posted 08-01-2002 11:27 AM           

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Hello
How are you? I am doing great- I was just wondering if on your site or newletters, you are covering the Raymond Peebler verdict. I was just watching the verdict on Court TV of the IOWA man, Raymond Peebler who killed his neighbor's westie puppy by kicking it. This morning the verdict was NOT GUILTY!!!! I CANNOT believe this. I think it is sick that because these neighbors were fighting, an INNOCENT Westie puppy has paid for their immaturity. Regardless of what neighbor started what or what neighbor egged the other on. It's Sick and Unjustified! In my own opinion, both the owner and the killer should be charged. But this case was simply about the killer and because he was set free, it is giving the idea to people and children everywhere it is ok to hurt or kill an animal.. What's your opinion??

Have a nice day
- TINA www.AnimalHappy.com

Provided by Court TV- A jury took less than an hour Friday to find an Iowa man not guilty of animal abuse for drop kicking a neighbor's puppy 8 feet, killing the 6-pound pet. Raymond Peebler, 50, looked down at the defense table but did not react when a court clerk announced that the jury returned an acquittal on the charge of animal abuse for the June 17 death of a 6-week-old Yorkshire Terrier named Cascade. The dog was owned by a neighbor with whom Peebler had feuded with for more than five years. Prosecutor Mona Clarkson tried unsuccessfully to persuade the 12 jurors that Peebler acted unreasonably and intended to kill or seriously injure a Yorkshire Terrier named Cascade when he sent it flying over his garden. Clarkson, delivering her 20-minute closing statement in Des Moines County Court, said Peebler had many options besides kicking Cascade. The fact that Peebler and Cascade's owner, John Wilt, were involved in a running neighborhood feud did not provide justification for the attack on the defenseless animal. "This man kicked a puppy to death. Tell him, 'No, you don't do that.' Tell him you see him for what he is: guilty," Clarkson said. At another point she said, "The defendant admitted that he lost it, that he was out of control. What do people do when they are out of control? They do things they wouldn't normally do. He intended to kick that puppy." Peebler's intent when he kicked Cascade were central to the jury's deliberations. Defense attorney Mike Schilling urged jurors to look at the elements of the crime of animal abuse under Iowa law and conclude that Clarkson failed to prove that Peebler intended to hurt the dog and that it was reasonable for his client to defend his property from damage the dog could cause. Schilling pointed out that Wilt's pets had defecated on Peebler's lawn regularly for years and that Wilt taunted Peebler about it. Wilt claimed in testimony to love animals but behaved otherwise by using his dogs as pawns in his dispute with Peebler, Schilling said. "He delighted in having his dogs go down and defecate on the lawn and bragged about it at work," Schilling said. Clarkson told the jury to focus on the defendant's actions and the effect they had on Cascade. "He has a couple of years of college. He understands what happens when you do something," she said. "The defendant is a mechanic. He understands force and effect and how much pressure you need ... He is 175 pounds and that puppy was 6 pounds." Wilt testified Wednesday that he was walking on the sidewalk past Peebler's home on Father's Day, June 17, when an angry Peebler confronted him about his unleashed dogs, Cascade and Woolfie. "He was screaming something about leash laws and for me to get those goddamned dogs out of there or he was going to kill 'em," Wilt told the jury. While Peebler was yelling, Cascade ventured onto the property, angering Peebler. "He took off running and while he was running he kicked the dog. I was kind of stunned. I ran over and got it ... it was in convulsions," Wilt said. Cascade later died of internal injuries. Peebler testified Thursday that Cascade was about to defecate and that he pleaded with Wilt to get the dog off his property. "Yes, I was upset," Peebler said, testifying that Wilt "just laughed" when he asked him to remove the dogs. Peebler added that he was not proud of what he did but insisted did not intend to hurt Cascade. Schilling, in his 30-minute closing argument, talked about property rights, the Constitution, Jesus Christ's death on the cross and the writings of founding father John Adams. "This nation was founded in part on the proposition that a person had the right to control their property," he argued. "His sole intent when he kicked that dog was to get that dog off his property so that the dog could not crap in his yard like Woolfie had done time and time again for the past five or six years." The jury took very little time to agree. Peebler thanked Schilling as he got up from his chair and wore a smile as he walked through the gallery, accepting flowers and hugs from well-wishers. During an appearance on Court TV a short time later, Peebler said he was relieved by the acquittal. "I'm still going to be saddened by what has happened, but I'm not going to hang my head down in shame as I was before," he said.

