Rich case a wake-up call

To the editor:

On Jan. 23, Frank Rich was sentenced to 180 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty. I suppose this can be viewed as a triumph, but is it really?

Rich will never see the inside of a jail. He will spend some time in Cordova House, and the remainder of his sentence will be served at his home, wearing an ankle bracelet.

How is it that Rich is only held accountable for the abuse of two dogs, when in fact there were more than 160 others that felt the pain and anguish of hunger, and for many of them, a slow and painful death? Didn't their lives matter as well?

Rich admittedly quit his job because it entailed too much stress and consequently had a negative effect on his health. Many of us have stressful jobs that cause health concerns, but we understand that maintaining employment is vital to our survival - and the survival of those who depend upon us. The job Rich ought to have quit was breeding dogs. His continued dog breeding was definitely detrimental to the health - and the lives - of his dogs.

Rich had three individuals present at the hearing who vouched for his character. They said he loved his dogs and that they meant everything to him. In fact, they stated that these dogs were like his family. I say that the dead dogs he threw in a pile vouch for his character. Dogs that were so hungry they tried to eat the wooden houses they were chained to. This is the type of man Rich is. Rich shed tears during his irrelevant testimony as he explained that he couldn't bear the thought of his dogs being euthanized by animal control.

Too bad, Mr. Rich, that you shed no tears as the animals that you so loved as they fell to the ground and died because their bodies could no longer struggle to survive without food or water.

It is too late for the dogs that were dumped on the frozen ground like trash. The remaining victims who survived will struggle to trust in humans again - to recuperate from the horrid conditions that Rich provided for them. What can be done now is to make certain animal control is vigilant and conducts unannounced visits to Rich's property on a weekly basis to make certain that he abides by the 10-year restriction from owning or caring for animals.

Clearly, Alaska's animal cruelty laws need to be changed so that the punishment for abusing an animal is considered a felony, rather than a misdemeanor. Also, we need to address an inadequate legal system that allowed the judge to plainly state in December that there would no more plea deals offered to Rich and that the case would go to trial. Yet, there was another plea deal offered. Do the words of a judge mean nothing?

Alaskans, you proved that you cared about these dogs by donating money and goods. Prove it once again and demand that such a travesty of justice and inhumanity will never be allowed. Thank you for all that you have done to help these and other victims of abuse.

Angie Lewis

Board member

Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue