Animal and Child Neglect Go Hand in Hand Take action now! 11/16/09 Update: The nine dogs seized from Lennis Stephens’ property have since been forfeited over to authorities – and a court order prohibits Stephens from possessing animals within Volusia County. Now facing nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, Mr. Stephens has a pretrial hearing scheduled for December 1, 2009 at 1:30pm. (Please contact the Court to verify hearing locations and court dates as they are subject to change.) (Volusia County, FL) Allegedly training dogs for fighting at his home, Lennis Stephens faces felony charges of child neglect as well as animal cruelty. The reported deplorable conditions of his property made it dangerous and uninhabitable. Stephens’ five-year-old daughter is now living with relatives and child protective services is investigating. Eight chained and reportedly starving dogs were found outside the house, while a ninth was discovered inside. Dogs raised for fighting are forced to live desperately, repeatedly suffering ruthless and gruesome abuses as well as systematic neglect. Tragically, it is not unusual for children to be victimized by this culture as well – either taken to fighting events by the very adults they should be able to count on to shield them from harm, or, as this case so sadly illustrates, chronically exposed to squalid and dangerous living conditions.  What You Can Do Letters may be written to your state legislators, encouraging them to consider ALDF’s First Strike and You're Out law. Note concern for the prevalence of animal fighting in your community and your expectation that law enforcement agents be well-trained and supported by meaningful legislation. Forward-looking sentences are crucial to effective animal fighting interventions - not only for the sake of the animal and child victims tied to a current case, but as a means of frustrating the chronic cycle of criminal abuses which animal fighters embrace. A pre-trial hearing date is currently scheduled for December 1, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. Locals are encouraged to support the prosecution by attending court proceedings as the case progresses. (Always contact the Court to confirm hearing locations and court dates as they are subject to change.) Read ALDF's tips for attending a criminal court proceeding. Court location and information: Clerk of the Circuit Court, Criminal Division Volusia County Justice Center 251 N. Ridgewood Avenue Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Phone: 386-239-7750 Courthouse Annex (City Island) 125 East Orange Ave. Daytona Beach, FL  32114 Case Numbers: C2C0945847MMAES   C2C0945846MMAES

November 21, 2009 Subject: Please support a First Strike and You're Out law in our state Dear Representative, Currently, most states have no mandatory requirements keeping those who are convicted of animal abuse crimes away from animals following their convictions. This is despite the fact that offenders have demonstrated, through their actions, their utter disregard for the welfare of animals, and that recidivism in some types of animal abuse cases can reach 100%. Yet having an animal in one's life is a privilege, not a right - and with that privilege comes certain responsibilities, including the responsibility of providing adequate care and otherwise not abusing or neglecting the animal. The FIRST STRIKE AND YOU'RE OUT law drafted by the Animal Legal Defense Fund provides another tool to help combat animal neglect and cruelty by mandating that those who are convicted of a violation of their state animal protection laws are prohibited from owning or having contact with animals for a set period of time, ranging from five years for a first misdemeanor offense up to the lifetime of the offender following a second felony offense. A FIRST STRIKE AND YOU'RE OUT law will also help reduce the huge economic toll that repeat offenders impose on their communities - animal fighting cases in particular are very costly, often requiring the cooperation of several local agencies. Please support a FIRST STRIKE AND YOU'RE OUT law in our state for criminals who are convicted of animal neglect and cruelty. Such a law would: - Separate offenders from potential new victims - Help to reduce future crimes against animals and save limited community resources - Set a period of time where offenders who have already demonstrated their irresponsibility with animals are not allowed contact with them - Address the near 100% recidivism rate for offenders. For more information on ALDF's model law, or for assistance in drafting a FIRST STRIKE AND YOU'RE OUT law for our state, please visit http://www.aldf.org/firststrike or contact legislation@aldf.org. We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces (the) Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Other Zip/Postal Code*
Related information: Animal Fighting Facts Letter Writing Tips