The comments made by Niehaus were baffling, to say the least...What would happen to someone that starves a child to death??? I would surely hope more than a 5th degree felony, which is all Nitro's Law called for in cases of major abuse of our companion animals, such as "knowingly" and "needlessly" killing or severely injuring a companion animal...
I don't get it...These crimes, if committed against humans, would be murder or felonious assault that carry stiff penalties...And I'm not trying to elevate animals to the same plane or above humans, but the crime IS the same, only the victim is changed (human to companion animal)...
So, please tell me how Nitro's law would be penalizing people for animal abuse more than the abuse of children???
And let's be real - Abuse IS Abuse, regardless of who the acts are committed against...It's an age old problem of the strong exploiting the weak...And that's exactly WHY we need to speak out for our voiceless companion animals...
What also amazes me is Niehaus had 8 months to make his opinion known and he waits until the evening prior to the last Senate session, so we cannot counter his opinion...What a coward...
Niehaus never returned one phone call, one email or one letter that his office received and cancelled several appointments with supporters of this bill, as well as interviews with the media...
YES Thomas Niehaus - YOU ARE A COWARD - hiding behind your title as Ohio Senate President...BTW, Who died and made you GOD??? HOW can you speak for the people of Ohio if ONLY your opinion drives your decisions???
Another thing that bothers me is being a so-called democracy, how can one individual or very small group of individuals decide to go against the majority??? I thought a democracy worked the other way around...The Majority is supposed to rule...
So, just were is justice and democracy in our country today??? I bet our forefathers would be turning over in their graves if they knew how our government works these days...
ulistenup -If you are going to spout facts, at least get them correct...Violation of ORC 959.131(B) "No person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal." faces the following penalties - From ORC 959.99 Penalties - "(E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) of section 959.131 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense."
As above, Ohio already has a "subsequent offense" with a 5th degree felony, but in extreme cases such as:
1. Over the summer in Zanesville, where a man and woman were in a domestic dispute, the male wanted the female to "listen" so he snatched the dog from her arms and slit its throat
or
2. the case in Ironton where 2 drunk 20 year olds decided to visit their neighbor's dogs, while the neighbors were not home...The dogs were chained to their doghouses and these two decided it would be fun to stab them to death...One dog cowered in the back of its doghouse and the two individuals tore the doghouse to get to the dog to stab it to death...
Why give these individuals a 2nd chance to commit these crimes or other worse crimes???
46 other states and many Ohio Representatives, Senators and Citizens believe in a "first offense" felony, and it's people like you and Ohio Senate President Niehaus that want to keep our great state lagging behind the other progressive states with our archaic laws...
It's really a shame that we do not live in a democracy...If we did, one man or very small group would not be able to hold up progress and the passage of this bill into law...
Stay tuned, you WILL see some MAJOR Companion Animal Law Reform in the very near future, guaranteed...
ulistenup -If you are going to spout facts, at least get them correct...Violation of ORC 959.131(B) "No person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal." faces the following penalties - From ORC 959.99 Penalties - "(E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) of section 959.131 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense."
As above, Ohio already has a "subsequent offense" with a 5th degree felony, but in extreme cases such as:
1. Over the summer in Zanesville, where a man and woman were in a domestic dispute, the male wanted the female to "listen" so he snatched the dog from her arms and slit its throat
or
2. the case in Ironton where 2 drunk 20 year olds decided to visit their neighbor's dogs, while the neighbors were not home...The dogs were chained to their doghouses and these two decided it would be fun to stab them to death...One dog cowered in the back of its doghouse and the two individuals tore the doghouse to get to the dog to stab it to death...
Why give these individuals a 2nd chance to commit these crimes or other worse crimes???
46 other states and many Ohio Representatives, Senators and Citizens believe in a "first offense" felony, and it's people like you and Ohio Senate President Niehaus that want to keep our great state lagging behind the other progressive states with our archaic laws...
It's really a shame that we do not live in a democracy...If we did, one man or very small group would not be able to hold up progress and the passage of this bill into law...
