To the editor:

We are writing this out of pure outrage, anger, and disgust over the latest animal abuse case in Des Moines involving the torture of the family cat, Leroy, with a staple gun and a knife.

When are we going to wake up and quit treating instances of animal cruelty with a simple slap on the wrist or misdemeanor charge?

Does that send a strong message to animal abusers? Cruelty and animal abuse charges should be a class D felony. Are we as a society so blind as to think that people who commit horrendous acts of animal abuse are only dangerous to animals, not to humans?

Wake up! The time is now for Senate Bill 1166 to pass, protecting animals with a mandatory felony charge and jail time for animal abuse.

In a global sense, if we can protect our innocent creatures, then maybe we’ll stop unspeakable tragedies targeted toward human beings that almost always began with senseless cruelty toward animals.

As pet owners, we love our pets as though they are our own children, and the death of Leroy the cat struck a nerve with us.

If you are as outraged as we are over the senseless torture and death of Leroy the cat, please join us in taking action by contacting your congressmen in support of Senate Bill 1166.

This animal and others shouldn’t die in vain. Enough is enough.

Barry Groos

Alumnus

Ames

Marcie Stout

Sophomore

Sociology