Deseret News | Reader comments: Man who dumped puppies in dumpster will go to prison

Reader comments
Man who dumped puppies in dumpster will go to prison

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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.

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.

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.

Comments continue below

Brent | 5:31 p.m. July 7, 2008

Thirteen years is excessive. A 500 dollar fine would be about right.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Phillip | 6:05 p.m. July 7, 2008

Animal abuse is a crime.
Kudos to the judge!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Judge dredd | 6:52 p.m. July 7, 2008

I don't think he should go to prison, Gees! They should give him a job cleaning up dog poop or something. The judge must be a dog owner. That is really way too hard of a sentence for dog murder, when dogs bite and kill children and people.

Fools! | 6:55 p.m. July 7, 2008

This is absurd. You morons who clamor for harsh sentencing on this type of thing should examine yourselves and how much of mine and other peoples' property you're stealing and wasting for this kind and other BS gov't waste.

Send your kids to public school? Yup, you're stealing from me to do it.

Retired parents/grandparents/yourself on Social Security? Yup, you're stealing even more from me with this farce.

Grow up, learn some real principles about what government is for, and stop being such hypocrites.

GHL | 6:58 p.m. July 7, 2008

This is one of those stories you see from time to time that remind you how abusive and extreme our legal system has become. Take a man's freedom for 5 years, 13 years...please. Legislatures respond to some popular, over done sentimentality over whatever form of animal life and then some self-righteous judge does his thing and you end up with these kinds of absurdities. Too many laws, too many lawyers, too many weak minded judges and juries with too little regard for the rights of citizens. Beware, someday it may be you on the wrong side of the passions of the mob.

My father enjoyed doing it to us | 6:58 p.m. July 7, 2008

Judge dredd,

"That is really way too hard of a sentence for dog murder, when dogs bite and kill children and people."

If dogs bites and kills children and people we put them down yet this guy gets off a lot easier than dogs would if the roles were reversed.

A dog that kills 13 children would be killed!

This man gets a few years in prison!

The whole point is to make the punishment fit the crime. If this man doesn't serve serious time than future serial killers would continue to torture and kill animals as they get up the courage to move on to people.

I'm sure someone who wants to use animal cruelty to control spouses, significant others and children wouldn't mind receiving the punishment of cleaning up dog poop if they are caught yet they may think twice before torturing animals.

My father started out with a baseball bat to a TV, then he hung our dog by a leash over the balcony strangling it to death and then he would use belts on us and by the time I was 12 he had started to molest us.

So I'm glad this guy got caught.

GoodGuyGary | 7:02 p.m. July 7, 2008

"Rita Woodward, the woman who found the lone surviving puppy, cried as she urged the judge to give Howard the maximum sentence possible." Who is she to make the judgement? Maximum sentence possible? I hope she never killed any bugs or something....

Also, to borrow some of the Utahns' sense about mother letting their babies die in hot cars, this man "is suffered enough since he lost his puppies, he will have horrible life"...so he should not go to jail at all.

You are disgusting! | 7:06 p.m. July 7, 2008

Mom,

"Indeed it is a sad day when someone serves more prison time compared to those who rape and molest children."

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

I was molested but I also saw the events that lead up to it happening. It started out as minor verbal abuse that led to physical acts of violence against inanimate objects, followed by the death of our dog and then physical acts of violence against us. This turned into sexual abuse. I will not be descriptive about what kind of sexual abuse other than to point out that it was about control over us.

I have forgiven my father, saw the amount of turmoil he went through as a child and realized that he had emotional problems that could have been prevented had his previous acts of violence had received an appropriate level of punishment. I don't think that community service could have prevented what happened to us but I do believe a prison sentence for the death of our dog could have halted the escalation of abuse.

I can't speak for all victims of sexual abuse but I'm offended by your caviler attitude about sexual abuse.

Joe Moe | 7:10 p.m. July 7, 2008

I can only hope that the judge was thinking like this: "Even though no one deserves to go to prison for 13 years for this, let's levy the hardest sentence we reasonably can against this guy, then we have some leverage for a long probation and years of restitution, counseling, rehabilitation, etc. Then maybe we can save this guy."

If you're going to put him in jail for 13 years for this, you may as well keep him there for life, because his odds of coming out of the Penn and living a productive, peaceful life are about nil. In other words, it doesn't solve anything.

