The Kickham Comment - Boston Criminal Attorney Blog
People across Massachusetts, and even the nation, are collectively appalled and sickened by what has become known as the “Puppy Doe” case here. For readers who don’t yet know, a dog was found on a roadside in Quincy, Massachusetts on August 31, barely alive. The female dog, estimated to be a little more than one year old, weighed about one-half of its normal weight, and was near death.
But when the dog was brought to the Animal Rescue League of Boston, that was nowhere near the horror that was to be discovered by veterinarians there. This poor animal had suffered multiple broken bones as well as multiple burns to her nose and stab wounds to her eye. The barbaric animals who did this to this innocent creature, didn’t stop there. It appears they actually cut her tongue, in a sadism-filled, barbaric attempt to create a serpent or snake-like split in her tongue. When they were “done” with his poor animal, they dumped her on the side of a road. Ultimately, the dog could not be saved due to this torture, and had to be euthanized.
After this story broke, people from across the United States began thinking of ways that they could help in efforts to locate these sick beings who committed this heinous act of pure sadism. The Animal Rescue League of Boston received 500 calls as of Saturday (September 21) from callers wanting to know how they could help in the search for the criminals who did this to this innocent animal. In response, yesterday the Animal Rescue League posted a $5,000 reward for information in the case. I was just one of many people across the U.S. who have donated to this reward fund. I urge all my readers to do so, and anyone wishing to donate to the reward fund should visit: www.arlboston.kintera.org/puppydoe.
However, a reward alone may not bring forward informants who might have information about who committed this unspeakable crime. Such informants may be afraid to speak or meet with police or law enforcement officials; or they may have unbased fears that they might be sued by the perpetrators they inform on. I pray that they just step forward, adn tell investigators what they know. As a Boston criminal attorney, people might expect me go on here about the presumption of innocence. No. My goal, as a lawyer and a citizen, is to bring about justice in this case. Hopefully, someone who has information about who committed this unspeakable crime will come forward with information.
In the meantime, anyone with information about the perpetrators who committed this unspeakable crime should call Quincy Police Detective Thomas Pepdjonovich at 617-745-5774 or the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Dept. at 617-226-5610, or the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office at Ph.: (781) 830-4800. Tips can also be emailed to he Animal Rescue League of Boston can also be at cruelty@arlboston.org.
FoxTV-25 Boston did a great reporting job on this. To see more, click on that link.
Hopefully, swift, certain and sever punishment will be brought in this case. But there is a larger, even more important question to be asked here: Where does sadism and violence like this come from? What triggers it? What has caused this kind of cruelty, barbarity and savagery to explode in our society? The answer to that question can be summed up – in great measure – in three words: Violent video games. I’ve written about this previously, and cannot emphasize it enough. I’ll have more to say about the obvious and unquestionable connection between this kind of shocking violence and violent video games, in my next post.