This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

After being served eviction papers, a Mississippi resident vacated her residence and left her puppy behind to suffer and die alone with food placed tantalizingly out of reach. For this crime, the presiding judge delivered a shockingly lenient sentence which has sparked public outrage. Speak up now against the judge who allowed this heartless puppy killer to walk away with just a small fine for puppy torture!

Melissa Moore vacated her residence in Winona, Mississippi on February 13, 2019, after being served with eviction papers. In an act of unspeakable negligence and cruelty, Melissa left her small puppy behind and reportedly placed open packs of animal flesh on the kitchen counter, presumably to cause a terrible stench. The starving puppy was abandoned with no access to food or water, and tormented by the smell of the meat which was intentionally placed out of reach. 

A worker sent later to clean the residence discovered the lifeless body of the puppy, who was on top of a pile of household trash. He called Animal Control Officer Arlin Pearson, who charged Melissa with aggravated cruelty for intentionally depriving her puppy of food and water until he died.

On March 7, 2019, our Justice for Animals Campaign Director Doll Stanley attended Melissa Moore’s trial. With an attitude of indifference and contempt, Melissa admitted that the deceased puppy was hers. Winona Municipal Court Judge Alan Devo Lancaster handed Moore a fine and court fee of just $327.25, for which she is allowed to pay only $35 per week. No jail time at all!

Under Mississippi’s “Dog & Cat Pet Protection Law of 2011” (MS § 97-41-16), Moore could have been sentenced to a maximum of $2,500 in fines, up to six months incarceration, or both, for aggravated cruelty to an animal. Instead, she inexplicably walked away with an insubstantial fine, and no sense of remorse or resolve to abstain from harming animals again in the future.

What You Can Do:  

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.