A sad outcome to cruelty case, but prosecutors deserve thanks
April 2nd, 2010 by admin
Last year, ARFF told you about Allison Dinsmore, a teacher at Congress Middle School in Boynton Beach, who abandoned two cats at an apartment she had been renting in Boca Raton. The cats died horrifically of starvation and dehydration, after languishing alone and without food or water for over a month. Dinsmore was charged with two counts of felony cruelty to animals.
In December, we were happy to learn that Ms. Dinsmore’s contract for the 2010 school year was not renewed and she did not return to the classroom.
Her trial began last Friday. Dinsmore’s lawyers claimed that she did not intend to starve her cats; instead, she was under stress and simply “lost track of time.” Prosecutors argued that Dinsmore had plenty of opportunities to find someone to take care of the cats (Dinsmore’s father testified that he would have been glad to help, if he had been asked).
Yesterday, after deliberating for five hours, jurors found Allison Dinsmore not guilty of both counts of felony cruelty to animals.
Local animal advocates who were in the courtroom during the trial report that attorney’s from the State Attorney’s Office worked very hard on this case and did an excellent job, despite the obviously disappointing outcome.
It is important that animal advocates pressure law enforcement to make arrests, and demand that prosecutors push for strong sentences, but it may be just as important to speak out at the conclusion of an animal cruelty case. Please send a note to State Attorney Michael McAuliffe and thank him for taking this case seriously, and commend his office for their efforts to obtain justice for the two cats.
Writing a letter to the local newspaper would also be a great way to publicly thank the State Attorney’s Office.
Contact:
State Attorney Michael F. McAuliffe
Fifteenth Judicial Circuit
E-mail: StateAttorney@sa15.state.fl.usPalm Beach Post
Send a letter to the Post via this online form.