Stay tuned, you WILL see some MAJOR Companion Animal Law Reform in the very near future, guaranteed...
The byline here is totally false...The ONLY support this bill lacks is that of the one man that can bring this bill to a full senate vote and that is Ohio Senate President Niehaus at 614-466-8082...
Senator Niehaus refuses to talk to any supporters or the media about this topic…
Nitro's Law has support of the HSUS, ASPCA, Ohio Federation of Humane Societies,; the Ohio Farm Bureau issued a statement that they are not opposed to HB108, and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association’s Executive Director, John Murphy, worked on an amendment while the bill was in the Senate Ag Committee, back in May, and was in agreement with the language…
In the 128th General Assembly, as HB70, it was voted out of the House Criminal Justice Committee on 11/19/09 by a vote of 6-4 and then approved by a full House vote of 59-38 on 2/24/10...It then went to the Senate Judiciary Criminal Justice Committee and stalled there will no action taken and died, just like Nitro and his kennel mates did at the hands of their trusted trainer, at the end of 2010...
Today, as HB108, the bill passed the House Criminal Justice Committee on 9/21/11 by a vote of 11-2 and then was approved by the full House on 2/15/12 by a vote of 82-11...On 5/22/12, the bill unanimously (9-0) passed the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee with Committee Chairman Cliff Hite and Committee Member Capri Cafaro being added as Co-Sponsors...
Although many daily phone calls, emails and letters hit the office of Ohio Senate President Niehaus, he continues to ignore requests to bring this bill to a full Senate vote...
We most humbly request that citizens of Ohio support HB108/Nitro’s Law and encourage Ohio Senate President Niehaus to bring the bill to a full Senate vote by calling him at 614-466-8082…
Let’s get this on Ohio’s law books so we can be a part of the solution and not the problem and show the rest of the country that we are no longer lagging behind the majority of other states in reference to Companion Animal protection laws…
Let me also state that a "felony" would not be automatic...It is at the prosecutor's discretion, so is Niehaus not trusting of the appointed prosecutors in Ohio???
Also, this would only be used in the most extremer cases of animal abuse, such as "knowingly" and "needlessly" killing or causing severe bodily injury to a companion animal...
These crimes of "murder" or "felonious assault" carry a 3rd degree to 1st degree felony when committed against humans...This law ONLY asks for a 5th degree felony...
What would happen to the person that starves a child to death??? Surely more than a 5th degree felony...
And this is not just about our companion animals...What does Niehaus not understand about the clearly defined link between animal abuse and further human aggression??? The animal abuser of today may likely be the rapist of your spouse or daughter tomorrow, the next serial killer or the next school shooter...
Well, paulparks - We can agree to disagree - You should only hope and pray that your death is nothing like the grueling, agonizing death that these dogs went through.,,.,
No paulparks, my issue is 1st with several Ohio Legislators that are blocking HB108/Nitro's Law from being voted on in the Ohio Senate - they are keeping our great state in the dark ages and making us lag behind the majority of other states that do recognize the need for stiffer penalties for animal abuse...2nd with the judicial system for not properly sentencing - the punishment should fit the crime...And 3rd with Croley, who has made it necessary for others to seek legislation try to help deter situations of this nature...Croley was paid up front to basically "babysit" these dogs, which he failed to do...Just as with any other business that provides a service, I would expect that service to be rendered...In this case it is similar to taking your children to a babysitter and that individual starving them to death...My children are grown, so my animals have become my children and are cared for as such...Croley had every opportunity to pick up the phone and call the guardians of these animals and tell them that he could no longer care for them...He had other options available instead of one of the most cruel, agonizing deaths that any living creature should NEVER have to endure...Death by starvation...We both have opinions and you know what they say about opinions...I for one, would hope and pray that no living creature would have to die in this manner and I do have compassion and empathy for them...And BTW - I am NOT trying to elevate animals above humans - We are asking for a 5th degree felony for crimes of this nature...If you check out Chapter 29 of the Ohio Revised Code - You WILL see that similar offenses against humans are 3rd degree to 1st degree felonies...
