Judge fumbles verdict in ex-Raven Terrence Cody's animal cruelty case

TAZ

UPDATE:  CODY SENTENCED TO 9 MONTHS IN JAIL




Former Baltimore Raven Terrence Cody was acquitted of felony animal cruelty charges but was found guilty of lesser counts in Baltimore County Circuit Court. The judge, after a bench trial, bought the argument that his conduct was neglectful but that he didn't mean to hurt the dog. 

How is this "neglectful" and evidence that he didn't really mean to hurt Taz? 

Forgetting to feed a dog once in a while is neglectful. Locking a dog in a cage in the garage and never feeding him is evidence of a decision not to feed him - hence intentional cruelty. It is important to understand that this is a slow, cruel, painful and horrific death during which the dog is suffering the entire time - sometimes months. Trust me- he hurt the dog. This is why animal cruelty is a crime where omissions as well as commissions are prosecutable "conduct". Would you rather be hit by one blow and receive treatment immediately or have an ice pick in your eye for a month? Neither is good but the latter is excruciating. The fact that Cody paid a lot for the dog is not evidence that he cared, particularly when looked at against the landscapes of NFL salaries. This verdict is a disgrace and one that I hope was not colored by the celebrity football status of the defendant and a desire not to saddle him with a felony conviction.

When do you think Terrence Cody last missed a meal? 

Facial recognition works for MI6 - why not dogs and cats!

Your spcaLA in conjunction with Finding Rover and VCA Animal Hospitals unveiled a new partnership that has the ability to help reunite more lost dogs with their family by using CSI techniques usually reserved for humans. Finding Rover’s innovative facial recognition for pets can be used on a smartphone through the app or on the web and is 98 per cent accurate in matching lost and found dog reports.

spcaLA has always been on the forefront of new technologies for animal welfare.  This venture strives to reunite lost pets using 21st century advanced technology and human compassion. You don't need a pet to participate. You can snap a picture of a dog on the street and it can be matched in minutes with a photo of a dog that is lost. Imagine how beneficial it would be if animals were reunited with their people before or soon after arriving at a shelter. It's less stressful for pets and their families, less costly redemption fees and more resources available to shelters to rehabilitate and find homes for the truly homeless pets rather than for pets with homes who are simply lost.

We are now fully integrated with this technology. Every dog that enters the spcaLA facility becomes automatically registered with facial recognition on Finding Rover. Users can view and favorite adoptable dogs, as well. VCA is doing the same which increases the data base significantly. The more photos are uploaded the better the system will work!

By 2016 the app will work with cats as well which can have interesting applications with feral colonies as well as indoor cats who accidentally got out!

Imagine how well this will work once the world joins in!