Strengthen laws regarding animal abuse

The horrific report June 28 of multiple dead and starving horses and cattle discovered recently in Chickasaw County is much more than just another disturbing case of animal neglect. It's a failure of Iowa's legal system. Our state urgently needs to address laws governing the deliberate abuse of animals.

The owner of these mistreated animals committed the same offense just two years ago in Iowa. In 2008, he was convicted, paid a fine and did prison time after dead and starving horses were found on his rural Iowa property. He was barred from owning horses for a year. As that time expired, he acquired more animals that he apparently had no intention of caring for.

Obviously, the individual who owned these horses shouldn't be allowed to own animals of any kind. Iowa's statutes regarding this sort of repeated animal abuse need to be adjusted. Claims that stronger laws will impinge on the commercial livestock industry are demonstrably untrue.

Contact your state senator and representative and tell to strengthen Iowa's feeble animal abuse statutes.

Christian and Kathleen Schoon

Cedar Rapids