WYCAP

Last October, a Cheyenne man was found with 101 neglected animals and 22 dead animals on his property. He had 33 prior animal-related citations. Last week, he pleaded guilty to just four misdemeanors.

This outcome is not a one-time fluke. It reflects a fundamental weakness in Wyoming’s felony cruelty statute: to secure a felony charge, prosecutors must prove the abuser INTENDED to cause suffering. That bar (essentially proving what went through the perpetrator’s mind) is so high that county attorneys routinely downgrade charges rather than attempt it. WYCAP volunteers see it happen across the state.

WYCAP board member Dr. Donal O’Toole made the case in Cowboy State Daily this week: proving felony cruelty should not require a body count. Wyoming’s legislature needs to act.

Read the full letter at the link in bio.

#WyomingAnimals #AnimalProtection #AnimalCruelty #WyomingLaw #WYCAP PolicyMatters AnimalWelfare