As such, there were no agencies regulating her title, no safety nets monitoring her care.
And once found abused – tortured, really – there was no prosecutorial crusade initiated on her behalf, and no sentencing message handed down from the bench.
For starving – chained outside – his estranged wife’s Australian Shepard for a month and a half last May, Ian West will serve six months of weekends in Oneida County Jail. (The original plea, though, had him walking with just probation and community service.)
The severely emaciated Lainey died soon after discovery. Sarah Starczewski, Rome Humane Society Director:
“He would get out of his truck every day and walk past Lainey to get into his home knowing that this dog was starving. Crying, Lainey eating stones and grass to try to survive. He was very aware of what was going on with her.”
“Mr. West was an individual with no criminal history, a normal, healthy, functioning member of society who has just plead guilty to a felony charge, and for the next five years of his life will be monitored by the government. It’s not a slap on the wrist, by any means.”
West was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, the maximum crime against animals in NYS – “Aggravated Cruelty,” or “Buster’s Law.” And yet, there was no justice, not even – Zennamo’s obscene rationalization notwithstanding – a pretense to justice.
Why? Because there is no will within society – not at the legislative level, not at the prosecutorial level, not at the judicial level, and most importantly, not at the people level – to seriously punish property owners for crimes against their property.
Legal things have no rights to trample, no interests to protect.
(Times Union blog - March 25, 2014)
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