Man Sentenced For Puppy's Beating Death (1-2 years)

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.ketv.com/news/9518945/detail.html

Video at link. Thanks to the many DUers that sent letters to the judge.

Prosecutor Says He Lost Sleep Over Puppy Beating Case
Man Sentenced For Puppy's Beating Death


OMAHA, Neb. -- A man who pleaded guilty to beating a 4-month-old German shepherd puppy to death was sentenced on Friday, and the prosecutor said afterward that the case sometimes kept him up at night.

Anthony Schepis was sentenced to one to two years in prison, which means he won't serve more than a year and could be paroled in six months. He is the second person convicted under a relatively new Nebraska law that makes animal abuse a felony.


Anthony Schepis


Animal advocates packed the courtroom, and said they wanted to make a show to Judge Marlon Polk that this was an important case. Polk said he had several letters asking him to take the crime seriously, but he said that under Nebraska law he can only consider letters from victims.

[readmoreoften]

1. I'm fine with that. Let the puppy beating fucker rot in jail.

Where's the Megan's Law for puppybeaters?

[Scairp]

15. We have a new pup

She's 10 weeks, and I don't even smack her snout to stop her from nibbling the kids, so this is just appalling. That a grown up would abuse a helpless animal to death because he couldn't control his temper is so horrific. He should have gotten much more time in jail.

[HuffleClaw]

18. lassie's law?

[bluestateguy]

2. He should go to jail for 20-25 years

This sentence is lax.

[China_cat]

9. It may be lax NOW

but give it time. We went through the same thing here in SC. Didn't think we'd ever get sentences that meant anything. And then one asshole got 40 YEARS for dogfighting. That was so satisfying. Sentences have also been going up for cruelty convictions since then. Starting at 3 years now instead of probation.

[flvegan]

3. Even if it's only 6 months

I'm sure that there are a great many folks in his new home with his fellow Nebraska jailmates that not only take issue with folks that would beat a puppy to death, but also probably miss their own pets at their homes.

On top of that, every time this miscreant pile of shit goes for a job or license, he's going to have to interview with this hanging over his head.

The 6 months will be the easy part. Welcome to the rest of your life, asshole.

[mitchum]

17. I am thinking the same thing...

I don't think it will be very pleasant for him

[Hand]

26. Yep. Felony conviction.

He'll be paying for this for the rest of his life. He deserves it.

[karlrschneider]

4. I was arrested for assaulting a guy back in 1982, I think it was.

Was driving home and saw a big guy beating the hell out of a young dog, right on the sidewalk a block from my house in Tampa. Not really a puppy, but obviously was very young...the guy was holding him by his leash and hitting him REAL HARD with a big stick. I pulled over to the curb, got out and yelled STOP THAT to the guy. He said something like "mind your own damn business" and hit the doggie again (it was crying & howling)...I walked over to the sonofabitch and cold-cocked him. The doggie ran off, I don't know what ever happened to him/her but the guy managed to get my license plate as I drove off & filed a complaint. The cops came to my house & arrested me...I was able to avoid jail by ROR and when my "trial" came up (no jury) I told the judge I damn sure did hit the bastard and would happily do it again if I ever saw him abusing an animal. I got 16 hours of community service.

[Marthe48]

6. GOOD for you!

Always heartening to see someone stand up for the animals. If it happened these days, I guess you'd get life for enviro-terrorism!

[shireen]

8. thank you!

i sometimes wonder what i would do in such a situation -- i'm not big and strong enough to overpower a big-built bully. i'd probably just walk up to him and gently persistently plead for him to stop. he'll get so mad that he'll hit me. that way i get to file the charges against the sick slimeball, tell my story to the judge who will sentence him for assault and animal cruelty! :crazy:

[kestrel91316]

16. Karl, you rock!

:yourock:

[pecwae]

20. Thanks you karl!

Taking up for a defenseless creature, no matter what the species, is the highest form of compassion. You're a true hero!

For those who say "it's only a dog" :thumbsdown:

[Vidar]

21. My hat's off to you, Karl.

[livvy]

5. What a disgusting excuse for a human being.

He deserves a lot more than what he got. That poor puppy. What a miserable short life he must have had, because I'm sure this wasn't the first time he'd been abusive to the pup.
I think I'm going to go give each of my furpals a big hug now.

[RebelOne]

7. He should serve a life sentence.

After all, it was an innocent puppy whose life he ended. Why shouldn't someone who kills a dog not get the same sentence as someone who kills another person. It's another living being.

[HuffleClaw]

19. erm, because its an animal?

and cruel as it may be, its only a dog.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

25. That's a pretty harsh statement.

I'd never refer to a dog as "it's only a dog" and also, studies show that people who injure/kill animals are far more likely to injure/kill people. I'd have no problem keeping this asshole off the streets for a long time.

[Bosso 63]

10. He is going to get more time.

Next time, it will be a woman or a kid. Maybe I'm wrong, andhe will learn something, but I think he will do more damage and more time.

[Raster]

11. As Molly Ivins has pointed out: During World War II, there were a host of

"virile" men willing to go around kicking Dachshunds because they were "German dogs." There were, however, no men that went around kicking German Shepherds.

Just like it takes a lowlife miserable cretin to abuse a defenseless child, it takes the same cretin to abuse a defenseless animal. Two years in prison is FAR TOO GOOD. I say nut the fucker without anesthetic and then horsewhip him raw in the village square.

[Roy]

12. Try this one on for size.......

Last night (07/14/06) a fellow (Nigerian descent) parked his car on the street to get a roofing torch from his moving truck in a parking lot owned by him.

A passersby walking on the sidewalk heard a noise and flagged a passing patrol car telling the office it sounded like there was a child in the car trunk. Police immediately called for backup and opened the trunk to find a (rather large) full grown goat and another adolescent appearing goat. The adolescent was crying in pain sounding eerily like a child crying, his neck was broken from flailing in dark trunk, I assume from panicked fear and died about 30 minutes after the discovery.

Long story short... after a few minutes he went over to his car asking the officers why they were in his car, and was immediately (and rather roughly) arrested.
He hasn't returned yet to move his car so I assume he has not made bail yet (about 15 hours later).

[DumpDavisHogg]

13. What happened to "truth in sentencing"???

"Anthony Schepis was sentenced to one to two years in prison, which means he won't serve more than a year and could be paroled in six months."

Huh???

Isn't one to two years supposed to MEAN one to two years???

Back in the '90s, the booger eater contingent was all for "truth in sentencing" when it applied to 12-year-old kids stealing a slice of pizza. But when a grown man tortures a puppy to death, "truth in sentencing" stops applying, it seems.

[LeftyMom]

14. "under Nebraska law he can only consider letters from victims"

Of all the retarded shit I've read all week, that just might take the fucking cake. You mean to tell me that the best way to get the guy a longer sentance was for the dead dog to write the judge a nice long letter? :argh:

[TheFarseer]

22. He deserves it

That is a disgusting thing to do to a defenseless animal. Even if you are a radical anti-animal rights person, you can think of it this way: with a temper like that, he was bound to go off on a human being and injure or kill them. Maybe this will teach him to control himself.

[lonestarnot]

23. Fuckwad probably related to the serial killer here in Phoenix. Started

with animals.

[President Kerry]

24. Good to know they nailed the SOB.

These are the same bastards that go around murdering, raping, and molesting. A twisted sense of "control". I wish his sentence was longer.