In Weld County, a man has been charged and convicted of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals (CRS 18-9-202). He has been sentenced to nine and a half years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. The man fed food laced with poison to two of his neighbor’s dogs, who shortly thereafter died. While this is an extreme circumstance (the man was suspected of poisoning three other dogs in the past), the consequences for any Animal Cruelty charge are serious, and could greatly affect your future.
What is a Cruelty to Animals Charge?
Cruelty to Animals (CRS 18-9-201) is normally a Class 2 misdemeanor which occurs when a person knowingly or recklessly beats, torments, overworks, abandons, tortures, or needlessly kills an animal in Greeley, Windsor or Ft. Lupton. It also includes actions such as depriving an animal of food and water, transporting or confining an animal in or on a vehicle in a cruel way, engaging in a sexual act with an animal, and failing to feed or care for an animal in your charge.
“I Don’t Torture Animals, Why Would I be Charged with Cruelty to Animals?”
Every day actions can be viewed as cruelty to animals. Do you leave your dog in the car when you run into the grocery store? If a fellow shopper decides that it is too hot outside and calls Animal Control, you could be facing serious consequences. We have seen cruelty to animals cases arise after a person swatted at an animal that had bitten them. Animal Cruelty is a Class 2 Misdeamenor – you could spend up to 12 months in a county jail and pay up to a $1,000 fine. If Animal Control visits your home, do not allow them inside your house or yard. Speaking with them is the same as talking to the police – anything you say can be used to incriminate you later.
If you have been contacted by animal control, the police or a sheriff deputy in Weld County regarding a Cruelty to Animals charge, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the experienced defense attorneys at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009, or submit this form. Together, we can protect your future.
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