Cory | 5:21 p.m. July 7, 2008
I know this is serious business, but we don't send people who kill their own children to prison for 5 years. Personally, I believe that once we get the sentencing right for violent offenders who kill and maim human beings, then we can inprison those who hurt or kill animals. Hope the sheriffs departments in rural Utah don't start snooping around the farm... or lots of farmers are going to jail.
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CP | 5:28 p.m. July 7, 2008
I'm so glad that bill was passed. This man deserves the maximum prison time for doing what he did to those puppies. I'm so tired of hearing excuses like he was on drugs, well he put the drugs into himself, I'm glad the judge didn't buy that excuse either. Animals feel pain as well. They are not like toys or inanimate objects without feelings - they do feel pain and emotions.
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Let the Punishment Fit | 5:28 p.m. July 7, 2008
Let the Punishment fit the crime. Please note that the guy is being punished more for hurting the puppies than for drug abuse. I think that we need to look at our justice system and serious revamp the punishments doled out for a crime. For example why is a man sentenced for killing some puppies for 13 years and a human killer is sentenced to maybe 15 or 20 years. OUTRAGEOUS! A couple dogs are worth maybe a year tops. They cheapen human life when judges punish animal killers/abuses by sentencing so close to what a killer would get.
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Brent | 5:31 p.m. July 7, 2008
Thirteen years is excessive. A 500 dollar fine would be about right.
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what? | 5:36 p.m. July 7, 2008
What? We couldn't sentence him to 10 years? I certainly don't want him around my children or me.
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Florida | 5:36 p.m. July 7, 2008
Come on. Puppies are not people. Sure it was twisted, but big-time prison? Think of all the crimes that get a lesser sentence: abuse, incest, willful violence ... Go to jail for the drugs. Pay a penalty and community service and counseling for the puppies. May the RIP.
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Anonymous | 5:46 p.m. July 7, 2008
Animal abuse is not acceptable. It is often one of many signs in individuals that become violent and abusive towards people. It is also something that is looked at when profiling serial killers if they have a history of animal abuse.
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Give me a break!!! | 5:51 p.m. July 7, 2008
Is this a joke?? Certainly give him a two year community service to clean up the dog pound, but this for puppies??? One can only imagine what he would have got if he had slaughtered some gold fish.
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Unbelievable | 5:54 p.m. July 7, 2008
Good Lord - are you serious?

This absolutely sickens me to know that some of my fellow Utahns want this man to serve hard prison time for this.

Classic example of placing animal life over human life. Sure it was wrong what he did, but to serve at least five years, unbelievable!

I truly hope that one day the fullest extent of Justice will be metted out against those of you who beleive he deserves this sentence. May Mercy and common sense be withheld from you too.

Disguting!

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Anonymous | 5:57 p.m. July 7, 2008
He got what he deserved. If the judge gave out the that kind of sentence for an animal killer, just think what he would give to people killers.
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Phillip | 6:05 p.m. July 7, 2008
Animal abuse is a crime.
Kudos to the judge!
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Oh Please | 6:04 p.m. July 7, 2008
I have had animals in my home for my entire life. Yes, as a child I cried when one would die. This sentencing is absurd. You can be in posession of an eagle feather and get decades of prison time. You can be mean to animals like the puppies (totally uncalled for) and get decades of prison time. You can kill your neighbor who bugs you and go to prison for maybe 5 years. Does this not puzzle people including the judges? What about our legislature who bowed to the special interests groups for making it a felony. Animal abuse is wrong and should be punished. Sending a person that we pay about $60,000 per year (almost a cool $1 million for this person) to incarceration? The idiocy of each and every person who voted and supports this felony needs to have a reality check.
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California | 6:12 p.m. July 7, 2008
To send a person to prison for this is insane.
so we will pay 30,000 a year to keep this idiot in prison
great use of tax dollars
I agree it was tragic for the puppies to die but it is more tragic to put a human in a cage for the crime.
So lets go after someone that kills a deer next.
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Anonymous | 6:17 p.m. July 7, 2008
The sentence is too harsh. One to two years would be justice. This judge must have be an animal rights activist himself.
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Puppy Love | 6:27 p.m. July 7, 2008
Don't mess with the pooch! He was a very bad man by killing those sweet, innocent, little puppies. It made me feel very sad.

I also think people should be put in jail who let their dogs and cat poop in peoples yards. It's the owners fault, and not the dogs or the cats. My neighbors cat uses my flower garden as a dumping grown. It really make my garden smell awful! and I get tired of picking up cat poop. My neighbor just doesn't get it?
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Poor Reporting | 6:30 p.m. July 7, 2008
Before everyone gets too spun up about the sentence here, lets look at the math of prison sentences. 13 class A misdemeanors with a 1 year sentence on each RUN AT THE SAME TIME equals.... 1 year. A class B for 6 months, run at the same time as the Class A's equals.... Still doing the 1 year. A 3rd degree felony with a ZERO to 5 year sentence run at the same time as the Class A's equals.... you guessed it, a total of 1 year for everything combined unless he really screws up in prison and ticks off the parole board, then he might do 5. If the reporter even tried to do his job right he would have explained that, but I guess it isn't as sensational that way. The lesson here is that if you are going to commit a crime, you may as well go on a crime spree because our judges will only give you the time on one of the crimes.
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Murray | 6:31 p.m. July 7, 2008
You have got to be kidding me. This judge needs a reality check. Why do we have to pay for all of this?
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dan | 6:36 p.m. July 7, 2008
I think they should have their faces rubbed in it. maybe that would make them think twice.
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twisted | 6:36 p.m. July 7, 2008
This is a ridiculous sentence. Put him in jail for drug use and fine him for animal cruelty. This is a joke.
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Mom | 6:43 p.m. July 7, 2008
I think a better sentence would be to order him to serve 10,000 volunteer hours at a local animal shelter (supervised, of course). Indeed it is a sad day when someone serves more prison time compared to those who rape and molest children.
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No. Utah sees a major earthquake every 350 years. Last one? 350 years ago.