Post by Gunslinger on Sept 21, 2016 14:49:30 GMT -5
A Chatom man plead guilty to a cruelty to animals charge last week in connection to a January incident in which he shot a hunting dog in the Zimco community west of Grove Hill in Clarke County.
In a plea agreement reached in Clarke County District Court, Roland Cunningham, 39, was sentenced to six months in jail on the cruelty to animals charge, but that sentence was suspended and he was given one year of informal probation, according to Alabama Dog Hunters Association Vice-President Susan Morrow.
Cunningham also is to pay $1,750 to compensate David Garrick for the loss of his 4-year-old registered beagle named "Mootie 2" and $300 for the tracking collar he removed from the dog and discarded, said Morrow, who was in court when the deal was reached.
A theft charge relating to the missing tracking collar was dropped as part of the plea deal.
Cunningham stated then that he killed the beagle on Jan. 16 after it became aggressive as he and his young son tried to catch it after it had roamed from a neighboring hunting club onto his leased land.
Garrick confirmed details of the plea deal Monday, adding that he is satisfied since it avoided the potential of a drawn-out court case and jury trial.
"I feel like we got a good settlement and we don't have to wait as much as three years for a jury trial," Garrick, 80, said. "I'm not that interested in the amount. If it would have been a dollar I would have been satisfied. I'm more interested in him accepting responsibility and knowing that he'll be on probation during next deer season. I don't want him to shoot another dog."
Morrow said the plea deal was a win for dog hunters.
"We really wanted two years of probation to make a stronger point, but in the end, I wouldn't want a cruelty to animals conviction on my record," Morrow said. "Mr. Garrick was satisfied and we stand with him on behalf of all dog hunters across Alabama.
"People have to understand they can't just shoot another person's dog."
"Mr. Garrick was satisfied and we stand with him on behalf of all dog hunters across Alabama." -- Susan Morrow
Morrow said incidents like this one and too many others across the state were the impetus behind her organization's lobbying on behalf of legislation recently introduced by Rep. Jack Williams of Mobile that would stiffen penalties specifically related to shooting a hunting dog.
"I'm very glad to see this bill introduced and hope it passes. There are far too many hunting dogs shot each year by people that want our way of hunting to stop," Morrow said. "Hunters need to band together, regardless of how you prefer to hunt."
The bill states that a person commits the crime of killing a hunting dog if he or she intentionally kills any pure-breed or mixed-breed of dog developed to assist hunters in finding, retrieving or killing game.
Penalties would be added to any cruelty to animals conviction.
They range from not less than $3,000 and revocation of a hunting license for a year for a first offense to not less than $10,000 and permanent revocation of hunting license for a third offense.
Offenders can also lose or have their hunting license revoked if they fail to pay restitution to the owner for the value of the dog.
Garrick also supports the tougher penalties proposed in William's bill.
"I've owned dogs and used dogs to hunt all my life. I don't believe in cruelty to animals no matter the species," Garrick said. "These people running their mouths about shooting dogs if they come on their property, they're just mean people. They just can't be thinking about what they're saying because that's just wrong. The more they're punished if they shoot a hunting dog is OK with me. I'd like to see it happen."
The Clarke County Sheriff's Office still has outstanding warrants for a Louisiana man suspected of killing three deer dogs in the same area of Zimco on nearly the same date in January 2013.
In a plea agreement reached in Clarke County District Court, Roland Cunningham, 39, was sentenced to six months in jail on the cruelty to animals charge, but that sentence was suspended and he was given one year of informal probation, according to Alabama Dog Hunters Association Vice-President Susan Morrow.
Cunningham also is to pay $1,750 to compensate David Garrick for the loss of his 4-year-old registered beagle named "Mootie 2" and $300 for the tracking collar he removed from the dog and discarded, said Morrow, who was in court when the deal was reached.
A theft charge relating to the missing tracking collar was dropped as part of the plea deal.
Cunningham stated then that he killed the beagle on Jan. 16 after it became aggressive as he and his young son tried to catch it after it had roamed from a neighboring hunting club onto his leased land.
Garrick confirmed details of the plea deal Monday, adding that he is satisfied since it avoided the potential of a drawn-out court case and jury trial.
"I feel like we got a good settlement and we don't have to wait as much as three years for a jury trial," Garrick, 80, said. "I'm not that interested in the amount. If it would have been a dollar I would have been satisfied. I'm more interested in him accepting responsibility and knowing that he'll be on probation during next deer season. I don't want him to shoot another dog."
Morrow said the plea deal was a win for dog hunters.
"We really wanted two years of probation to make a stronger point, but in the end, I wouldn't want a cruelty to animals conviction on my record," Morrow said. "Mr. Garrick was satisfied and we stand with him on behalf of all dog hunters across Alabama.
"People have to understand they can't just shoot another person's dog."
"Mr. Garrick was satisfied and we stand with him on behalf of all dog hunters across Alabama." -- Susan Morrow
Morrow said incidents like this one and too many others across the state were the impetus behind her organization's lobbying on behalf of legislation recently introduced by Rep. Jack Williams of Mobile that would stiffen penalties specifically related to shooting a hunting dog.
"I'm very glad to see this bill introduced and hope it passes. There are far too many hunting dogs shot each year by people that want our way of hunting to stop," Morrow said. "Hunters need to band together, regardless of how you prefer to hunt."
The bill states that a person commits the crime of killing a hunting dog if he or she intentionally kills any pure-breed or mixed-breed of dog developed to assist hunters in finding, retrieving or killing game.
Penalties would be added to any cruelty to animals conviction.
They range from not less than $3,000 and revocation of a hunting license for a year for a first offense to not less than $10,000 and permanent revocation of hunting license for a third offense.
Offenders can also lose or have their hunting license revoked if they fail to pay restitution to the owner for the value of the dog.
Garrick also supports the tougher penalties proposed in William's bill.
"I've owned dogs and used dogs to hunt all my life. I don't believe in cruelty to animals no matter the species," Garrick said. "These people running their mouths about shooting dogs if they come on their property, they're just mean people. They just can't be thinking about what they're saying because that's just wrong. The more they're punished if they shoot a hunting dog is OK with me. I'd like to see it happen."
The Clarke County Sheriff's Office still has outstanding warrants for a Louisiana man suspected of killing three deer dogs in the same area of Zimco on nearly the same date in January 2013.