And no paulparks - If you look up the court docket - Croley was charged with 4 M2 counts of animal abuse...Had the investigating humane agents not messed up, it would have been 19 counts...And you truly believe that 4 months is sufficient for knowingly, intentionally and needlessly letting dogs starve to death in your back yard??? This was not a case of "I didn't feed my dog today"...This went on for days or even weeks...Can you even begin to imagine the torture that these dogs went through to "starve" to death...Why don't you try not eating or drinking for several days and maybe you would have a different view...IMHO - Anyone that knowingly, intentionally and needlessly kills or severely injures a companion animal should be facing a felony...If they can do it to an animal, they can surely do it to a child or another adult...It has been proven time and again - Do some research into the "link" between animal abuse and further human aggression and violence...
I really don't understand how this inhumane individual keeps getting off on everything...There is proof that everything has been nothing but lie after lie from day 1 and hopefully, it will come to light...All I can say is KARMA, Baby...Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it WILL happen...
So true...And when this bill is finally signed into law, it will be Liz, Tom and their Nitro that broke the ice in Ohio - finally getting this state up to speed with 46 other states in having felony provisions for animal abusers...Nitro will be behind ALL other Laws that we get changed so that a felony will not only apply to kennel owners, manager, and employees, but to ALL animal abusers for major cases of animal abuse, cruelty and neglect - IT Will Always Be NITRO'S LAW!!!
CoffeeandDanish
CoffeeandDanish - I hope you are not directing your comment at me - I have worked very hard on HB108/Nitro's Law...
December 26, 2012 at 8:50 a.m. permalink suggest removal
'ILL' - LOGIC
Bravo Louie B. Free...Very well stated...
The comments made by Niehaus were baffling, to say the least...What would happen to someone that starves a child to death??? I would surely hope more than a 5th degree felony, which is all Nitro's Law called for in cases of major abuse of our companion animals, such as "knowingly" and "needlessly" killing or severely injuring a companion animal...
I don't get it...These crimes, if committed against humans, would be murder or felonious assault that carry stiff penalties...And I'm not trying to elevate animals to the same plane or above humans, but the crime IS the same, only the victim is changed (human to companion animal)...
So, please tell me how Nitro's law would be penalizing people for animal abuse more than the abuse of children???
And let's be real - Abuse IS Abuse, regardless of who the acts are committed against...It's an age old problem of the strong exploiting the weak...And that's exactly WHY we need to speak out for our voiceless companion animals...
What also amazes me is Niehaus had 8 months to make his opinion known and he waits until the evening prior to the last Senate session, so we cannot counter his opinion...What a coward...
Niehaus never returned one phone call, one email or one letter that his office received and cancelled several appointments with supporters of this bill, as well as interviews with the media...
YES Thomas Niehaus - YOU ARE A COWARD - hiding behind your title as Ohio Senate President...BTW, Who died and made you GOD??? HOW can you speak for the people of Ohio if ONLY your opinion drives your decisions???
Another thing that bothers me is being a so-called democracy, how can one individual or very small group of individuals decide to go against the majority??? I thought a democracy worked the other way around...The Majority is supposed to rule...
So, just were is justice and democracy in our country today??? I bet our forefathers would be turning over in their graves if they knew how our government works these days...
December 14, 2012 at 10:31 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Nitro’s Law stalls in the Ohio Senate
ulistenup -If you are going to spout facts, at least get them correct...Violation of ORC 959.131(B) "No person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal." faces the following penalties - From ORC 959.99 Penalties - "(E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) of section 959.131 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense."
As above, Ohio already has a "subsequent offense" with a 5th degree felony, but in extreme cases such as:
1. Over the summer in Zanesville, where a man and woman were in a domestic dispute, the male wanted the female to "listen" so he snatched the dog from her arms and slit its throat
or
2. the case in Ironton where 2 drunk 20 year olds decided to visit their neighbor's dogs, while the neighbors were not home...The dogs were chained to their doghouses and these two decided it would be fun to stab them to death...One dog cowered in the back of its doghouse and the two individuals tore the doghouse to get to the dog to stab it to death...
