CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #12699 Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Dog beaten with stick
Portage, MI (US)Incident Date: Saturday, May 6, 2006
County: Kalamazoo
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Ashley Jeanne Gennara
A video shows Ashley Gennara beating a dog numerous times with a large stick. She was later charged, pleaded guilty and was put on probation.
"It had actually been going on for many months," said Katherine Rocafield, who captured the incident on video.
She turned the evidence over to Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement. Rocafield says this is just one of the dogs and one of the instances.
"You could literally hear the thwacks as she hit the dogs with broom handles, with branches. She even took fence posts from my fence," Rocafield told 24 Hour News 8.
Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit group, now has the video and put it on YouTube.com.
"She (Gennara) has gotten a slap on the wrist - probation - no community services, and no lengthy jail sentence," said Patricia Aldering of Dogs Deserve Better.
The group says they want to bring awareness and push for more strict laws and ordinances in Kalamazoo County.
"Probation is good, but that's a minimum that should happen in any of these cases. Jail time is always better," said Steve Lawrence, the director of Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement.
He says pushing for that extra penalty can be tough.
For instance, in this case, Lawrence says there was evidence, but Gennara didn't own the dogs, didn't have a prior record and the dog surprisingly didn't have any injuries.
Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement says the dogs have been returned to their owner. Gennara has violated her probation and still is not allowed near any dog. References- WOOD-TV - Nov 20, 2007
- YouTube - Nov 20, 2007
- Animal Services Case Number 06AC15598
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