WASHINGTON, D.C. – A representative of the Humane Society of the United States said the Humane Society considers the video of the alleged torture of a wounded deer in Jefferson County to be “cruelty.”
“The brutality documented in this video appears to be a violation of the Animal Abuse Statute which passed in 2017 and provided felony-level penalties for intentional and knowing acts of violence against animals,” said Kristen Tullo, Pennsylvania state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
Tullo said the provisions of the Animal Abuse Statute Overhaul applies to all animals.
“There’s no exemption for the activities that these young men engaged in and the fact that it was a deer that was the victim does not impact the severity of their crimes,” Tullo said. “This law, there’s no exclusion based on species and this falls squarely under the violations in the sections 5533 cruelty to animals and 5534 for aggravated cruelty to animals.
“There are exemptions for various activities under Libre’s Law but this crime does not fall under any of the exemptions.”
Read more: https://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/.