Why give these individuals a 2nd chance to commit these crimes or other worse crimes???
46 other states and many Ohio Representatives, Senators and Citizens believe in a "first offense" felony, and it's people like you and Ohio Senate President Niehaus that want to keep our great state lagging behind the other progressive states with our archaic laws...
It's really a shame that we do not live in a democracy...If we did, one man or very small group would not be able to hold up progress and the passage of this bill into law...
Stay tuned, you WILL see some MAJOR Companion Animal Law Reform in the very near future, guaranteed...
December 13, 2012 at 6:09 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Nitro's Law lacks support for passage in Ohio General Assembly
ulistenup -If you are going to spout facts, at least get them correct...Violation of ORC 959.131(B) "No person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal." faces the following penalties - From ORC 959.99 Penalties - "(E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) of section 959.131 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and a felony of the fifth degree on each subsequent offense."
As above, Ohio already has a "subsequent offense" with a 5th degree felony, but in extreme cases such as:
1. Over the summer in Zanesville, where a man and woman were in a domestic dispute, the male wanted the female to "listen" so he snatched the dog from her arms and slit its throat
or
2. the case in Ironton where 2 drunk 20 year olds decided to visit their neighbor's dogs, while the neighbors were not home...The dogs were chained to their doghouses and these two decided it would be fun to stab them to death...One dog cowered in the back of its doghouse and the two individuals tore the doghouse to get to the dog to stab it to death...
Why give these individuals a 2nd chance to commit these crimes or other worse crimes???
46 other states and many Ohio Representatives, Senators and Citizens believe in a "first offense" felony, and it's people like you and Ohio Senate President Niehaus that want to keep our great state lagging behind the other progressive states with our archaic laws...
It's really a shame that we do not live in a democracy...If we did, one man or very small group would not be able to hold up progress and the passage of this bill into law...
Stay tuned, you WILL see some MAJOR Companion Animal Law Reform in the very near future, guaranteed...
December 13, 2012 at 6:05 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Nitro's Law lacks support for passage in Ohio General Assembly
The byline here is totally false...The ONLY support this bill lacks is that of the one man that can bring this bill to a full senate vote and that is Ohio Senate President Niehaus at 614-466-8082...
Senator Niehaus refuses to talk to any supporters or the media about this topic…
Nitro's Law has support of the HSUS, ASPCA, Ohio Federation of Humane Societies,; the Ohio Farm Bureau issued a statement that they are not opposed to HB108, and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association’s Executive Director, John Murphy, worked on an amendment while the bill was in the Senate Ag Committee, back in May, and was in agreement with the language…
In the 128th General Assembly, as HB70, it was voted out of the House Criminal Justice Committee on 11/19/09 by a vote of 6-4 and then approved by a full House vote of 59-38 on 2/24/10...It then went to the Senate Judiciary Criminal Justice Committee and stalled there will no action taken and died, just like Nitro and his kennel mates did at the hands of their trusted trainer, at the end of 2010...
Today, as HB108, the bill passed the House Criminal Justice Committee on 9/21/11 by a vote of 11-2 and then was approved by the full House on 2/15/12 by a vote of 82-11...On 5/22/12, the bill unanimously (9-0) passed the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee with Committee Chairman Cliff Hite and Committee Member Capri Cafaro being added as Co-Sponsors...
Although many daily phone calls, emails and letters hit the office of Ohio Senate President Niehaus, he continues to ignore requests to bring this bill to a full Senate vote...
We most humbly request that citizens of Ohio support HB108/Nitro’s Law and encourage Ohio Senate President Niehaus to bring the bill to a full Senate vote by calling him at 614-466-8082…
Let’s get this on Ohio’s law books so we can be a part of the solution and not the problem and show the rest of the country that we are no longer lagging behind the majority of other states in reference to Companion Animal protection laws…
Let me also state that a "felony" would not be automatic...It is at the prosecutor's discretion, so is Niehaus not trusting of the appointed prosecutors in Ohio???
