[monkeydab]

what a horrific story. glad to see the perpetrators were caught and sentenced appropriately. had they not used a deadly weapon during this act, they probably would not have been dealt with so severely and pled down. i once worked for legal action for animals in nyc and was usually on the side of bringing a claim against an animal abuser. although my cases were not as severe as the one listed, it did provide me with a sence of gratitude in defeating a landlord who wanted to evict an tenant who owned a 3.5 lb yorkshire terrier. again, glad to see these cases are being taken seriously. monkey

Originally Posted by Judy in Waco

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22598058/

Man gets 8 years for stealing pups at gunpoint
2007 Los Angeles dognapping was caught on surveillance video

updated 5:24 p.m. CT, Thurs., Jan. 10, 2008
LOS ANGELES - A man who stole purebred Yorkshire terrier puppies at gunpoint was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison.
Troy Cabral sobbed as he was sentenced in Superior Court. He pleaded guilty in November to robbery with use of a gun and assault with a firearm in the Feb. 23 holdup.
Cabral's attorney, James P. Cooper III, said the sentence "was appropriate considering the allegation of gun use."
Prosecutors said Cabral, 24, and Ryan Betton, 19, went to the Wilshire-area home of a family that had advertised the puppies for sale at $2,500 each. They said they wanted to see the puppies, then returned later and rushed inside when the door was opened.
They ordered the residents to the floor at gunpoint and stuffed three puppies and an adult dog into garbage bags before fleeing.
Cabral and Betton turned themselves in after surveillance camera footage of the theft aired on television. The dogs were later recovered.
Betton was sentenced to two years in prison in December after pleading guilty to robbery.
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