Thousands of In Defense of Animals supporters spoke out on behalf of a dog who was beaten to death by two city workers in Humboldt, Tennessee. Unfortunately, despite public outcry, the case was astonishingly dismissed.

In January 2021, the Humboldt Police Department was alerted about an animal cruelty case after two Humboldt Animal Control employees were allegedly seen and filmed beating a dog to death.

An investigation uncovered that the dog had been struck by a vehicle, and the two employees had been sent to retrieve them. Posthumously named Rain, the dog was brought back to the city shop where the dog pound is located. There, witnesses saw one employee take Rain out of the case using a catchpole, while the other beat them with what was reported to be a stick or pole until they were dead.

The two men were forced to resign and were charged with aggravated animal cruelty, which is a Class E felony. More than 15,000 In Defense of Animals supporters signed this letter urging District Attorney Frederick Agee to seek maximum sentencing if the men were convicted.

Unfortunately, on October 5, the case was dismissed. The men were given a diversion and ordered to pay an undisclosed donation to the regional humane society.

While the outcome of this case is beyond disappointing, we’re grateful to each of you who spoke up for Rain and continue to stand up for animal victims of cruelty.

To find out more about how to get involved, visit our Justice for Animals campaign.