The Central New York community is rallying behind a dog found shivering and starving off of Route 48 in Baldwinsville.
The young black Labrador mix, whom supporters have named Hope, was found Jan. 26 by a hunter in 7-degree temperatures. With her in a carrier was a cat, Cally, who had already succumbed to starvation and the cold. According to the CNY SPCA, Hope was “emaciated, had overgrown nails and was loaded with fleas.”
Fortunately, the individuals who abandoned the two animals have already been located and arrested. William Lasher, 47, and Robin Lasher, 48, both of Fulton, will be arraigned Feb. 25 in Lysander Town Court on several animal cruelty charges.
Lysander Dog Control Officer Dan Boccardo, who along with Rich Billings responded to the hunter’s call, said seeing Hope’s condition “broke [his] heart.”
“It was quite shocking to think that someone could abandon an animal like they would a piece of garbage,” Boccardo said.
Boccardo sent Hope and a report of her case to the CNY SPCA, and her owners were arrested within two days, thanks to social media and the efforts of SPCA cruelty investigators.
While Hope is expected to make a full recovery — she’s already gained six pounds and is wagging her tail at the SPCA — many community members expressed outrage that the Lashers are only facing misdemeanor charges. They have been charged with two counts of failure to provide proper sustenance for an animal, two counts of an act of cruelty to an animal and one count of unjustifiable death of an animal.
SPCA officials expressed their frustration with the legal process, too. Cruelty Investigator Paulene Eggers penned an explanation of the charges on the CNY SPCA Facebook page.
“Our cruelty investigators can only enforce the New York Agricultural and Markets Law animal cruelty section. We fully understand the outrage over what these people did and the misdemeanor charges fall short of their actions,” Eggers wrote. “Contact your congressman. The animal cruelty laws are outdated and should be either moved over to the [New York state] penal law or at least updated. Nothing frustrates us more than to only be allowed to charge these people misdemeanors!”
Eggers said moving animal cruelty laws from the Agricultural and Markets Law to the penal code would institute stiffer penalties for people who abuse animals.
Elizabeth Donnelly, a Gloversville-based administrator for a handful of area animal advocacy web pages, started a petition on change.org urging Lysander Judge Michael M. Bryant to consider the maximum penalty for the Lashers — a $1,000 fine or up to a year in jail. About 3,400 people have signed the petition, and Donnelly’s “Journey of Hope” Facebook page has more than 1,700 likes. But even the maximum penalty doesn’t seem like enough, Eggers said.
“It seems so lackluster,” Eggers said.
Paul Morgan, executive director of the CNY SPCA, said jail isn’t always the answer.
“Putting them on probation … and forcing them to do community service is better,” Morgan said. “Mixing that together is going to be more of a wakeup call [than just prison].”
As for preventing cases like Hope’s, Morgan said education is key, starting with teaching children how to care for animals.
Hope is not ready to be adopted out just yet, but you can follow her progress on the CNY SPCA or Journey of Hope Facebook pages.
