KINGMAN, Ariz. (June 26, 2023) — In Defense of Animals is collaborating with Utah-based rescue RSQ to support prosecuting a man who cruelly shot a family of dogs, leaving all but one dead.

Over 15,000 people have signed In Defense of Animals’ letter to the Mojave County Attorney’s Office calling for the prosecution of George Russell Cooke for shooting the dog family.

In March, four puppies and their mother were found dead near Colorado City, while Vinny, an adult male believed to be the father, was still alive but critically injured.

Law enforcement contacted RSQ, a volunteer-run rescue based in Utah that deals with cruelty and neglect in the region, for help, and the organization agreed to take responsibility for Vinny’s care. He had been shot twice with a shotgun using buckshot shotgun shells and had more than 100 BBs removed from his body, with still more that can’t be taken out. The blast also went through his skull and left a damaged ear that had to be amputated.

Two individuals were initially charged in connection with the shooting. The dogs’ guardian, Julia Jessop, said she turned them over to George Russell Cooke of Colorado City. Cooke is charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty and four counts of criminal misdemeanor animal cruelty. Jessop’s charges were dismissed. In Arizona., a person may “euthanize” their dog without consequences. Local rescuers indicate they have firsthand knowledge of over a dozen dogs in the past three months who have been shot, and their carcasses were left to rot.

Vinny is in a caring foster home and will be adopted into a loving home when his veterinarian clears him. Two clinics have aided Vinny with his recovery.

“The shooting of Vinny and his family reveal this region has become immune to animal cruelty,”  said Doll Stanley, Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner at In Defense of Animals. “We hope the Mohave County Attorney’s office understands the importance of prosecuting this crime and ask that they not allow the charges to be pled down to minor offenses.”

Over 15,000 members of the public have already written to the Mohave County Attorney's Office. Sign now to demand justice for Vinny, his mate, and their puppies: https://www.idausa.org/campaign/justice-for-animals/latest-news/dogs-killed-arizona

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LETTER (see the letter, more information, and the latest signer total here):

RE: Only Justice for Dog Shot Twice with Shotgun Can Deter Future Cruelty

Dear Attorney Leah Nelson,

I am writing to you concerning case #23-F-3205 to express my support for the prosecution of George R. Cooke for shooting and permanently maiming a dog named Vinny and killing five others.

The full prosecution of this individual is needed for Mohave County to condemn the culture that thinks that animal abuse is an acceptable part of life. Cooke should be tried and, if convicted, sentenced to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Please do not allow the serious felony charges levied against Cooke to be negated or reduced to misdemeanors. Cases of animal cruelty in this area need to be taken seriously.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

15,558 signers

CONTACTS: 

Doll Stanley, In Defense of Animals, (662) 809-4483, doll@idausa.org 

Mason Dansie, RSQ Shelter, (801) 747-9897, mason@dansie.com 

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 40-year history of defending animals, the environment, and their guardians through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, California, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org/justice4animals

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