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Florence, South Carolina - Charles Bell Cruelty Case
June 23, 2010, FLORENCE, S.C. —On June 23, City Animal Control received a call about a dog at a residence in the city of Florence...they found a dead dog...in a small transport crate...in the hot sun...no water...over 100 degrees...the dog had been there for two days...someone had asked if they could move the dog to the shade...the owner refused. TAKE ACTION BELOW! |
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Florence man charged with animal cruelty July 8, 2010, FLORENCE, S.C. —Florence County Environmental Services issued a courtesy summons charging a man with animal cruelty.Florence Area Humane Society President Jayne Boswell tells NewsChannel 15 Charles Bell left his dog in a cage outside in the sun with no water for two days.Boswell says the dog died from heat related injuries.Boswell says it happened last week at Bell's Florence home.
Update from Angela Adams He's scheduled to appear in court in two weeks.
UPDATE: Sentenced today July 23rd, 2010 The sentence: 30 days in jail to be served on weekends and a fine of $1,092 is what torturing a dog to death for two days gets you in SC, even when it's not your first offense. Thankfully they are taking his other animals away. The Examiner's analysis: "According to the law of South Carolina, and this being Charles Bell's third offense of animal cruelty, he should see no less than two years in jail with a fine set at the maximum of $2,000. Anything less would be an affront to all human decency after he left that poor dog to die of heat and thirst which he did knowingly as it is documented that a concerned neighbor made him aware of the dog's plight." Title 47, the animal cruelty law of South Carolina SECTION 47-1-40. Ill-treatment of animals generally. (A) Whoever knowingly or intentionally overloads, overdrives, overworks, ill-treats any animal, deprives any animal of necessary sustenance or shelter, inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal, or by omission or commission knowingly or intentionally causes these things to be done, for every offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding sixty days or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or both, for a first offense; by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days or by a fine not exceeding eight hundred dollars, or both, for a second offense; or by imprisonment not exceeding two years or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or both, for a third or subsequent offense. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a first offense under this subsection shall be tried in magistrate's or municipal court. (B) Whoever tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or by omission or commission causes the acts to be done for any of the offenses is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment of not less than one hundred eighty days and not to exceed five years and by a fine of five thousand dollars.
UPDATE: Florence man pleads guilty to animal cruelty charge Florence County Detention Center By Patricia Burkett | WBTW Anchor/ Reporter
FLORENCE—A man charged with animal cruelty was sentenced to a fine and jail time after he pleaded guilty in a court hearing Friday morning. Charles Bell, 805 Ventura Court in Florence, was charged in late June after Florence County animal control officers found a large black dog, dead in a small transport crate. The crate was in Bell’s back yard and animal control officers said the dog had been in the crate in high temperatures without food or water for several days. Bell was sentenced by Florence City Court Judge Debra Jackson to a fine of $1,092 and 30 days to be served on weekends. City prosecutors had sought a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Bell will also have to surrender his remaining animal to the animal control officials. Bell entered his plea in a courtroom packed with animal rights supporters. Spectators were turned away by court officers after the room filled up. The animal cruelty case drew national attention and people from as far away as Charleston drove to Florence to attend the hearing. Patricia Blackmon was one of the animal rights activists in attendance and said she felt compelled to come and speak up for those who could not speak for themselves. You have to give water and food and shelter or you don’t need to have an animal,“ said Blackmon. If you’re not going to treat it right, don’t get one.“ Many of those in the courtroom were driven to small outbursts or tears as the facts of the case were read. Suzy Ball fought back emotions during the hearing and said she and other had to resist the urge to say how they felt about the situation. We couldn’t speak out in court, we think the sentence was way too light. We need to have stronger sentences,“ said Ball. He should have gone immediately to jail and been locked up in a cage in the hot sun,“ she said. Blackmon echoed the sentiments felt by many animal rights activists, that the punishment did not fit the crime. This is not nearly enough. If this had happened in another state where they have better laws to protect the animals, that man would have been in jail…period,“ she said. When Bell was asked to give his side of the story in court, he told the judge that he was in fact an animal lover and that he left his 15-year-old son in charge of the dog’s care. Bell told the judge that he and his son noticed that the dog kept escaping from its kennel, so they placed it in the crate at certain times throughout the day. I can only be judged by God and only he knows the truth,“ Bell told Morning News multimedia journalist John D. Russell after the plea. Bell, who was emotional and surrounded by family afterwards, declined to be interviewed further. This was the second time Bell has run afoul animal cruelty laws, according to Florence’s Director of Community Services Scotty Davis. Bell’s first offense came in 2008, when officials found two pit bulls in a cage with feces, Davis said. During that incident, Bell had to surrender his animals but was not issued an official citation. Though many animal activists said they were hoping for stricter punishment, or at least the maximum penalty of 60 days in jail, they do say that the case helped shed a spotlight on an issue that desperately needs attention. We’ve seen so many cases of abuse and so many people who look the other way and we are not going to look the other way anymore,“ said Ball. We are going to see that people are persecuted the way they’re persecuting these poor, innocent animals.“
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