Texas Father & Son Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking

They were illegally bringing in deer from Arkansas. (Texas restricts deer importing.) Plus a little matter with stolen property.

Arkansas Out of the Dark Ages with Cruelty Law

It's not perfect, but it's progress in one of the more animal welfare-challenged parts of the US.

Gov. Mike Beebe has signed into law new animal-cruelty restrictions that make aggravated cruelty to cats, dogs and horses a felony on the first offense...

Arkansas becomes the 46th state to make cruelty to animals a felony, according to the Humane Society of the United States....

The law, which will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, makes aggravated animal cruelty on first offense punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and up to six years in prison. The bill also includes a five-year sentencing enhancement for anyone convicted of torturing an animal in the presence of a child.

In exchange for the stiffer penalties, animal welfare groups made several concessions, including a change in state law so only certified law enforcement officers can arrest someone for animal cruelty.

Arkansas Town Abandons Strays in National Forest: Animal Control for Morons

You have to be dumb as a sack of hammers to think that stray dogs are better off left in a national forest to fend for themselves. But, that's what the mayor of an Arkansas town did.

[Town mayor James] Valley said the city street director released about 10 dogs into the forest Wednesday after the animals were fed and watered. About three dogs were kept to be put down by a veterinarian, he said.

"They are better off free," the mayor said Thursday in a telephone interview.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service said the agency was not contacted by the city before releasing the dogs, and does not condone releasing animals into the forest.