#8 Postby jenmrk » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:37 pm
Pony Dragged Down Highway 59 is Euthanized
The 3-year old Shetland pony police say was dragged behind a truck down Highway 59 in Baldwin County has been euthanized.
"Jet's" death has many asking for tougher animal cruelty laws in Alabama.
Dr. Tiim Stewart, of the Baldwin Animal Clinic in Summerdale, says exploratory surgery performed Tuesday revealed the severity of the injuries suffered by Jet, the pony who police say was dragged behind a truck on Highway 59.
Dr. Tim Stewart/Cared for Jet:"It was a unanimous opinion, once we discussed the nature of the injuries. The total injuries that we had, the number of injuries and the nature of those injuries that we had on Jet, that it would inhumane to try to be heroic and try to pull him through this."
Dr. Stewart hopes Jet's death won't go in vain. He wants Alabama's animal cruelty laws to be changed.
Right now, the law allows for felony charges only in cases where cats or dogs are involved.
Dr. Stewart:"We've never had a law to be able to prosecute somebody or to accomplish anything. It's extremely frustrating to try to help and our charge is to make a difference, our charge is to care and make a difference for the animals."
Representative Steve McMillan expects the state legislature to explore changing animal cruelty laws when they reconvene in March.
Rep. Steve McMillan/(R) - Gulf Shores:"I think you're gonna see more to that because we've had other instances in other parts of the state where animals were abused, at random, maliciously."
Jet was laid to rest Wednesday behind Dr. Stewart's new facility on County Road 32.
He hopes to someday put a monument at the location with the following words: "We're charged with their care: this monument erected in memory of Jet."
As for the suspect in the case, 46-year old Jerry Cruthers remains in the Daphne City Jail.
According to Loxley Police Chief Cliff Yetter, charges against Cruthers are expected to be upgraded to a felony charge of killing or disabling livestock, up from the previous two misdemeanor charges.
0 likes