Family dynamics can vary depending on the strength of relationships. One mother and son proved to have some interesting interactions, which led to an arrest. According to a news report, the teenage son was unhappy about the rocky relationship between his mother and girlfriend. In order to fix the problem, the son threatened to kill one of his mom’s chickens every 15 minutes until she called his girlfriend and worked things out. He ended up killing 6 of her chickens (sending a picture of each dead chicken to his mother) before police arrived and arrested him. This act resulted in Animal Cruelty charges.
In Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County, there are two varying degree of Animal Cruelty a person can be charged with: Cruelty to Animals and Aggravated Cruelty to Animals. Either of these two crimes can apply when an animal is killed. The deciding factor is intent.
What is Cruelty to Animals in Larimer County?
If a person recklessly or with criminal negligence needlessly kills an animal, it is charged as Cruelty to Animals.
Aggravated Cruelty to Animals – C.R.S. 18-9-202. – is defined by Colorado law as:
While Cruelty to Animals is charged as a class 1 misdemeanor, Aggravated Animal Cruelty is a felony:
Being charged with Aggravated Animal Cruelty is a felony charge punishable with a sentence to the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC). With the case above, the teenage son could be charged with 6 counts of this crime, because he allegedly killed 6 different chickens. This could compound his sentence very quickly. While a class 6 felony is punishable with 12 to 18 months in DOC, if he was convicted on all 6 counts and the judge ran his sentences consecutively, he could face a maximum of 9 years.
[pullquote align=”center” textalign=”center” width=”95%”]Have you been charged with Animal Cruelty? Contact the experienced attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today![/pullquote]
While this is an extreme example of Aggravated Animal Cruelty, our attorneys have successfully defended clients facing all types of allegations in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park. We are prepared to be by your side every step of the way.