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posted 08-01-2002 11:28 AM           

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I TOTALLY agree with you - 150%!!!!!

There are FAR TOO MANY cases of animals abuse/neglect, and we HAVE to get the message out that you can't just abuse animals like that!! Like they're 'nothing', 'a lower species'!!! They are ALIVE - God's creations and DESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE PEACEFULLY!!!!!

'MAN'is the problem!!!

Thank you for caring so much to voice your opinion on this chatboard- it helps to know that there are others out there who love & RESPECT animals, as they deserve to be!!

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posted 02-21-2003 11:16 AM           

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I was listening to some of the emails that Court Tv was reading on The Man Kills Puppy Trial. The tv reporters had the gaul to agree with someone who thought that peebler should not be put in jail but should do commumity service in a dog shelter. Would this same fool sugjest that a guilty child molester not do jail time but do community service in a day care center. The writer of that email should do 2 years in jail for writing such foolishness. Along side peebler. Maybe they could console each other.

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Posts: 361
From:Vancouver, BC
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 02-21-2003 01:58 PM         

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Wow...this world sure is getting sicker and sicker. I can not believe everything I just read. A man kills a puppy with plenty of proof he did so, but they say he is not quilty.....ahhhhhh......what has this world come to? And the braniak who suggested he work in a shelter OMG how stupid is this person.......we should all start writing to the person covering the story..one voice will be ignored.....many voices can not be ignored!

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Posts: 414
From:LOUISIANA,USA
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 02-21-2003 02:29 PM         

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I can't say what I would do to the guy that killed the puppy..becuase if I did say it..I would not be able to post in here anymore.Trust me,its not nice....
Humans have to be the stupidest craters on this earth.Humans abuse animals,children,and the earth..We will be the down fall of the world.

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posted 02-21-2003 09:46 PM           

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This is what I have to say about this:::::Back in the 70's I had 7 champion dobermans, that I dedicated my life too..At that time we lived in the city, comman fence with neighbors. Our life, our house, our children, our pets and our 1st home we ever bought. A new neighbor moved in that HATED DOGS....One of my dogs 3 yrs old died, I just knew in my heart that this neighbor man had done something but did not know what. Around 3 weeks later after this all my PLANTS< TREES< IVY was dead..in my b-yard. I went to the city attorney and they did NOTHING. I had a friend that did some tests on the plants at this point and they were killed with (round-up. I totally felt this man had purposely sprayed this poisen on 1 of my dogs. I filed a restraining order on this man and a lawsuit, (not that I was going to win anything) but it was worth it at the time to let him know I KNEW. That is when we decided this will never happen again. We moved to the country on 5 acres where no harm could ever come to my dogs, by a person or anyone that hates dogs..I feel that people who do not like animals their is something missing in their life...so to this day if I talk with someone and they say I do not like animals I feel they are missing sometype of I hate to say a HUMAN QUALITY..I could go on for hours bout this but we have put this to rest 20 yrs ago but we named our ranch after our dog we lost to a human ignorant $$$$$$ Ill use princess best words there..
Doc~

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posted 02-22-2003 06:11 AM           

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Forgot to add in last post, my cousin is a attorney for many years in De Moines, I did not know about this case..and I dont get court tv anymore on our satelite...will try to find out more info on this though. Even though the man was found not guilty I dont see a reason these people cannot file a civil suit against them.......

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