Re: Fools! | 7:10 p.m. July 7, 2008

Cry me a river- and then quit stealing from me!

Drive on the roads? Yup, you're stealing from me.

Receive police and fire protection? Yup, you're stealing from me, again.

Ever use a park, a rec center, a hiking trail? Again, stealing from me.

Quit your crying. Laws are designed to protect- people, animals and property (which, by the way, has no feelings of pain). But don't call the police when your house is broken into or burning down- because you'd be stealing from me.

JMG | 7:12 p.m. July 7, 2008

We have the time to put somebody on jail for dumping a bag of puppies into the trash, but we do not do anything about families that are separated because of inmigration issues,Give me a break brother!

Phil | 7:12 p.m. July 7, 2008

We as a people can't forgive for this when the pound uses euthanasia every day. Are we hypocrites or just not smart.

Delete the "s" fool.... | 7:21 p.m. July 7, 2008

"This is absurd. You morons who clamor for harsh sentencing on this type of thing should examine yourselves and how much of mine and other peoples' property you're stealing and wasting for this kind and other BS gov't waste."

How is it absurd for a man to receive 1 year for each act of animal cruelty, served concurrently?

This man isn't serving 5 years for each act of animal cruelty or even all of them.

He will serve, at most, 1 year for all the acts of animal cruelty. He then may serve 4 more for the drug related charge.

By this reasoning you could say that the state isn't paying a dime for the acts of animal cruelty since he would be serving time on the drug related charge anyway.

How is this absurd? If he killed 13 babies he would receive 13 life sentences or the death penalty.

"Grow up, learn some real principles about what government is for, and stop being such hypocrites."

The arrogance of your comment isn't worth a response but I'm going to give one anyways.I bet you believe you a holy protector of the Constitution and speak for the Founding Fathers and God.

Serving 1 year is absurd? | 7:29 p.m. July 7, 2008

GHL,

"This is one of those stories you see from time to time that remind you how abusive and extreme our legal system has become. Take a man's freedom for 5 years, 13 years...please."

This man will serve his sentences concurrently (at the same time) and each of the 13 acts of animal cruelty received 1 year which means he will serve 1 year.

The 5 years is on the drug related charge and will be served concurrently with the 13 counts of animal cruelty which means this man will serve between 1 and 5 years but the additional 4 years have nothing to do with the counts of animal cruelty.

This man will not serve 13 years and he should be grateful that he won't serve 13 years because they are animals. If these were children he would serve 13 life sentences, concurrently or not, with or without the possibility of parole or worst be sentenced to death.

"Legislatures respond to some popular, over done sentimentality over whatever form of animal life and then some self-righteous judge does his thing and you end up with these kinds of absurdities."

Serving 1 year for killing 13 puppies is absurd?

Leslye | 7:41 p.m. July 7, 2008

Eye for an eye... Sure, these little puppies were not humans, but they still had souls and were living and breathing.

Uritaata | 7:45 p.m. July 7, 2008

I heard that plants have a spirit too. In fact studies have demonstrated that they grow better in a relaxing musical environment.
I recommend that the legislature passes a law that punishes with jail time those that abuse these spirits. Yup all those that do not use proper lawn care, misprune their trees or forget to water their flowers or vegetables..

Chuckles55 | 8:11 p.m. July 7, 2008

Hopefully, while in prison he can get enrolled in a PETA-backed twelve-step program. I believe there is one called Puppy Killers Anonymous, or atleast there should be. Then maybe he can find Jesus and decide to quit maiming/killing animals.

lynn in TN | 8:29 p.m. July 7, 2008

Ridiculous. I'm an animal lover, but come on.

uncanygunman | 8:32 p.m. July 7, 2008

Umm, he was only cruel to animals once, why the 14 charges? The crime isn't called cruelty to animal, it's called cruelty to animalS. And that's what he did, once, so he should get one charge.

dmv69 | 8:49 p.m. July 7, 2008

This guy should be getting life for what he did. These animals are helpless.

As for why he got 14 charges, its one charge for each puppy.

And stop comparing people to animals.

Seattle | 9:01 p.m. July 7, 2008

Isnt this a little "over kill"?

Yes it was bad but paying for this man to be housed etc for all this time would be better spent on a real criminal.

Skinny Puppy | 9:08 p.m. July 7, 2008

Darn tooin'! This guys deserves to be put in a dumpster. See how HE likes it.

