Not only is animal cruelty inhumane, but it's also against the law.
The Los Angeles Times reports that 46-year-old David Plumamena was arrested last Saturday in downtown Los Angeles after he allegedly tried to sell animals that were malnourished and held in cramped cages. Los Angeles police officers found the man with 35 miniature rabbits, 79 turtles, six iguanas and a parrot.
The LAPD officers say that they saw Mr. Plumamena putting caged animals along the sidewalk in the 1200 block of Wall Street. They believe that the man had intended to sell them. Mr. Plumamena was then arrested and booked on suspicion of felony animal cruelty. Now, it looks like the man will need help from a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney so that he can get the best defense possible.
Yet, the issue of animal cruelty seems to be an ongoing problem in the city of Los Angeles. LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon told Los Angeles Times that the sale of illegal animals is especially prominent on holidays like Easter. Most of the animals that are sold illegally are in poor health condition and die shortly after they are sold.
The state of California is known to have some of the toughest animal cruelty laws in the country. The Scoop reports that a person convicted of felony animal cruelty can be sentenced to prison for up to three years. Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has even voiced support for an animal abuse prevention bill, according to the Office of Assemblymember Pedro Nava. Assembly Bill 243 would prohibit a person convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing, caring for, or having any contact with animals for a certain period of time.
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