2008 Updates

Earlier in the year, I did an article about dogfighting in Florida. I referred to a case in Hillsborough County where a man named Maurice Bayless had been arrested in April of this year on charges related to dogfighting. I promised to follow up on that charge to see where it led. According to HC Clerk of the Circuit Court's website, on June 2 a written not guilty plea was entered and the case was continued. On July 31, the right to the speedy trial was waived and the case continued. On Nov. 3, a pre trial was scheduled for Jan. 20, 2009 with a possible jury trial on Jan. 26. The road to justice is long and winding, but every gavel that hammers down on a jail sentence for animal abuse is worth the effort.

I ranted against the common use of fireworks back in July. With New Year's celebrations breathing down our necks, I felt it timely to post a link that is addressing this issue in Florida. The Ban Illegal Fireworks site is hosted by a Hillsborough County resident through Neighborhood Links. It features information about the legal status of fireworks use in Florida and what's being done to ban them. A warning: the "protect animals" link on the sidebar shows a graphic image of a dead horse that may be disturbing to some.