Also, this would only be used in the most extremer cases of animal abuse, such as "knowingly" and "needlessly" killing or causing severe bodily injury to a companion animal...
These crimes of "murder" or "felonious assault" carry a 3rd degree to 1st degree felony when committed against humans...This law ONLY asks for a 5th degree felony...
What would happen to the person that starves a child to death??? Surely more than a 5th degree felony...
And this is not just about our companion animals...What does Niehaus not understand about the clearly defined link between animal abuse and further human aggression??? The animal abuser of today may likely be the rapist of your spouse or daughter tomorrow, the next serial killer or the next school shooter...
December 13, 2012 at 12:24 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Animal lovers of Ohio, act now to enact Nitro’s Law
Well, paulparks - We can agree to disagree - You should only hope and pray that your death is nothing like the grueling, agonizing death that these dogs went through.,,.,
November 26, 2012 at 9:23 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Animal lovers of Ohio, act now to enact Nitro’s Law
No paulparks, my issue is 1st with several Ohio Legislators that are blocking HB108/Nitro's Law from being voted on in the Ohio Senate - they are keeping our great state in the dark ages and making us lag behind the majority of other states that do recognize the need for stiffer penalties for animal abuse...2nd with the judicial system for not properly sentencing - the punishment should fit the crime...And 3rd with Croley, who has made it necessary for others to seek legislation try to help deter situations of this nature...Croley was paid up front to basically "babysit" these dogs, which he failed to do...Just as with any other business that provides a service, I would expect that service to be rendered...In this case it is similar to taking your children to a babysitter and that individual starving them to death...My children are grown, so my animals have become my children and are cared for as such...Croley had every opportunity to pick up the phone and call the guardians of these animals and tell them that he could no longer care for them...He had other options available instead of one of the most cruel, agonizing deaths that any living creature should NEVER have to endure...Death by starvation...We both have opinions and you know what they say about opinions...I for one, would hope and pray that no living creature would have to die in this manner and I do have compassion and empathy for them...And BTW - I am NOT trying to elevate animals above humans - We are asking for a 5th degree felony for crimes of this nature...If you check out Chapter 29 of the Ohio Revised Code - You WILL see that similar offenses against humans are 3rd degree to 1st degree felonies...
November 25, 2012 at 3:22 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Animal lovers of Ohio, act now to enact Nitro’s Law
And no paulparks - If you look up the court docket - Croley was charged with 4 M2 counts of animal abuse...Had the investigating humane agents not messed up, it would have been 19 counts...And you truly believe that 4 months is sufficient for knowingly, intentionally and needlessly letting dogs starve to death in your back yard??? This was not a case of "I didn't feed my dog today"...This went on for days or even weeks...Can you even begin to imagine the torture that these dogs went through to "starve" to death...Why don't you try not eating or drinking for several days and maybe you would have a different view...IMHO - Anyone that knowingly, intentionally and needlessly kills or severely injures a companion animal should be facing a felony...If they can do it to an animal, they can surely do it to a child or another adult...It has been proven time and again - Do some research into the "link" between animal abuse and further human aggression and violence...
November 24, 2012 at 9:58 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Former kennel owner acquitted of latest charges
I really don't understand how this inhumane individual keeps getting off on everything...There is proof that everything has been nothing but lie after lie from day 1 and hopefully, it will come to light...All I can say is KARMA, Baby...Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it WILL happen...
June 28, 2012 at 11:45 p.m. permalink suggest removal
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do”
So true...And when this bill is finally signed into law, it will be Liz, Tom and their Nitro that broke the ice in Ohio - finally getting this state up to speed with 46 other states in having felony provisions for animal abusers...Nitro will be behind ALL other Laws that we get changed so that a felony will not only apply to kennel owners, manager, and employees, but to ALL animal abusers for major cases of animal abuse, cruelty and neglect - IT Will Always Be NITRO'S LAW!!!
February 15, 2012 at 11:06 p.m. permalink suggest removal