Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Update: Joshua Moore has been indicted on five felony counts of animal torture, five felony counts of aggravated cruelty, and one misdemeanor count of depicting animal torture. PETA presented the Chicago Police Department's Animal Crimes Team with a Hero to Animals Award for its swift work in seizing the abused dogs—five dogs and five puppies—and promptly charging Moore for his crimes.
A man and a boy who physically and psychologically tortured several small dogs in a series of sadistic YouTube videos have been charged with multiple counts of felony and misdemeanor cruelty to animals, thanks to the swift work of PETA and authorities in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Chicago.
The videos show 22-year-old Joshua Moore and a teenage boy hanging and spinning a dog by a leash, violently ripping duct tape off a dog's testicles, and biting a dog's neck until he cried in pain. The pair is also shown hiding a mother dog's five puppies and watching as she frantically searches for them, repeatedly throwing the mother dog in the air, trying to force a dog to eat feces, and pouring lemon juice down a dog's throat, among other horrors.
The clips have been taken off YouTube, but PETA saved the video evidence (which would have otherwise been lost!) and provided it to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control (FWACC) on Sunday. The agency immediately jumped into action to locate Moore, who had posted on his Facebook page that he was living in Fort Wayne.
On Tuesday morning, a Fort Wayne vice and narcotics officer identified Moore, at which time Moore was detained, interviewed by FWACC, and released. The videos, information gained from the interview, and supporting reports were immediately forwarded to the Chicago Police Department, giving that agency the probable cause needed to take action. On Thursday evening, FWACC intercepted the bus that Moore was traveling on from Fort Wayne to Chicago, where Chicago police officers were waiting.
Moore was arrested and charged with four felony counts of cruelty to animals and eight misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. The 13-year-old has been charged as a juvenile with six counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of animal torture. Ten dogs, including five puppies, were seized and are now in protective custody.
These dogs would still likely be suffering at the hands of their abusers if someone hadn't alerted us to the videos. If you know or suspect that someone is harming animals, don't delay—report cruelty immediately to local law-enforcement officials and animal control authorities, and if you don't get anywhere, contact PETA. You'll help keep the whole community safer by speaking up—animal abusers are bullies who victimize the defenseless, including members of their own species.
Sad thing is an uncountable amount of people dont care - but awareness is growing - YAY! Thank you Chicago Animal Team - Abuse is untolerable ! and at A.W - A person with tattoos does not make them freaks - ugliness comes from within , if you expect liberation from all and for all species - then you must be non judgemental on surface appearances - species that arent homo sapiens dont have an inch of care what you look like , they love you regardless of age ,sexual orientation or social status . Your support againt animal cruelty is appreciated though :)
I read about this story about a month ago? Supposedly the boys family took in the 22 yr old because he was trying to get his life together or some baloney like that. Nice they kept such a good eye on him that he was such a BAD influence on their child!
The mother and grandmother (I think she lived in the house too) were mad because their dogs were seized and said they were upset because the dogs were like family. I thought, well how did your idiot son get the idea to go along with the 22 year-old loser, if you valued your animals so much?? Any kid that was raised properly wouldn't go along with crap like that at 13.
So its a sad situation that those poor dogs were messed with so badly but I am glad they are out of harms way. i just hope they all go to good families
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