Judge Relents: Animal Abuser Reassigned From Shelters
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Thanks to public outcry, Paul Canfield, who pled guilty to animal cruelty for shooting a cat named Oscar Flecha with a crossbow and arrow has been pulled from doing community service at two PA shelters who were not consulted about having him and did not want his services.
People in PA and elsewhere were disappointed, saddened and outraged at the sentence handed down earlier this week, which called for 6 months probation, $1,000 toward Oscar’s medical expenses, and 75 hours community service at each of two area animal shelters who are not affiliated with the County and were not asked whether they wished to participate.
As a result of widespread disapproval, Paul Canfield will not be performing his court mandated community service at Schuylkill County animal rescue centers Hillside SPCA and Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA after all, despite the sentence handed down on Tuesday.
According to a Hillside spokesperson, outrage expressed through pressure in the press, interviews, and contact with the Probation and Victim Advocate offices have resulted in Canfield being reassigned.
Staff members at the Hillside expressed that they were not comfortable with having the man who admitted to performing the act of animal cruelty around either their animals or their volunteers.
For more on the case see the two stories on Oscar Flecha indexed here.
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Who says social media doesn’t work????
That judge should be removed from the bench.
You are so right. At least he did back pedal.
Excellent news.
That guy doing community service at an animal shelter is like assigning Michael Vick to perform community service at an animal shelter. What the heck was that judge thinking?
Patrick Canfield should be going to jail. This judge failed Oscar and all animals who have been tortured or abused. Time to show that PA means business when it comes to animal abuse and it will NOT BE TOLERATED!! The judge failed, the justice system failed. Pitiful. I bet this guy will continue to abuse #cats only he will try to not get caught next time He also set an example for his kids. They used to taunt Oscar while he was in Amy’s window.
wth? why would anyone sentence a guy who pled guilt to animal cruilty to do community service at animal shelters????
Oh thank goodness! This bothered me a lot!
Funny to mention Vick: he appears to have changed sides and now is in the company of the HSUS against dogfighting. http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-19/us/washington.dog.fighting.vick_1_michael-vick-dogfighting-conviction-news-conference?_s=PM:US
Dumbass judge & dumbass abuser!
creeps!!!!
Idiot judge
So what’s that judge going to do for an encore, have a child molester work at a day care? >^,,^< Idiots on the bench need to be removed from the bench.
The judge probably thought it would help him develop compassion. But like the child abuse analogy, it has the potential to help him find victims. Truly bad call.
First, of all, Praise God Oscar is hopefully going to be okay~!
Second, Once again I am embarrassed to say I live in Pennsylvania. I know where Schulkyl County is and its not that far from me. Neither is Lancaster, land of the Amish Puppy Mills…….. Which the media (and OPRAH) helped us with alot by bringing awareness and even got some laws changed. Did you know until recently it was LEGAL to shoot your own dog. Bloody hell, how humane is that?????????
A person who has no compassion for animals isn’t going to learn compassion by forcing said person to clean up after the animals. And yes, it does give the abuser access to potential victims.
they should throw that monster in a lion’s den!!!
what an arsh! why do people have to be so cruel? why does the suffering of animals bring joy to those people???
Maybe for the same reasons it brings joy to some people to be mean to other people, etc
Maybe for the same reasons it brings joy to some people to be mean to other people, etc
You can’t throw him in a lion’s den, that’d be cruel to the lions. >^,,^<
You can’t throw him in a lion’s den, that’d be cruel to the lions. >^,,^<
True
Thank God! The workers could not have turned their back on him for a minute for fear of him hurting or taunting an animal–he’s a creep.
i don’t think it’s cruel or unususal punishment for him to get shot with a crossbow.
Canfield apparently thought it was an appropriate way to solve a conflict—although he doesn’t seem to be the sharpest crayon in the box.
hit him the the crossbow!
get rid of the bastard once and for all !!!!!!
Praise the Lord.
Great news! In addition to picking up the trash from the side of the road (in heat and rain) he should have to clean sewers.
I’m surprised anyone would agree to have this monster do community service around them, people included. I wonder if the judge would have been lucid enough to pay a little more attention if Canfield had shot someone’s child.
Here’s what Canfield did to my friend’s cat:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=259354814075768&set=at.193335637344353.51379.193259680685282.100001431888193&type=1&ref=nf#!/media/set/?set=a.193359434008640.51397.193259680685282&type=1
Can’t wait until the next judicial election there…we can rally animal lovers to campaign for Dolbin’s rival. what goes around, comes around!!!!!