Romello Maxwell, an inmate at Genesee County Jail in Michigan, has been charged withassaulting a jail comfort dog.
Maxwell struck Josie, a 13-month-old spaniel, on September 24, causing her to suffer a concussion and damage to one of her eyes.
“Josie is not even 15 pounds, and she was assaulted while she was simply doing her job,” described Sheriff Swanson.
RELATED:
Romello Maxwell, an inmate at Genesee County Jail in Michigan, has been charged with assaulting a 13-month-old therapy dog named Josie
Image credits:Genesee County Sheriff’s Office
“We take matters, whether they be big or small, seriously when it comes to assault,” he added.
“We’ve established for years that if you assault, beat, torture, or starve an animal to death, you have a great likelihood that you’re going to do it to a human.
“In law enforcement, canines are used to find explosives, drugs, children…and in Josie’s case, they aretherapy dogsfor not only staff and inmates but also for victims who testify. We use these dogs to break barriers down.
“Josie has a little badge that was broken at the assault and a little vest. I’m not trying to be melodramatic; I’m saying this is the use of this kind of canine to de-escalate everything. Dogs can do that.”
Spending time with a dog canhelp prisonersrestore their mental health and reduce the risk of self-harm. For some, interacting with a friendly dog can provide a sense of connection to the outside world.
“As a dog lover, it broke my heart when I watched this video,” added prosecutor David Layton.
He said that the inmate has been charged with serious offenses under Michigan law, including assaulting a corrections deputy.
The prosecutor said he pushed for the toughest possible charges against Maxwell and called for stricter state laws on animal assault.
“This individual is a habitual offender, so the maximum penalty increases from four years to eight years, which I think is still too low.”
Josie suffered a concussion after being struck in the head while approaching Maxwell
During the press conference, prosecutor Layton and Sheriff Swanson shared the video of the attack, which showsJosieapproaching Maxwell and yelping after being hit.
The 27-year-old reportedly assaulted two law enforcement personnel before the attack.
In the description of thelivestream, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office noted, “Animal abuse will not be tolerated on Sheriff Swanson’s watch, and that includes inside his jail.
“Sheriff Swanson and Prosecutor David Leyton plan to hold Josie’s abuser accountable and continue their efforts to protect innocent animals in Genesee County.”
After the incident, Josie was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic, where she stayed for a day and a half and received an MRI scan.
Holding thetherapy dogin his arms, Sheriff Swanson said Josie is “doing well” and “is going to continue to serve” at the prison.
She returned to her duties last Monday (September 20) thanks to the help of her canine handler.
Two bills were recently introduced to establish a registry for individuals convicted of animal-related crimes, the sheriff added, emphasizing the link betweenanimal crueltyand violence against humans
“Josie is not even 15 pounds, and she was assaulted while she was simply doing her job,” described Sheriff Chris Swanson
One of the most reliable predictors of future violence as an adult is having committedanimalabuse as a child, the study notes.
Josie helps improve inmates’ mental health and provides support for victims who testify
“Animal abusers were more likely than control participants to be interpersonally violent, but they also were more likely to commit property offenses, drug offenses, and public disorder offenses,” wrote authors Arnold Arluke, Jack Levin, Carter Lule, and Frank Ascione.
“Thus, there was an association between animal abuse and a variety of antisocial behaviors, but not violence alone.”
“He should get a long sentence for this,” a reader commented
Justinas Keturka
Eligijus Sinkunas
Animals
