Humane Society of Louisiana Critical of Judge's Leniency HSLA: Animal Abuser Gets Off Lightly

The Humane Society of Louisiana is highly critical of a recent sentencing handed down by a Marksville judge. During a January 10th hearing, Anthony Papelbon pleaded guilty to one count of cruelty to animals and criminal trespass. A Marksville business owner found a stray black and tan puppy in the parking lot of her business in October of last year. Thinking it was unusual to find a puppy at her place of work, she viewed the videotape from the previous night and saw a man drive to her parking lot, where he pulled a puppy from a plastic carrier, placed it on the pavement, and drove away.

The witness contacted the Humane Society to ask if abandoning animals was illegal, and the group affirmed that it was. State lawmakers specifically outlawed this practice under L.A. Revised Statute: 14: 102.1. A (1) (d). It is also a violation of the city ordinances.

The Humane Society encouraged the witness to file a report with the Marksville Police Department, and the group agreed to pay for the puppy's wellness check at a local veterinary clinic. The police took a report and identified Anthony Papelbon as the vehicle's driver and the person responsible for abandoning the puppy.

Meanwhile, a local group, Atchafalaya River Rescue, took custody of the puppy and eventually rehomed her to a loving family in New Jersey. They named her Basil. (See last photo).

As soon as Papelbon entered his guilty plea, Judge Piazza waived almost all penalties and simply offered a mild rebuke of "Don't do it again or you'll go to jail." Judge Piazza sentenced Mr. Papelbon to six months of unsupervised probation.

Instead of using this case to send a strong message to animal abusers and the public that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, or Louisiana, this lenient sentence will have the opposite effect, according to the Humane Society. This light penalty will have a chilling effect on all humane societies throughout the state.

"It undermines all our work and the sentiment of our lawmakers who specifically criminalized this activity," says Jeff Dorson, HSLA Director.

"We are extremely disappointed by Judge Piazza's lenient sentencing. Several individuals and groups worked very hard, from the witness to the police, to the rescue group, to our organization to bring this matter to trial with no positive results to show for it," says Jeff Dorson, HSLA Director.

As far as we know, Judge Piazza never inquired about the health or final disposition of the puppy, never asked to see the medical chart, or allowed any individual or group to be compensated for their expenses.

The group shared the progress and outcome of this case on its social media platforms and asked individuals to contact Judge Piazza with their concerns.

"Our final response to this case is one of disappointment. It is difficult to catch and charge a person abandoning an animal because they do it covertly, hoping to avoid detection. To charge a suspect and obtain a guilty plea is an accomplishment. However, for our courts to take this crime so lightly does our community a grave disservice. This light penalty does not reflect the standards of our community. Animals should not be abandoned, mistreated, or harmed in any way, and the courts should reflect those sentiments," adds Dorson.

Established in 1988, the Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest humane organizations in the state, for more information, please visit its website at www.humanela.org.