The extreme animal advocacy group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Monday urged Berkshire prosecutors to take strong action against a Pittsfield man accused of kicking a small dog.
PETA also vowed to air anti-violence television ads in the Berkshire area in the wake of the alleged dog kicking incident, which occurred in late January.
According to a statement issued by PETA, the group on Monday sent "an urgent plea" to Berkshire County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Kemp, asking her to vigorously prosecute Jason M. Dowling of Pittsfield.
Dowling faces charges stemming from a January 31 incident in which he is alleged to have kicked a miniature pinscher, which belongs to his aunt, during an argument.
“Animal abusers are cowards,†says PETA Cruelty Caseworker Daniel Paden. “They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them. Area residents have reason to be concerned. According to leading mental-health professionals and law-enforcement agencies, perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat not only to other animals, but to the community as a whole.â€
According to a press release, PETA is also sending its new anti-violence public service announcement hosted by actor Dennis Franz to TV stations serving the Berkshire County area.
In the letter to Kemp, PETA urges jail time and psychological counseling for Dowling, should he be found guilty.
"We ask that, upon conviction and in addition to a period of incarceration, Jason Dowling be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling and anger-management classes at his own expense - the safety of the community may depend on it," the letter states. "Because repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers and given the violent and malicious nature of his alleged actions that day, we implore you to take every measure necessary to ensure that Dowling is barred from all contact with animals and to immediately seize any animals who remain in his charge."
The letter is signed by Paden, Cruelty Caseworker, Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department.
PETA is known for taking strong stances against animal cruelty, testing of products on animals, wearing fur and even using animals for food.
Their website currently features items condemning Jennifer Lopez for wearing fur, against boiling live lobsters and against the Iditarod sled race.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
PETA are snobby hypocrates. They advocate destroying all pit bulls. Why would they care about this dog. I think I'll start an organisation called people for the ethical treatment of pit bulls. PETPB
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
