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Cruelty to Animals in Denver | Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

If facing charges of Cruelty to Animals in Denver, contact a Cruelty to Animals lawyer at the O'Malley Law Office.Animal activists and Colorado police take animal cruelty very seriously. What is Cruelty to Animals? According to C.R.S. 18-9-202, a person in Denver or Adams County can be found guilty of animal abuse if they intentionally do any of the following to an animal in their custody, care or control:

  • Strike a dog who will not quit barking
  • Injure or kill – for example, dog fighting
  • Kick a dog for jumping on a visitor
  • Engage in sexual relations with an animal
  • Make a work animal carry too much weight
  • Throw rocks at an animal
  • Place on a chain in the backyard and have no other contact with them
  • Force a horse to work too hard without frequent breaks
  • Forget their pet's care such as food, water, shelter while on a vacation or gone from home
  • Run in quickly to a store, leaving an animal in a car on either a hot or cold day

Animal Cruelty Lawyer in Adams County: Unintentional Animal Cruelty

Sometimes animal abuse is intentional. However, there are times where cruelty occurs unintentionally. Some examples include:

  • taking in too many animals because you have a soft spot for pets,
  • in order to save money, you try to treat your pet's wounds and other injuries yourself,
  • using poor discipline methods because you do not know any better,
  • or even asking someone you know to care for your pet (dog, cat, hamster, etc), and they forget or do a poor job.

When an animal is physically harmed or abused, cruelty to animals is charged. A person could have good intentions, but those do not always pay off.

Cruelty to Animals Lawyer in Jefferson County: Intentional Animal Cruelty

Then, there are the times when a person is intentionally mean to an animal. This can occur to animals both large and small. In the case of a large animal, the owner might put them in a cage too small for them or put too many cats in the same cage. Another instance might be whipping a sled dog to make it work harder, or making a donkey go without food because they did not do a good job working. Sometimes, people even take their anger out on their pets and beat them to the point of death. In today's culture, dog fighting is prevalent. According to The Humane Society, “dog fighting is a sadistic contest in which two dogs—specifically bred, conditioned, and trained to fight—are placed in a pit (generally a small arena enclosed by plywood walls) to fight each other for the spectators' entertainment and gambling.” Training these animals and putting then in a “pit” would be charged Cruelty to Animals. These animals are trying to please their masters who in return harm them.

Douglas County Cruelty to Animals: Feeling Overwhelmed By Your Pet? Find Help

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the care of your pet, either give your pet to someone who is able to take care of it or consider giving it to your local animal shelter. People looking for pets often visit shelters, and some businesses (International Hearing Dog, Inc) even visit shelters to look for dogs able to be trained in order to be a hearing dog, Seeing Eye dog, or other types of service dogs. There are options out there.

Lawyer in Arapahoe County for Animal Cruelty: Contact Sawyer Legal Group

Whether unintentional or intentional abuse occurs, someone (neighbor, friend, family member, or person walking down the road) is watching – and may accuse you. Officers in Jefferson and Douglas County do not leave any wiggle room when it comes to animals. If abuse is reported, Animal Control Officers will come to your home to investigate. Never let them into your home or yard. Step onto the porch and speak politely with them and never give any incriminating statements. Talking could result in fines or jail time in Arapahoe and Elbert County.

 

Colorado Cruelty to Animals Statute: C.R.S. 18-9-202

“A person commits cruelty to animals if he or she knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence overdrives, overloads, overworks, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beats, allows to be housed in a manner that results in chronic or repeated serious physical harm, carries or confines in or upon any vehicles in a cruel or reckless manner, engages in a sexual act with an animal, or otherwise mistreats or neglects any animal, or causes or procures it to be done, or, having the charge or custody of any animal, fails to provide it with proper food, drink, or protection from the weather consistent with the species, breed, and type of animal involved or abandons an animal.”

Get Help Now

If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in the Denver area, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the top criminal defense lawyers at Sawyer Legal Group, LLC at 303-830-0880. Together, we can protect your future. Request a Free Consultation

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