Well, the Animal Rights movement is pretty popular nowadays (see PETA, HSUS, etc). They believe that animals have the same right to life as people, and that keeping pets = slavery, killing animals = murder, and that if your dog bites your kid, he should be entitled to a trial (at your expense) to determine if he should be given the death penalty or not.

So yeah, felonious goldfish killing seems to be within the realm of what's in vogue these days

Mind you, I'm a big believer in animal WELFARE, meaning that animals should be treated properly, given proper housing, proper veterinary care, fed appropriately, etc etc. Totally different thing. And people who are deliberately cruel to animals are a few sandwiches short of a picnic for sure, and they should be punished.

 

people who are deliberately cruel to animals are a few sandwiches short of a picnic for sure, and they should be punished.

if I understand the euphemism you mean the mentally challenged should be punished?

 

if I understand the euphemism you mean the mentally challenged should be punished?

People who abuse animals are typically jerks on a power play, and they should absolutely be punished. That's all I intended to imply. If someone with a mental delay harms an animal, they should be educated to the extent of their ability to learn how to better treat animals. If they have no capacity to really understand that they hurt another living creature, the person who is responsible for them should be better supervising them.

I have a daughter with mental challenges, and I still expect her to be nice to animals...and I supervise her closely to ensure that she doesn't have the opportunity to harm animals when I'm not around.

 

if I understand the euphemism you mean the mentally challenged should be punished?

No, it meant that people who are cruel to animals also have bad planning skills and can not adequately supply a picnic.

Their cruelty is in reaction to the frustration they feel when others attend their picnics and go home hungry.

It's sad.

 

And I don't mean to imply that animal cruelty should be tolerated, it should not. But if we consider goldfish or even minnows in this way, what is next? Pet insects? I post this because some on this forum have advocated shooting feral cats (which is a good idea since these cats cause damage and carry rabies), but they need to make sure some animal-rights type is not taking notes and calling authorities.

 

if I understand the euphemism you mean the mentally challenged should be punished?

"A few sandwiches short of a picnic" would usually apply to people who start trolling threads, and post inane comments in hopes of annoying others. Get a life.

 

I suspect that like in other crimes the police add as many charges as they can in hopes to make the initial charge stick. This woman destroyed several electronic items in the house as well. The goldfish charge will probably be bargained away. I read several comments after the article I read, that called into question charges for killing a goldfish yet abortion, killing a fetus, is perfectly legal. Makes one wonder where people's priorities are.

 

I suspect that like in other crimes the police add as many charges as they can in hopes to make the initial charge stick. This woman destroyed several electronic items in the house as well. The goldfish charge will probably be bargained away. I read several comments after the article I read, that called into question charges for killing a goldfish yet abortion, killing a fetus, is perfectly legal. Makes one wonder where people's priorities are.

Many peoples priorities seem to be in tending the next fellers business.

 

I suspect that like in other crimes the police add as many charges as they can in hopes to make the initial charge stick. This woman destroyed several electronic items in the house as well. The goldfish charge will probably be bargained away. I read several comments after the article I read, that called into question charges for killing a goldfish yet abortion, killing a fetus, is perfectly legal. Makes one wonder where people's priorities are.

How does one go from a ridiculous story like goldfish killing to protesting a woman's right to choose? They have absolutely nothing to do with each other

 

GENOCIDE!!!

http://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-lake-infested-with-goldfish-2015-4

"There are a few options: Drain the entire 12-acre lake and rebuild the fish population, temporarily electroshock the fish and capture them while they are paralyzed, or kill the goldfish."

 

but, but, but what if one of those goldfish was the one set by nature to evolve to the next level? It's death setting the whole species back 10,000 years!!!

 

Society in general is ever trending towards this complete disconnect with reality when it comes to human/animal interaction. I've had more than one meat eating person look at me in horror when I said I eat my livestock.

"well...where do you think your meat comes from?" I ask

"The grocery store." They answer.

Oh Lord.....:facepalm:

 

but, but, but what if one of those goldfish was the one set by nature to evolve to the next level? It's death setting the whole species back 10,000 years!!!

Ummmm are you in some kind of hurry to see how evolution plays out? :shrug:

 

I also doubt the gold fish would have been considered as anything other than a monetary loss without the other charges. I was on a jury in which one of the charges against the accused was that they shot a dog. Of course they also shot a man before killing his beagle, after holding the man in their trailer overnight.
I think the dog was brought into it so the prosecution could show that these guys were just mean twits and not just scared of the person they shot eventually. This extra small beagle was shot to scare the owner.
But then there was a man given probation after being found guilty of shooting someone's horse for target practice. Part of his probation was that he coukdn't have any weapons. I don't think that was a bad idea.

 

I have not read all of the replies but maybe that was the only thing they could charge her with ... It is not quite clear from the article if the woman lived there or was just visiting. If the place was considered her residence, they may have hard time charging her with destroying her "own" stuff.

I think that pouring bleach into a fish tank is incredibly cruel but a felony charge for that seems ridiculous.

 

Yep, bleach is cruel. Way back in the day, it was used on the reef to flush out the lobster and avoid reaching into an eel. As far as I know, it is illegal to do this at least in the Bahamas.

Matt

 

I will admit that this woman should face criminal charges, and have to pay for damages to her boyfriends fish tank and fish as well as all other property, but felony animal cruelty for killing 5 goldfish? If the owner had scooped one out and fed it to his cat, would he also face charges?
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/florida-goldfish-murder-spree-675930

Probably not.

If she would have poured automotive anti-freeze, in the dog's water dish, there would only be one dead dog.

What's the difference?

 

Sorry for all the deletions but insulting other members is not tolerated.