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Long Island Rabbit Cruelty Case
September, 2003:
Update
PLEASE CROSS POST
Forwarded Message:
Subj: UPDATE ON NY RABBIT CRUELTY CASE
Date: 8/9/2003 12:51:20 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: veganvirago at comcast.net
PLEASE CROSS POST
DO NOT REPLY TO SENDER
The original alert about this case is at the end.
----- Original Message -----
From: Lorraine Keshner SevenRabbits at aol.com
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 3:55 PM
Subject: Rabbit Update.....
Hi Everyone!
The court date for Matteo Loverso and Rosario Loverso (father & son of Bay
Shore) has once again been moved by the defense council, this time to August
24th Part D54 District. I'm told they have the right to move it a reasonable
number of times although an exact number was not given me. It looks like
they're going to continue to postpone the court date till, my guess is, it
might
untimely be dismissed or just given a very light tap on the wrist. At this
point, even though the odds are against us, I think a last redirection might
be the
only way to go.....
Because rabbits are considered a "food" animal... they have almost no rights
at all... That has to change.... It will not be changed by the outcome of
this case.... It's only a stepping stone.... However:
I think we still have to do the following......
Send an amazing amount of letters to "Newsday" that protest the inexcusable
behavior of a court system that would take this kind of abuse lightly just
because the individuals involved (rabbits) are food animals.
Important note: Under no circumstances are the letters and faxes and calls
to be threatening in any manner toward anyone. Not the individuals involved,
not the court administration. We are all better than that and that will not
get
us anywhere.... In speaking to Mr. Langlin, he was very upset that they
received these correspondence of this kind.
Letters should be fewer than 250 words. They will be edited for length,
clarity and accuracy. Writers must mention relevant financial, political or
other interest in a subject. All letters, including those sent via e-mail,
must
have the writer's day and night telephone numbers and mailing address.
E-mailed
letters should NOT be sent as attachments. We cannot acknowledge or return
letters. Letters become the property of Newsday and may be published in all
media.
Anonymous letters will not be printed.
Send e-mail to "mail to: letters at newsday.com
You may also write to:
Letters Editor
Newsday
235 Pinelawn Road
Melville, NY 11747-4250
or fax to (718) 793-6422.
Continue to call, fax and write letters to the DA's office:
To that end, the letters can be addressed to
Thomas J. Spota, District Attorney
Suffolk County District Attorneys Office
Building #77 N. County Complex
Hauppauge, NY 11787
Phone number - 631-853-4161
Fax number - 631-853-5117
The Assistant DA Jeff Langlan is an extremely nice and cordial individual
who
is caught between a rock and a hard place as far as being able to help this
case any further.
His phone number is 631-853-4104
and fax number is 631-853-5844
You might also send a letter or fax to the Honorable Alan D. Oshrin,
District
Administrative Judge
631-853-5368 or
fax 631-853-7741
Perhaps Jennifer McLogan of CBS 2 could be persuaded to do a follow up piece
on the unfairness of where we are..
her number is (212) 975-4321 or fax (212) 975-9387
or
(CBS) CBS Evening News, Weekdays editions:
ADDRESS:
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
524 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
E-MAIL: evening at cbsnews.com
PHONE: (212) 975-3247
PLEASE COPY WHATEVER YOU SEND TO:
Jerry Lauber of the SPCA in Suffolk County. His mailing address is:
Suffolk County SPCA
363 Route 111
Smithtown, New York 11787.
The phone number is 631-382-7722 (Natalie is his secretary, she's a honey)
On another note: Please, please find out who your Congressman, Senator or
representative is for your area and write him or her to help change the laws
concerning food animals and backyard slaughter. Let them know that they have
a body of voters who care about the humane treatment of "ALL" animals....
even
those designed for slaughter.... This part will not happen overnight but it
"WILL HAPPEN"... I do know that together we can all bring about a change in
how we treat any animal. In fact, a small group of people fighting for a worthy
cause is the only thing that ever has brought about significant change.
Thank you and
Fight the Good Fight
Lorraine Keshner
May, 2003 UPDATE: LONG ISLAND RABBIT CRUELTY CASEIn late March, we ran an item about a Long Island family that had been caught on videotape abusing rabbits. These animals, which they had raised for food, were repeatedly hit in the head, thrown to the family dog and eventually skinned alive. To help ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished, the California-based House Rabbit Society (HRS) asked readers to write to the Suffolk County District Attorney, urging him to charge these individuals with felony cruelty. According to Lorraine Keshner, an animal advocate involved in rabbit rescue, the case will be heard in court on June 11. "The District Attorney's office has received so many faxes, letters and phone calls from people all over the country, that they consider the case to be 'under investigation.'" ASPCA News Alert readers, there's still time to voice your opinion about this horrible cruelty. If you haven't already done so, please send a polite letter to Thomas J. Spota, Suffolk County District Attorney, PO Box 6100, Hauppauge, NY 11788-0099. Your Help Needed On February 10, Channel 2, the CBS affiliate in New York, aired a news segment which showed a Long Island family abusing rabbits who they were raising for food. The home video showed, among other things, rabbits being being repeatedly hit in the head with "karate chops," thrown to the family dog who was encouraged to go after them and who bit them about the neck, and then finally being dangled by the hind legs and skinned alive, while fully conscious and screaming in agony. During all this, family members laughed and enjoyed themselves. While the raising of rabbits for meat is legal, the treatment of the rabbits in the video is clearly illegal and grossly cruel. The video, for instance, clearly showed a rabbit being skinned alive. The local authorities are planning, as was reported by Long Island's Newsday, to charge the individuals with one count of misdemeanor cruelty. The original news story has been reprinted with permission from the Newsday archives and can be seen at: Cruelty Laws can be Torture: http://www.rabbit.org/opinion/newsday-reprint.html "Unfortunately, the present aggravated cruelty law in NY state pertains only to "companion animals" -- not to animals kept as food. Therefore, please send polite letters to both the District Attorney of Suffolk County, as well as to the Suffolk County SPCA, asking the DA to levy felony charges under New York state's animal fighting law (article 26, section 351), so that this case can be prosecuted as a felony. Ask them to demand the harshest possible sentence. A strong message needs to be sent out to the public that this kind of cruelty depicted in the CBS broadcast cannot be tolerated in a civilized society, and that to condone this cruelty, performed for entertainment, is the worst possible message that we as a society can send." Please contact: Thomas J. Spota, District Attorney Gerald Lauber, DirectorSuffolk County SPCA Roy Gross, Chief Executive Director The following is updated contact information for District Attorney Spota, and others for this case. We continue to urge you to write (via U.S. mail) or call with regard to this case.
US Mail only: Other delivery services and telegrams: District Attorney Fax Numbers:
Also, please join the Petition Campaign and sign the petition that is being forwarded to District Attorney Spota with regard to this case. Access the petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/hare1213/petition.html |
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