Dogs Tortured in Jasper

This also was in the news recently. This is the sort of thing that drives me to get involved with people like Jason and Jessica. Their hatred and angst is intoxicating. 

Dogs Tortured

Times Staff jamesw@harrisondaily.com

Published: Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:07 PM

JASPER — Sheriff Keith Slape said a 41-year-old Newton County man was in jail Wednesday after making a court appearance last Friday for burglary and animal abuse.

And although the burglary charges are more serious in the eyes of the law, one individual who asked to remain anonymous described the animal abuse allegations as "horrific animal torture."

An arrest affidavit filed by Newton County Investigator Kevin L. Thomas said he received a videotape  from Newton County Sheriff's Sgt. Kevin LaFollette that had been used as evidence in a Newton County District Court criminal case.

Thomas reviewed the tape and wrote in the affidavit that it showed Larry Cummings, 41, and a male juvenile, who court papers identify as being 15 years old, "severely abusing several small animals."

According to the affidavit, the tape shows Cummings entering a dog pen on Eula Finch's property and remarking to the camera, "this is where the dogs get hurt" as the juvenile records the scene. The tape allegedly shows Cummings "purposefully and repeatedly" using a cattle prod to shock a small white dog.

In another scene, both subjects are seen walking across a yard as the juvenile points to the cattle prod and refers to it as "Mr. Green," the affidavit said.

"They then enter the pen and brutally and repeatedly shock a small white dog," the affidavit said. "At one point [the juvenile] stomps the head of a dog and holds it down while he shocks it. The dog is seen as having blood coming from [its] mouth and being chased and shocked while attempting to escape.

The affidavit said another scene on the tape depicts two small dogs in a barrel or trash can being brutally shocked.

"One dog is shocked in its open mouth," the affidavit said.

"After a few unrelated scenes," the affidavit continues, "the two subjects are seen entering the home of [a neighbor of Finch's]. [The juvenile] stomps on a small black dog in a dog bed causing it to howl in pain and terror.

"A small red dog that [the juvenile] refers to as Buttons is seen running from [the juvenile] until he corners it on the porch. He kicks and stomps it repeatedly as it attempts to escape."

Cummings is charged with residential burglary of the neighbor's home, which is a Class B felony. He also is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, but that is only a Class A misdemeanor. Another charge is contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is also a Class A misdemeanor.

Slape said Cummings has been arraigned on those charges and his bond was set at $25,000.

A press release said the boy involved is set to be in juvenile court soon Tuesday in Harrison.