L. Hahn | 9:13 p.m. July 7, 2008

I live in California and it's about time that the state of UTAH finally gets tough on these criminals who are abusing any defenseless animal. It's about time.

Animal Cruelty leads to people | 9:14 p.m. July 7, 2008

Seattle,

"Isnt this a little "over kill"?"

This man will spend 1 YEAR in prison for the all 13 counts of animal cruelty which will run concurrently with the drug conviction which is 1 to 5 years.

"Yes it was bad but paying for this man to be housed etc for all this time would be better spent on a real criminal."

When will you people realize his conviction included a drug charge and that if it weren't for that drug conviction he would receive 1 YEAR in jail for all 13 counts of animal cruelty. No jail time is totally absurd considering the seriousness of his crimes. To suggest that animal cruelty is a minor crime ignores its real impact.

I was molested by my father but it wasn't until I was about 12 that he actually molested me and my brother. Up to that time he had resorted to verbal abuse, physical violence against inanimate objects, and our pets and then he killed our dog by hanging it by a leash from a balcony.

Then he started to physically abuse us. The final act of abuse was sexual. So I think this man got off really easy.

Truth | 9:32 p.m. July 7, 2008

To any naysayer... He KILLED the animals... He didn't hurt them... He KILLED them.

Murder is murder whether they be human or not. Now kill a child's pet puppy and tell the child that nothing will get done about it. See how they react.

People do deserve stricter punishments for animal abuse because if they abuse animals or KILL animals...this needs to be corrected before it becomes that kid instead.

Though I wouldn't be crying and demand a Judge to give a maximum sentence. This women was out of her place and wrong for doing so. She is first to cast a stone and if she was sober in her legal knowledge and judgment she would have never said that to the judge. She did cast the stone.

"As for me and my house we will" | 9:34 p.m. July 7, 2008

Joseph F. Smith taught:

"What is even more serious than the wrongs inflicted upon dumb animals is the habit of wrong doing, for doing wrong to animals is but a stepping stone to the doing of wrong to our fellowmen."

Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

"Latter-day Saints, at least, do not take the view that animals have no reason, and cannot think. We have divine knowledge that each possesses a spirit in the likeness of its body, and that each was created spiritually before it was naturally, or given a body on the earth. Naturally, then, there is some measure of intelligence in members of the animal kingdom."

Apostle George Q. Cannon taught:

"Cruelty to animals is always the sign of a weak and little mind, whereas we invariably find really great men distinguished by their humanity."

In addition to these numerous prophets, apostles and LDS Church leaders have spoken out about this yet the wicked have ears that do not hear, and eyes that do not see. They prefer the vain imaginations of their minds to the teachings of the prophets and the scriptures. They ignore the laws of God in favor of popular ideas like animals can't think.

Sarah | 9:36 p.m. July 7, 2008

Uh, this man IS a real criminal. I think it's ridiculous to put animals' rights over humans, but he still murdered 13 puppies. He's still guilty of a crime, and he deserves punishment for that crime. Community service isn't much of a punishment, and this man committed a third degree felony. The law states that when you commit a felony, you go to jail. If you don't want to go to jail, don't commit a felony.

These weren't people!! | 9:41 p.m. July 7, 2008

This sentence is outrageous.

Back in the 40's parents made their childen take burlap sacks of kittens or puppies down to the river and drown them because they couldn't afford to feed them.

What is hapening to our society when an animal is worth more then a human being???

People get less time for murder....

Was it wrong? YES!!! but I agree with an earlier comment a fine of $500 would be sufficient in this case. Maybe a year of probation as well.

Tell me | 9:43 p.m. July 7, 2008

Are you going to go down to the Humane Society and to the PETA offices and arrest them and sentence them to the same harsh sentence?

These people put more animals to death then scientific research!!!

Rhonda Kamper | 9:52 p.m. July 7, 2008

I wish the reporters would get the story correct. Henry's Law did not pass this year. A weaker bill did. Howard was tried under the old law not the new law that passed this year. He is not getting 13 years. He will get up to a year in jail max for killing the 13 puppies.

Anonymous | 9:59 p.m. July 7, 2008

What idiocy, going to prison for a "crime" that harmed no person. I'm appalled our legislature fell for this PETA nonsense.

G | 10:09 p.m. July 7, 2008

This person deserves punishment, but giving him room and board (and not paying taxes) for 5 years is absurd. Where is common sense?

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