage of S. 2345, An Act Protecting Animal
Welfare and Safety, a major victory on behalf of abused animals in
Massachusetts.
Puppy Doe was confiscated in Quincy by the Animal Rescue League of
Boston in August 2013. Puppy Doe's physical state revealed that she
had been systematically and severely starved and tortured over
several months. The media reported that her wounds showed
"medieval-style" torture. Among many other injuries, Puppy Doe was
half her normal weight, had been stabbed and burned, was subjected
to having her limps stretched until her joints ripped apart, had
broken ribs and vertebrae, had crushed cheekbones, and her tongue
had been sliced in two halves. Photos of the puppy, covered in
horrific wounds, haunted the population nationwide. Because her
injuries were so severe, Puppy Doe had to be humanely euthanized.
Her alleged abuser, Radoslaw Czerkawski, has been charged with
animal cruelty. Puppy Doe united the public in its determination to
ensure that people such as her owner be penalized as
deserved.
S. 2345 increases maximum penalties for animal cruelty from five to
seven years in prison and from $2,500 fines to $5,000 fines. It
enhances penalties for repeat offenders, changing prison time to up
to ten years and fines up to $10,000. S. 2345 requires
veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty, and it creates a
task force to consider future protections for animals and ways to
strengthen Massachusetts' animal cruelty laws. S. 2345 was signed
into law on August 20, 2014, and took effect on Nov. 18,
2014.
The last time penalties for animal cruelty were updated was in
2004, and that update was less protective than animal advocates
originally sought, so S. 2345 is welcome and necessary. In
addition, more protective animal cruelty laws are in the
Massachusetts community's interest, as research has shown a link
between domestic violence and animal abuse. Patterns have been
proven among perpetrators of animal abuse and child abuse, spousal
abuse, and elder abuse, amongst other forms of violence.
Then Gov. Deval Patrick, Reps. Bruce Ayers and Louis Kafka, Sens.
Bruce Tarr and Mark Montigny, and former Sen. Gale Candaras helped
ensure that the bill move as far as possible during the formal
legislative session.Although Puppy Doe's short life was miserable
and pain- and fear-filled, the memory of the puppy is memorialized
in S. 2345, leaving her with a lasting legacy that will help
protect other abused animals.
For more information on the intersection of the law and animal
rights, please consider joining the Massachusetts Bar Association's
Animal Law Practice Group.