Animal Cruelty charges in Denver, Arapahoe, and Jefferson County have a negative stigma surrounding them. In most cases, according to the punishment doled out, you would be better off hurting a child than an animal. C.R.S. 18-9-202, the definition for Cruelty to Animals, includes: when a person overdrives, overworks, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beats, houses in a manner that results in chronic or repeated serious injury, confines or carries in or upon vehicles in a cruel or reckless manner, or otherwise mistreats or neglects any animal, that person can be charged with a crime. This is a very broad definition. Read a prior post entitled Hot Dogs and Animal Cruelty.
Practical Examples of Cruelty to Animals
This is a crime that can be charged in nearly ANY situation. Let’s say that you leave your cat in your car for a few minutes when you run into the store to get some milk. Or, you are hiking with your big dog and he steps on some broken glass. Perhaps you are gone to work for the day and forget to leave food out for Fido. Finally, imagine a dog jumping on a hot grill to fetch a “hot dog”, and the coals burn the pet. Each of these scenarios is a real-world example of Cruelty to Animals charges we have seen the District Attorneys file in places like Douglas, Broomfield, and El Paso County.
Why are These Charges Punished More Severely
When the media gets ahold of a picture of an animal in distress, they have a field-day publishing the picture and arousing the anger of the public. However, when an animal gets hurt, PETA, The Humane Society, and a host of others stand in front of the camera and spew hate and venom towards a wrongfully charged person. They elicit the help of their fan clubs and lambast any person charged with the crime. When a child is beaten in our culture, there are no photos and limited publicity.
How to Protect Yourself When Charged with Animal Cruelty or Abuse of an Animal
Animal abuse charges in Boulder, Adams, and Gilpin County can range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the alleged aggravation of injury to the animal. So, never give a statement to police about the animal’s injury. Police ask questions to defeat later defenses from your lawyer. When dealing with a misdemeanor or felony, you always need the help of the best criminal defense lawyer to fight for you. You need an attorney who knows how to use the system to obtain the best possible result for your case.
If you or someone you care about is being accused of Cruelty to Animals, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us at 303-731-0719. Together we can protect your future.