Dallas County Animal Cruelty Unit Needs Funding
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas County Commissioners Court on Tuesday morning unanimously approved a specialized unit within the District Attorney's office for investigating cases of animal cruelty. Prosecutors are ready to go after people who abuse animals. But money is still an issue, as only a portion of the necessary funding has been raised.
The organization 'Safer Dallas, Better Dallas' is spearheading a campaign to raise the $200,000 needed to pay for a prosecutor and an investigator. However, they must still raise another $146,000 before the unit can be formed.
Chief prosecutor David Alex said that this unit is about more than just protecting animals. He explained, "I think it is very well documented, a lot of these cases, family violence cases, your psychopaths, they're all connected to animal abuse and animal cruelty cases."
Alex prosecuted the case which involved Mercy the dog, who was stabbed an burned in 2006. Mercy died from her injuries and Deshawn Brown was sentenced to four years in jail. Animal rights groups wanted a longer sentence.
Advocates of the new animal cruelty unit believe that it will lead to more convictions and longer prison sentences.
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