Puppy tortured, baked to death in Georgia

Please help us get justice for this innocent, defenseless pup. A
mistrial was declared in the case Friday because, according to the
Atlanta Journal Constitution, one juror simply refused to deliberate.
The story is below, followed by a form letter and contact info for
Georgia's Governor, House Speaker,and the Representative who chairs the
delegation for Fulton County/Atlanta, where this horrendous crime took
place, requesting that the state increase criminal penalties for animal
torture. If you live in Georgia, please also contact your local
representative and senator. Thank you so much.



Gruesome detail in puppy torture trial
Brothers who killed dog in oven face animal cruelty charges

By D.L. BENNETT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/07/06
Jurors recoiled in horror and wiped their eyes Thursday as prosecutors
produced a series of grisly photos of a tiny puppy tortured and then
killed in a gas oven.
The blood-stained oven showed scratch marks on the door and walls,
indicating that the young dog - its mouth and feet duct-taped -
struggled before it died.

Beige paint also covered the puppy and the inside of the oven, a final
act of cruelty before the animal was tossed into the stove.
Two teenage brothers, Justin and Joshua Moulder, are on trial in Fulton
County Superior Court for the acts that even defense attorneys
described as "horrific and gruesome."
"The puppy struggled all the way until it death," said Laura Janssen,
senior assistant district attorney, in her opening statement. She held
a small, black stuffed dog to demonstrate the animal's treatment to the
jury.
She stressed that the two brothers didn't just kill the dog in a
sudden, random act of unexplainable violence. Instead, their treatment
of the dog was cold, hard, calculated and deliberate.
She said prosecutors will show the brothers first dumped paint on the
3-month-old puppy, and tried to set it on fire. They duct-taped the
puppy's paws to restrain it, and then lashed the same tape across its
mouth.
When they failed to burn the dog, the two brothers set the bound,
paint-covered puppy on a counter, opened the stove, removed two baking
racks and then stuffed it inside, Janssen said.
She described their behavior as "inhuman and barbaric."
The torture, police say, occurred on Aug. 21 as the two boys broke into
and then trashed the newly refurbished community center at the
Englewood Manor apartments.
Lawyer Timothy Owens, representing 19-year-old Justin Moulder,
acknowledged the puppy's fate was horrible but maintained his client is
innocent.
"He did not do it," Owens said.
Likewise, Kevin Schumaker, representing 17-year-old Joshua Moulder,
said there was no proof his client either trashed the center or killed
the dog. He said much of the case hinges on five neighborhood children
who fingered the brothers and may not be reliable. Other potential
witnesses disappeared, he said.
"Do we just have two young men being served up on a silver platter?"
Schumaker said.
Janssen said the state will eventually produce clothing and other items
that tie the two boys to the scene. She also said they bragged about
their acts to the five younger children, showed them their work and
later threatened to kill them for calling police.
The trial is expected to take up to two weeks.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Governor Perdue,
Speaker Richardson,
Rep. Holmes,


Due to an especially horrific recent case of animal cruelty in Fulton
County, I am writing to urge you to support an increase in criminal
penalties for animal torture in the state of Georgia. As you know,
people who commit heinous crimes against animals are much more likely
to harm human beings, and this particular case of animal cruelty is so
reprehensible it cries out for a change in the law.

According to the Fulton County District Attorney, in August 2006,
Justin Moulder, 18, and Joshua Moulder, 17, "brought a tan and white
puppy into the [Englewood Manor] Community Center. They tied her front
paws together with duct tape, tied her rear paws together with duct
tape, and then taped her front and hind legs together with tape. They
wound tape so tightly around the puppy's mouth and nose she could
barely breathe.

That was only the beginning. The puppy, less than five months old, was
immersed in white paint which the defendants tried to ignite with
matches or a lighter. When that didn't work, they removed two shelves
from a commercial gas range, put the pup inside, turned on the gas and
literally cooked this animal inside and out. The puppy's body was so
charred; the doctor who performed the necropsy could not determine
which breed she was."

Following this horrific case, the eyes of the nation are on Georgia.
Please demonstrate that you believe no animal should ever be treated in
such a manner in the great state of Georgia and should such a crime
occur, those responsible will be severely punished. Currently,
conviction under Georgia's felony Aggravated Cruelty to Animals law
is punishable by just five (5) years in prison. I hope you will
consider supporting a change in the law to increase that penalty to at
least ten (10) years.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(your name)


Addresses:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue
Governor, State of Georgia
Governor Sonny Perdue
203 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-1776
404-657-7332 (Fax)


The Hon. Rep. Glenn Richardson
Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives
PO Box 1750
Hiram, Georgia 30141
glenn.richardson DeleteThis @house.ga.gov


The Hon. Rep. Bob Holmes
PO Box 110009
Atlanta, Georgia 30311-3203
bholmes DeleteThis @cau.edu