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Perhaps the Garden State should switch its nickname to the Barnyard State. A New Jersey judge has dismissed animal cruelty charges against a cop accused of committing a sex act with cows, saying a grand jury had no way of knowing whether the animals were "tormented." Moorestown police officer Robert Melia, who is currently suspended, allegedly stuck his penis in the mouths of five calves in Southampton in 2006. Since New Jersey currently has no law explicitly banning such an act, prosecutors in Burlington county brought animal cruelty charges against Melia, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "If the cow had...

KAPOWSIN, Wash. - Investigators from Seattle police and the Pierce County Sheriff's Department say they've busted a cock-fighting ring operating in southeastern Pierce County. Investigators seized more than 50 roosters at the suspected cock-fighting operation near Kapowsin Friday. Investigators from several agencies are raiding a property in the 32400 block of Meridian Avenue East near the small town of Kapowsin where the alleged ring operated, said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer. Sheriff's SWAT and Meth Lab teams entered the property Friday to serve search warrants. So far, they've recovered 51 cocks and are rounding up more birds, said...

Here is a video report on a cat that limped home with a 13-inch arrow through his head. The Vet was able to remove the arrow which had just skinned the skull and the cat is recovering. The local Humane Assoc. is offering a $500 award for an arrest of the person responsible on a charge of animal cruelty. (Watch Video)

Here is a video report from Dallas on what appears to be a "cat butcher" on the loose. Four cats have been found killed and sliced apart in front yards in a neighborhood area of Dallas. At first, people thought it might be the work of animals, but now stab wounds have been detected and police believe someone is going after cats. . . . . (Watch Video)

Michael Vick's dog fighting was hideous, but what would you say to a blood sport that features animal combatants that are subjected to electrocution, burning and near drowning? Even more amazing, contestants fighting their animals are as young as 12! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying the comic within this thread. Thanks a bunch!

Robin Starr has been an outspoken critic of NFL quarterback Michael Vick for leading a cruel dogfighting ring. Vick acted despicably, then served his time in prison. But today Starr is dealing with a cruel twist of fate. A 16-year-old family dog died in the back seat of her car last week after being left there for four hours on a hot day in Richmond, Va. Let's be clear: By all accounts so far, this was an accident that could have been avoided. Starr, the CEO of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says she didn't...

RICHMOND, Va. — A dog belonging to the CEO of the Richmond, Va., Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals died after accidentally being left alone for four hours in her hot car. Robin Starr's husband Ed told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he put the 16-year-old mutt named Louie, who was deaf and blind, into his wife's vehicle on Aug. 19 as she was getting ready for work. Starr often took the dog to the office with her. But on that day, she arrived at work without realizing Louie was in the car. Several hours later, at about noon,...

RICHMOND, Va. — An executive for an anti-animal cruelty group says her 16-year-old blind and deaf dog died after she accidentally left him in her hot car for four hours.

The U.S. Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments in U.S. v. Stevens on Oct. 6. NSSF alerted conservation, sportsmen and outdoor media groups to this case previously and filed an amicus brief with the court. The case centers around a 1999 federal statute used to prosecute a Virginia man on animal cruelty-related charges that could similarly be used to prosecute retailers for stocking and selling books, DVDs or art depicting hunting scenes. In the 2004 case, the defendant was initially convicted, but the decision was later overturned by the Third Court of Appeals as a violation of the...

A young dog who made a miracle recovery after being set alight is set to come face-to-face with his torturers in open court.

Disgraced quarterback Michael Vick declared Sunday that he really "cares" about animals. He says he wept in disgust over his own cruelty to animals while serving time for running a bloody dogfighting ring. And yes, he also found God in prison. Treading the well-worn path of career revival, Vick went on CBS' "60 Minutes" pledging to devote himself to teaching kids from poor backgrounds to be kind to animals. "When I was in prison, I was disgusted, you know, because of what I let happen to those animals. I could've put a stop to it," he said. "And that was...

Former Atlanta Falcon, now Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick, fresh off Sunday’s appearance on 60 Minutes, sure has his loyal supporters, and they have surprising strength in numbers. All seem to agree that Vick has done his time for running Bad Newz Kennels, his infamous dogfighting ring. So he tortured, maimed, electrocuted, drowned, and body-slammed a bunch of dogs. You want remorse for that, when other football players kill people? Leave the guy alone! Vick sat in jail long enough, he’s been punished enough, he deserves a second chance, now let him enjoy a full comeback to the NFL with all...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A California man accused of decapitating his horse with a chain saw has been ordered to stand trial on animal cruelty charges. A Riverside Superior Court judge said Wednesday there was enough evidence to try 64-year-old Jack Ziniuk.

Police find 112 live chihuahuas Police find 150 dead chihuahuas Started with two dogs four years ago POLICE were shocked to find more than 150 dead dogs packed into a freezer in a US home yesterday. The dogs were found at the home of a “confused and disoriented” man who earlier this week had 112 live dogs – mostly chihuahuas – removed from his Michigan home. Authorities were alerted to the presence of the dogs after neighbours complained about the stench of the place and found chihuahuas “everywhere” in his filthy three-bedroom home. Garbage was piled to the ceiling and...

Why Should This Photo Be Illegal? By Darren Warner Imagine going to the video store to rent a copy of your favorite hunting show, only to find the shelves bare. When you ask the clerk where they are, he tells you that the films are now illegal and that you can’t buy or rent them anymore.  This may sound like something out of 1984, but in United States v. Robert J. Stevens, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide this fall if photos like the one above, or video that shows hunters shooting at game, violate a 1999 federal law...

COLDWATER - DeSoto County authorities are seeking information on the execution-style slaying of two family pets in Coldwater on July 7. DeSoto County Crimestoppers coordinator David Holland said the incident occurred on Callicott Drive in Coldwater during the daytime hours on July 7. Holland said a 10-year-old white German Shepherd was shot three times in the neck and once in the head. The dog was discovered floating in the family's pond when the homeowner returned home from work about 5 p.m. Another resident on Coldwater Drive reported that a Labrador and Chow mix was discovered underneath the back porch after...

The man accused of trying to gut a cat that belongs to a South Seattle church has changed his plea. Tracy Clark originally entered a not guilty plea to a first-degree animal cruelty charge in May for the April 20 attack that left Scat the cat with multiple stab wounds, including a 7-inch gash on its side. But on Monday Clark changed his stance and entered a guilty plea. The injured cat had been the pet therapy cat at the Cross Church & Discipleship Center for the past eight years. Clark, 47, said he had enrolled in rehabilitation at the...

A Columbus firefighter admits that he took his two dogs to the basement, tied them up and blasted them with a rifle so he and a girlfriend could vacation without paying to board the animals. "He said chunks of concrete were flying everywhere," Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Heather Robinson said. "I think it was the thrill of the kill for him. He has shown no remorse for this." Firefighter David P. Santuomo, 43, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a criminal tool -- for taping a 2-liter plastic bottle onto the...

Man Shoots Pit Bull Attacking Teen Friday, June 19, 2009 5:04 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man shot a pit bull in the leg Thursday evening to stop the dog from attacking a teenager. Police said the dog tore part of the 15-year-old boy's ear and bit his arm and leg, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported. According to police, the attack was the culmination of an argument among neighbors on Diane Place on the south side. The argument escalated into a fight involving the boy and others on the street. A witness told detectives they heard the owner of the dog...

MIAMI (June 14) - Authorities say a teenager has been arrested and accused of committing a series of cat mutilation deaths in his Miami area community.