A Mississippi man charged with intentionally starving his four dogs has been convicted of animal cruelty and will now serve at least some time behind bars. By his admission, Robert Harrison of Kilmichael, Mississippi only saw the dogs in his “care” once within seven weeks, which ultimately lead to the tragic loss of four innocent lives.

 A Kilmichael city employee who witnessed the slow, torturous neglect of Harrison’s dogs asked our Justice for Animals Campaign Director, Doll Stanley for help. A seizure order was immediately issued, and Stanley was accompanied by Montgomery County Deputy ArJames Adair and Hope Animal Sanctuary staff to rescue the suffering dogs. Tragically, upon examination, two veterinarians determined that all four of the severely neglected dogs could not be saved, and in a final act of mercy, they were euthanized. 

On June 11, 2019, Stanley presented condemning evidence of Harrison’s constructive abandonment of his dogs as he stood trial. Despite having court-appointed counsel and with a desperate attempt thrown in to blame the starvation of his dogs on his son, Harrison could not escape conviction. Montgomery County Justice Court Judge Larry Bamberg found Robert Harrison guilty of the charge of § 97-41-16. (2.) (a.) Maliciously injuring dogs or cats. This misdemeanor charge of simple cruelty to a dog or cat carries a fine of up to one thousand dollars, a maximum of six months incarceration, or both.

 While we are pleased that Judge Bamberg handed Harrison a six-month jail term, we are disappointed that Bamberg arranged it so that Harrison will only actually serve two months in jail, with another four months hanging over his head if he dares to violate the terms of his two-year probation. His probation will be supervised to prevent him from keeping animals.

No punishment can reconcile malicious acts of animal abuse; there is only the satisfaction that the abuser is deprived of freedom and deterred from committing similar crimes in the future. We will continue to fight for justice for animals to create communities in which all of its members are safe and free from harm. Please help us accomplish this with a donation to support our work.