In Memory of Magnum and Scruffy: Magnum's Law

In August, 2005 in Wichita, Kansas, citizens passing by a recycling bin heard muffled sounds. They stopped to look inside the container. There they found an 11 week old Labrador-mix puppy near death. The puppy had multiple injuries, including a broken leg, cuts, and chemical burns over much of his body. He had been bound with wire and one paw had been stuffed into his mouth. He had been tortured, then thrown away to die.

The puppy was taken to Heartland Animal Hospital where veterinarians and staff named him Magnum and tried their best to save him.

News of the puppy hit the community quickly. Most people were outraged that anyone would treat a puppy the way Magnum had been treated and we all hoped beyond hope that he would survive. Unfortunately, Magnum passed away just a few days later.

Magnum's death would not be in vain, though. Veterinarians and other animal lovers in the community were determined that something would change and change quickly. Animal cruelty and Kansas' lax animal cruelty laws had made the front page again and this time the community's voice would be heard. A bill was proposed, Senate bill No.408, dubbed Magnum's law, that would impose mandatory jail time of at least 30 days in jail, a fine of $500-$5,000, and mandatory psychological evaluation for convicted offenders.

Years before, in 1997, a similar bill (Senate bill No.135) had been proposed after a Yorkshire terrier named Scruffy was beaten and burned alive in Kansas City. Those responsible were caught. They had videotaped the event and showed it to friends. Under the current laws of the time, the abusers were charged only with a misdemeanor for torturing Scruffy. More severe felony charges were only brought for arson, because they had set him on fire. Despite community outrage over the case, Scruffy's law to make animal cruelty a felony was knocked down several times by the Kansas Senate.

Would Magnum's law, (Senate bill No. 408), which was stricter than Scruffy's law, pass? It would, thanks to the immense pressure the community put on lawmakers.

There are many ways the Kansas community mobilized to push lawmakers to pass Magnum's law. The press helped by publishing many stories on the case itself and the citizen action group called Magnum Force--a group dedicated to finding those responsible for Magnum's terrible injuries. Journalists also reminded the public of the link between animal cruelty and violent offenders who commit vicious crimes against people. Wichita had just gone through the capture and trial--at last--of a serial killer who had plagued the area for many years. I think I can speak for many when I say our tolerance for sociopathic behavior was very low.

Veterinarians were, naturally, strongly in favor of Magnum's law. Every pet supply store and Veterinary clinic I visited during that time had pro Magnum's law petitions to sign. Citizens signed these petitions readily.

Through letters to the newspaper, letters to lawmakers, and by signing petitions passed all over the community, the public made a clear statement: Animal lovers in Kansas wanted stricter laws against animal cruelty. Finally, the following summer, the community was granted their wish. Magnum's law went into effect July 1, 2006.

Will stricter laws such as Magnum's law completely prevent animal torture and malicious killing? Unfortunately, no. But by taking a stand as a community and saying, "This is serious and it is not okay to torture animals--and it will land you a felony conviction with mandatory jail time and psychological evaluation," the community puts out a much stronger message about what will and will not be tolerated.

Intentional malicious cruelty to animals is a felony in most, but not all, states at the time of this writing. Punishment and fines vary. If you live in one of the few remaining states that treat animal torture as a misdemeanor only, and you wish the laws were stricter, I hope that this article will inspire you to contact your lawmakers and mobilize your community for change.

If anyone reading this is among those who believe that animal cruelty is not such a big deal and that it doesn't warrant stricter laws, I take this opportunity to remind you of the link between animal torture and violent crimes against humans. It is well known that nearly all serial killers and many other violent offenders have a history of animal cruelty. It is in society's best interest that persons who intentionally and maliciously injure, maim or otherwise torture or kill an animal are held accountable. It is in society's best interest that those capable of committing such cowardly, malicious acts be well noted.

As of this writing, the individual/s who tortured Magnum has not been apprehended. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Wichita animal shelter. I've included the link below.

http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Environmental/AnimalShelter/

http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0103/articles/010321a.htm

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-uspup234398411aug26,0,69102.story