PETA Demands Jail Time, Psychiatric Intervention for Alleged Puppy Torturer
Group Urges Vigorous Prosecution of Man Who Allegedly Doused Ailing Puppy in Hot Sauce
For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2014
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Today, PETA sent an urgent letter to State Attorney Ed Brodsky calling on him to vigorously prosecute Sarasota resident Ephrian Myles, who allegedly attacked his girlfriend’s 3-month-old puppy, Gizmo, on February 23. According to reports, Gizmo suffers from a seizure disorder, and Myles reportedly grew aggravated by the seizing puppy’s yelps and doused the tiny animal in hot sauce that coated and burned his face, eyes, and mouth.
“A tiny puppy with a health condition needed extra kindness—and instead, this man reportedly reacted with violence, dousing his face and sensitive eyes with caustic hot sauce,” says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. “PETA is calling on the authorities to treat this crime with the seriousness it deserves. Studies confirm that perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat to all animals, including humans.”
In its letter, PETA points to the link between violence against animals and violence against human beings and asks that Myles, if convicted, be sentenced to a period of incarceration, prohibited from owning or harboring animals, and ordered to undergo thorough psychological evaluations followed by mandatory counseling, including anger-management classes.
For more information, please visit PETA.org. To view PETA’s anti-violence public service announcement featuring Inglourious Basterds star and Hostel director Eli Roth, please visit http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=eli_roth_violence_link_psa_peta.
PETA’s letter to State Attorney Ed Brodsky follows.
The Honorable Ed Brodsky
State Attorney, 12th Judicial Circuit
2071 Ringling Blvd., Ste. 400
Sarasota, FL 34237
Dear Mr. Brodsky:
We hope this letter finds you well.
PETA is an international animal-protection organization with more than 3 million members and supporters, thousands residing in Florida. This letter concerns an extremely disturbing felony cruelty-to-animals case involving Sarasota resident Ephrian Myles, who is alleged to have attacked his girlfriend’s 3-month-old Chihuahua-dachshund mix, Gizmo, with great viciousness. Reportedly, the dog suffers from a seizure disorder, and on February 23, Myles, aggravated by the puppy’s screams during one such episode, doused him in hot sauce, causing facial burns and breathing difficulties and making the dog’s eyes swell shut. Thankfully, Gizmo was surrendered to authorities and is expected to recover.
As you likely know, mental-health professionals and top law-enforcement officials consider animal abuse to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric Association identifies cruelty to animals as one of the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorders, and the FBI uses reports of animal abuse in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known criminals. The link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence is undeniable, and the safety of the community may depend on a vigorous prosecution of this case. Please see the attached for more information.
We respectfully ask that, if convicted and in addition to serving a period of incarceration, Myles be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling (to include anger-management classes) at his own expense. Because repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers and given the heinous nature of this case, we ask also that, if convicted, Myles be prohibited from owning animals (a common provision in such cases) for as long as possible.
Thank you for your time and consideration and for the difficult work that you do.
Sincerely yours,
Kristin Simon
Senior Cruelty Caseworker
Cruelty Investigations Department
