Puppy Torturers

**Marigold2** · 03-06-2007, 10:57 AM

Please take a moment to sign this.Puppy Torturers Receive Strong Sentence
Prosecuting District Attorney Paul Howard should be applauded for his commitment to justice and the humane treatment of animals - please sign this petition today to congratulate him on success!

It's not easy to think about a puppy being killed - it's almost too horrific for words. And too often the sentences for such crimes are weak and far too short.

But there is good news in a case where a puppy was tortured and killed in Georgia - justice has finally been served.

Just last month, the two brothers charged with torturing and killing a three month old puppy received the maximum sentence allowable in each of the nine counts under which they were charged.

And Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard felt so strongly about seeking justice in this case - describing the death of this puppy as "so egregious it cries out for special attention" - that he sent a letter to Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue requesting that the penalty for animal cruelty be raised above the current five-year maximum.

The horrific death of this poor puppy touched animal lovers around the world - a dedicated Care2 member even created a petition that generated over 17,000 signatures in the last few months!

DA Howard should be applauded for his commitment to justice and the humane treatment of animals - please sign this petition today to congratulate him on success in this case!

Thank you for taking action today,

Rebecca Young,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team

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**joycenalex** · 03-06-2007, 06:33 PM

i am so glad that the DA went for justice in this awful case.

**Catlady711** · 03-06-2007, 09:15 PM

I know this effort of the ASPCA is simply a congratulations to the person who fought for justice and I applaud their effort and success. Although on the ASPCA's website I couldn't find any reference to this petition of congratulations.

I couldn't help but notice which website they used for their 'petition'. That website allows anyone to simply state something and get 'signatures' for example this petition (get ready for a real laugh when you see it).

I considered all the email pleas I get begging me to sign some 'petition' or go to this same website to do the same. I thought it might be helpful information to everyone to know a few things about petitions. Regardless of how worthy the cause, I would NEVER, EVER, EVER sign a pettition from that website, or many others like it for the following reasons....

Taken from Break the Chain.org and Snopes.com

Those truly committed to righting the wrongs of the world are encouraged to take pen in hand and craft actual letters to their congressmen or to whomever they deem are the appropriate people to contact about particular issues. Real letters (the kind that are written in a person's own words and sent through the regular mail) are accorded far more respect than form letters (let alone petitions), and that should be kept in mind by those intent upon being heard. Yes, the effort it takes is far larger. But so is the potential for making an actual difference.

The Seven Tests of Armchair Activism for Petitions:

Expiration. Does it give a timeline for the collection of signatures or a target number of signatures? Unfortunately, e-petitions can linger aimlessly for months, even years. Petitions that are allowed to circulate indefinitely are seldom compelling and very often continue to circulate long after any usefulness they may have once had has passed.

Focus. Does the message have a well defined target and mission statement? Does it clearly spell out what steps or results are desired? Does it solicit and allow signatures only from constituents of the party it's meant to influence? Most e-petitions get you worked up, but make no real statement or demand or target an individual who has no authority to make the desired change.

Integrity. Is someone coordinating the petition to make sure it gets to the proper party in the proper format? Unfortunately, many ask you to send them directly to the party whose actions you're trying to influence. This amounts to an "e-mail attack," costs the recipient time and money and does more to hurt the cause than promote it.

Privacy. Is there an alternative method for signing, such as a Web site, phone number, or snail-mail address? Does the message explain clearly what will be done with the information it collects and by whom? If you're directed to a Web site to sign, does the site include a privacy statement? Remember that there are absolutely no privacy protections for information sent via e-mail.

Reliability. Does the message explain clearly who will collect and compile the signatures, and can you trust them? While some petitions actually give you an address to send "full" copies to, most of the creators fail to check with their e-mail provider first, and as a result, their account is usually shut down within a few days. Most e-mail providers prohibit chain letters and petitions in their terms of service.

Sponsorship. Does the petition's author/originator clearly identify himself or herself and give some way to contact him or her. A well-planned political or social cause will usually have a web site or phone number you can contact for more information on the issue and to volunteer to help. Unfortunately, most e-petition creators prefer to hide behind the anonymity of e-mail.

Validity. Does the petition contain facts and statistics with a cited source? In other words, can the claims be easily backed up or do you have to take them at face value? In many cases, the thing you're trying to stop no longer exists or never existed to begin with.

If a petition fails two or more of the above, dismiss it as Armchair Activism.