Irving man gets 3 years in prison for throwing puppy down stairs

[roo_ster]

1. There is a special place in Hell for this guy.

2. I wonder what the average sentence is for a similar act vs a human?



http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/080908dnmetpuppydeath.298abf5a.html



Irving man gets 3 years in prison for throwing puppy down stairs

01:58 PM CDT on Monday, August 11, 2008

By DAN X. McGRAW / The Dallas Morning News
dmcgraw@dallasnews.com

A 24-year-old Irving man this morning admitted in court to throwing his pit bull puppy down two flights of stairs.

Witnesses said Annie, a 4-month-old puppy, was thrown down two flights of stairs. She later died.
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Under a plea agreement, Michael Charles Soto will receive a three-year prison sentence for the crime.

Mr. Soto was arrested in August 2007 after witnesses said they saw him kick Annie, his 4-month-old puppy, several times and then throw the dog down two flights of stairs.

He then tossed the dog into a nearby Dumpster, said Lt. Richard Gilmette, an Irving police spokesman.

The puppy was taken to Irving Animal Services where she underwent hip surgery, but she died from complications two months later, said Jonnie England, director of animal advocacy for the Metroplex Animal Coalition.

Mr. Soto was charged with a felony animal cruelty charge that is punishable by two to 10 years in prison.

Staff writer Tiara Ellis contributed to this report.


She has/had the same look our sweet female German Shorthaired Pointer had at that age.

Remind me some time to tell you the story of another puppy I met & befriended in inner-city Little Rock.

Note to self: Give wife, kids & pooch big hugs this PM upon returning home.

[HankB]

It's really low to torment an animal like that.

Wonder what the average sentence is for harming a human being . . .

[The Annoyed Man]

What an evil person. 

[Azrael256]

Three years for that?  Nonsense.

Toss his worthless ass down a few flights of stairs, and call it even.

Three or four stories should do it.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

they have stairs in prison  wait 90 days or so then use inmate finder to find where he is.mail the story to a few guys in same camp  stand back watch

[seeker_two]

I'm OK with the 3-year sentence....just as long as TDCJ lets all the inmates in General Population know that's what he's in for.....and that he likes fonding small children, too..... 

[gunsmith]

only three years?
Though I'm sure many people who do the same to people would get less.
What bugs me is that a puppy cant run away or ask for help.
To bad he didn't get the max.

[Boomhauer]

Around here, two worthless sons of bitches doused a female German Shepard puppy in gasoline and set her on fire. The dog survived the fire (I don't know if she recovered).

That's the kind of person I could would gut shot and leave to die without ANY regret. Or set them on fire.

What pisses me off even more is that people stood around and WATCHED. Cause there were witnesses...

[The Annoyed Man]

Around here, two worthless sons of bitches doused a female German Shepard puppy in gasoline and set her on fire. The dog survived the fire (I don't know if she recovered).

Do you live in South Florida?  I seem to recall hearing a similar story down here.

[Boomhauer]

Naw, I live in SC. I didn't catch where the story was, but I was under the impression that it happened in the upstate of SC...

[Antibubba]

Bet he was trying to "toughen it up", to get the meanest SOB pitbull on the block.     Pitbulls are about the sweetest dogs in the world, and there's a special place in Hell for the people who turn them into "maddawgs", because it takes more effort to change their nature than just about anything other living creature.

ust as long as TDCJ lets all the inmates in General Population know that's what he's in for.....and that he likes fonding small children, too..... 

There's no need for that.  Killing a puppy will get him enough unwanted attention.

[zahc]

I don't think what he did should be a crime at all, and it disgusts me both that he is in jail for damaging HIS dog, and that there is such a thing as 'felony animal cruelty'.

[Sindawe]

Around here, two worthless sons of bitches doused a female German Shepard puppy in gasoline and set her on fire.

Here in Denver it was a cat that two louts set on fire and tossed out of a moving vehicle.  The cat survived and was adopted into a loving home, but sadly the two 'youths' did little time.

That's the kind of person I could would gut shot and leave to die without ANY regret. Or set them on fire.

Indeed. 

[LadySmith]

2. I wonder what the average sentence is for a similar act vs a human?

About 10-16 years, based on a quick search and coming up with these guys:

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-nov1507-baby_thrown.6ab7ab6.html

Caldwell man admits throwing baby down stairs
10:50 AM MST on Thursday, November 15, 2007
Associated Press
Canyon County Jail
Miguel Rodriguez, 22, of Caldwell, has pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child.
CALDWELL -- A 22-year-old man has pleaded guilty in 3rd District Court to felony injury to a child for throwing his girlfriend's baby down the stairs.
Canyon county Chief Deputy Prosecutor Virginia Bond says Miguel Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in January.
The Caldwell man first told police that 6-month-old Oscar Tea was injured when he tripped while carrying the child.
But according to court records Rodriguez later confessed to throwing the baby down five stairs onto a concrete floor because he was angry with the child's mother.

http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2006/01/18/mn/0abuse.txt

Man admits to throwing daughter down flight of stairs
By Associated Press

RED WING, Minn. (AP)  A 27-year-old man has agreed to spend more than 16 years in prison after admitting to nearly killing his 2-year-old daughter by throwing her down a flight of stairs.

