Apparently the Lackawanna County courthouse in Pennsylvania isn’t a place where you can expect justice for animals.  Wyou Eyewitness news reported Gerald Snyder of Greenfield Township was accused of shooting his neighbors dog “toby” two times.  After killing the dog he left the remains under a milk crate.  His punishment for this crime?  A $300 fine.
Toby was shot in January 2015, Gerald got away with this crime for over 5 months.  He was finally identified and cited May 31st 2015. When asked questions after the case, the dog killer Gerald Snyder refused to answer any.  Gerald was a pretty big man when he shot a defenseless animal, but now he can’t even apologize to the owners.
We happened to notice while looking for a picture of Gerald Snyder that there is a contracting business ran by a Gerald Snyder Jr. in Greenfield Township.  I’d definitely verify that this business is not associated with the Dog Killer before hiring them to do any contracting. You can also hide your pets just to be safe.
Do Animal Cruelty Laws in Pennsylvania need to be looked at?
The family victimized by this crime said that Toby was a member of the family. Why isn’t this case treated like that? After hearing the that Gerald Snyder got off with just a $300 fine it’s hard to believe that Animal Cruelty is not taken seriously enough by those involved in the legal system in this area.
Animals and their owners can form a deep bond. Animals love us unconditionally and are always there for us when we need them. Many of us get attached to our pets and it can devastate us when they are gone. A $300 fine hardly seems like a fitting punishment for murdering a families best friend, nor the agony Gerald Snyder causes on a daily basis when they come home calling for Toby only to have it dawn on them that he’ll never answer them again.
Animal cruelty should be a felony in all 50 states, not just some states. I’d even support a federal law about it
shut up toby was a mean mean dog
He deserved it