Good. If this was done to a human, people would be screaming for their deaths.

Animals need more protection.

Originally posted by _Phoenix_
It was a baby

it was a baby.

Would your tone change? A baby isn't exactly the most clever thing around, does that make their life less worthy than an adult? If not. Why would a cat be less worthy?

Our laws aren't about any other creatures but humans.
What's the difference between a cat and a bee? They're both living things.
Should you get 25 years for killing a bee?
What about a fish? Should fishing be illegal?

These laws - HUMAN laws, exist to ensure the safety of humans.
We feel compassion for animals that are more like us - this is an egotistical thing, that all life forms that are similar to us deserve to live while others (say a fish or an insect) are allowed to die.


What if those same people had gone into the house and killed a mouse (not a pet)? There would be no discussion of illegal activity (except breaking and entering).
Is a mouse more worthy of life than a cat?

It doesn't matter, that's not what our laws are concerned with, only ensuring human safety.
And 25 years for killing a cat is crazy.
As crazy as it would be for a mouse or any other animal.

The 25 years is just the total of max sentences from the criminal charges of second-degree arson, second-degree burglary and aggravated animal cruel. The animal cruelty is really the least of their problems. Both suspects were recently charged with burglary and assault in an unrelated incident in the same building. They broke into an apartment and beating the sleeping tenant with a cane while they demanded money. So please excuse me if I don't get all teary eyed for these guys. Reap what you sow.

Sick freaks. I say eye for an eye. Lets set them on fire and see how they like it. There should be absolutely no compassion for people like this. If evil exists, this is it. An act such as this could only be performed by the most evil of souls. I hope they throw the fire at these guys. I hope they rot in jail with massive cat lovers as cell mates. They deserve to be tortured slowly and painfully to death over the rest of their life. No mercy.

they would get less time for murder... this is ridiculus

sorry peta...its a cat, i dont think they should get off scott free for this but 25 yrs....seriously

u get less time for rape for gods sake!!!!!

this is asinine for so many reasons

If this ridiculous sentence flies, then I think it's only fair that "pet parents" of dogs (namely, people who own massive vicious breeds) be given identical sentencing when their beloved and harmless Cujo is running about sans leash in a reisdetial area...(you know, getting his workout on cause he's just a human with fur) and mauls an innocent child or old lady working in her yard. I have a cat too, and I love cats, but I am sorry, the punishment does not fit the crime here. It would seem more logical for the court to sentence them to 2 years of mandatory community service at a local animal shelter and some counseling as well.

Yep these fools are gonna go to jail and get passed round like currency, Maybe they shouldnt get 25 years, it does clog up the system. I have a much better idea, Beat them almost to death poor lighter fluid on them and light it. If they survive good for them im sure they wont do that again. If they die from it then meh no big deal just another couple of inbred retarded teenagers that humanity really doesnt need.

I don't know why I get so irritated when people don't bother to read the article, I suppose I should just let it go.

They did NOT get 25 years. That is the MAXIMUM sentence they can get for the charges brought against them. They are NOT only on charges of animal cruelty, there ARE other charges involved. So despite the title, no, its not just for torturing a cat, and I don't see why a maximum sentence of 25 years is so horrible, knowing full well they will be very little chance of them getting the maximum sentence. I would bet they get less than half of it. IF they get found guilty, and IF they took the max 25 years, then you can come in here and cry about how that is unfair because all they did was set fire to an animal and do some damage to an apartment, that they happened to break and enter to get into. Poor kids, they sound like such upstanding young men too.

If someone did this to my dog, they better hope the law catches them before I do. I love my dog, despite it being "just an animal" and if someone did that to her, I would not feel the least bit bad about breaking a few of their ribs and nose, maybe even throw a jaw in there. Just because it is "just an animal" does not mean that I do not love said animal.

Were it me making decisions, I would have set them on fire, and then if they weren't cremated, I'd lock them up in solitary.

Lucky for them, I'll probably never meet them.

All too often people seem to disapprove of the notion that Animals have as much value as Humans. I can only state that such individuals have most likely never known the true companionship, unbridled loyalty, and downright love you feel when a pet is brought into the family.

An old American adage, and one which proved to be even more so prevalent in the Herding towns of the Wild West, was that you NEVER kill or hurt another Man's Dog. To do so, you were asking for little pity when the Owner gave you a nice sock to the face, or simply shot you dead.

As one of my Older Southern friends put it: "There are only two times in life that you ever sucker punch another man, and that is either when you catch him cheating with your wife, or he hurts your dog".

They should be required to go to the local animal shelter and clean litter boxes and cages and whatever gross job they might have for them for 25,000 hours each. I don't want to have to support these bums for 25 years.

I adore cats, I have had five of them, two currently. They are my favorite
animals, but humans are more important. NOTHING justifies putting teens
in prison for 25 years.. not burglary, not animal cruelty, not murder, not
terrorism, not torture.. nothing.

No child should ever be tried as an adult, you know why? Because they are
NOT ADULTS!. Every child should have the right of a second chance, and a
third chance, and a fourth chance.. when he becomes an adult it becomes
different, but as long as he's not an adult, he deserves to be forgiven and
to be granted new chances.

I would rather lock up the judge and the lawyers that trial a child as an
adult, than send the child to prison for even a single year.

How heartless does a person have to be to find 25 years for a child that
allegedly burned a cat, regardless of having broken into a home, justifiable?
No child ever deserves to go to prison, regardless of its crimes.. because
people don't get better in prison, they get worse. Prison turns light criminals
into heavy criminals, they are breeding places of evil. There are better
ways to help a teen criminal rehabilitate.

You people should be ashamed of yourself. All of you should spend a year
in your beloved american prisons, see how you feel about it then. I can
guarantee that your outlook will have completely changed, maybe then you
come to your senses. Because these places are true hell holes..

This forum seems to show Americans off as heartless and twisted, you all
seem to think love, compassion, solidarity and understanding to be works
of the devil.

And you call yourselves a Christian nation, pah.

[edit on (22/3/09) by Wehali]