Timothy Lee Staten, 27, pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of second-degree attempted murder. Other charges, including first-degree attempted murder, were dropped as part of the plea deal in Goodhue County District Court.
Red Wing police were responding to reports of a domestic disturbance last March when they witnessed Staten violently shaking the toddler.

When he was ordered to release the girl, Staten threw her down a flight of stairs toward the police officers, police said.

Staten said during court testimony that he did not dispute the information in the complaint. He also said he was under the influence of ecstasy at the time.

[GigaBuist]

I don't think what he did should be a crime at all, and it disgusts me both that he is in jail for damaging HIS dog, and that there is such a thing as 'felony animal cruelty'.

Such actions are considered a pretty good sign, by some, that they're likely to harm other human beings.

For that reason I'm OK with punishing animal cruelty like this.

[taurusowner]

Such actions are considered a pretty good sign, by some, that they're likely to harm other human beings.

Strange, I didn't think our system was supposed to punish people based on signs of what they might do in the future.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

That brings up an interesting question.  Is a dog a person or a person's property?  Does a dog itself have rights, or does the dog's owner have rights over the dog?

[taurusowner]

They are absolutely 1000% property.  Human beings are people.  Nothing else.

[Racehorse]

I don't think what he did should be a crime at all, and it disgusts me both that he is in jail for damaging HIS dog, and that there is such a thing as 'felony animal cruelty'.

While I don't equate animals with humans, I do believe that animals deserve to be treated kindly or at least humanely. I have no problem with punishing animal cruelty.

My dogs may be my property, but they're also living beings with feelings. Does the fact that I own them give me the right to abuse them? Not at all, in my opinion.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

you know there were laws protecting animals long before laws protecting kids or wives. first child abuse case was brought under the premise that he abused the animal   his daughter  was in boston if iirc  and last i checked animal rights groups got lots more money than child abuse groups

[Werewolf]

Such actions are considered a pretty good sign, by some, that they're likely to harm other human beings.

Strange, I didn't think our system was supposed to punish people based on signs of what they might do in the future.

Damn!

Do you live in the same USA as the rest of us? Forget the numerous examples of malum prohibitum we could all come up with just think Gun Control  and you'll realize the foolishness of what you stated above. If that eludes you just say so - I'm pretty sure someone will explain it to you.

[seeker_two]

That brings up an interesting question.  Is a dog a person or a person's property?  Does a dog itself have rights, or does the dog's owner have rights over the dog?

I have two dogs. They are my property. They are my companions. I place a lot of value on their lives. More than I place on most humans. You do harm to my dogs, you'll find out that their lives are worth more than yours.....

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

That brings up an interesting question.  Is a dog a person or a person's property?  Does a dog itself have rights, or does the dog's owner have rights over the dog?

I have two dogs. They are my property. They are my companions. I place a lot of value on their lives. More than I place on most humans. You do harm to my dogs, you'll find out that their lives are worth more than yours.....

Agreed.  Anyone who tries to harm my property (four-legged or otherwise) against my will, will find out that he's just made a serious mistake.

The question is, do I have rights over my dog, or do the rights belong to the dog itself? 

Does it matter what kind of animal it is?  Do cats have different rights than dogs?  Do zoo animals have the same rights as pets?  Do livestock animals have the same rights as pets?

What if the animal were a

[gunsmith]

That brings up an interesting question.  Is a dog a person or a person's property?  Does a dog itself have rights, or does the dog's owner have rights over the dog?

I have two dogs. They are my property. They are my companions. I place a lot of value on their lives. More than I place on most humans. You do harm to my dogs, you'll find out that their lives are worth more than yours.....

Agreed.  Anyone who tries to harm my property (four-legged or otherwise) against my will, will find out that he's just made a serious mistake.

The question is, do I have rights over my dog, or do the rights belong to the dog itself? 

Does it matter what kind of animal it is?  Do cats have different rights than dogs?  Do zoo animals have the same rights as pets?  Do livestock animals have the same rights as pets?

What if the animal were a

Hmmm, fascinating question.
imo cute puppies and friendly kittens have more rights then that neighbors dog that barked all night long.
Dogs that are my pals have armed protection 
I believe that animals have inherent rights not to be tortured/abused.
 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

if he has put the dog down humanely i would have lil problem. throwing it down the stairs then in the dumpster is way below the bar