Itawamba County, MS (April 2, 2020) – In Defense of Animals, the international animal protection organization that operates Hope Animal Sanctuary and the Justice for Animals Campaign in Carroll County, is joining the guardian of a horse and pony who were senselessly shot and killed to offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this sadistic crime. 

With the horses’ guardian, Stephanie Vale’s offer of a $500 reward, the reward has been increased to $1,500. 

The night of March 19, or early the following morning, someone shot these two equines on Fawn Grove Road in Mantachie with a .22-caliber weapon. Blue, a 22-year-old horse who’d been part of Vale’s family for 21 years was shot three times and succumbed to her wounds on March 24.

Cane Candy, a 17-year-old pony who’d been with her family for seven years died of a single shot to her right lung.

“News of the mounting cases of horses who are shot, stabbed, or otherwise harmed in Mississippi is beyond alarming,” said Doll Stanley, Justice for Animals Campaign Director for In Defense of Animals. “How anyone could commit such a vile and senseless act is inconceivable to me. The only consolation in this horrendous case is that, unlike dogs and cats in Mississippi, the slayings of Blue and Cane Candy are a first-offense felony. We are offering a reward to help catch the person who did this since they are still at large and must be considered a danger to animals and other vulnerable members of society. If you suspect you might know anything at all about this horrific case, please contact In Defense of Animals.”

This year Senator Angela Hill reintroduced a bill (SB 2658) to amend the current law to allow a separate charge for each incident of cruelty, regardless of how many dogs or cats are harmed. Senator Hill’s bill has passed the Mississippi State Senate and will be taken up by the House when the 2020 legislative session resumes. 

Anyone with information on who may have shot Blue and Cane Candy please contact In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Campaign at (662) 809-4483. Witnesses must understand that they may be required to testify in court.

In Defense of Animals has served in Mississippi for 27 years. Our Justice for Animals Campaign serves to educate and assist law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges in areas of animal law and cruelty investigations, in addition to connecting them with the resources to aid with or prevent cruelty cases. 

Contact: Doll Stanley, doll@idausa.org, (662) 809-4483 

Images free for use with credit to In Defense of Animals: http://bit.ly/ItawambaKiller

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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 37-year history of protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats through education, campaigns, and hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org