Opponents of NH animal cruelty bill cite HSUS extortion

 Dog owners, breeders, and farmers who testified against an animal cruelty bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) said, while its intentions are good, they fear it would open the door to abuse and intimidation by animal rights activists, unfairly discriminate against the poor, and allow extortion by the agencies providing emergency care. They point to the judgment against Christina Fay, the Wolfeboro woman convicted of animal cruelty after authorities seized 84 Great Danes that were living in squalid conditions. Last December, Circuit Judge Charles Greenhalgh found Fay guilty and gave her a one-year suspended jail sentence, ordering her to pay the entire amount that the prosecution had asked for: $773,887.63 sought by the Humane Society of the United States, $16,300 by the town of Wolfeboro, and $1,500 by Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord Merrimack County.The sentence has been stayed because of Fay's appeal to Carroll County Superior Court, but the breakdown of charges by the Humane Society shows that only $154,375.66 went to the direct care of the seized dogs. The remaining $619,511.97 is attributed to consulting fees ($245,429.88), travel by plane, train, and automobile ($151,138.36), meals ($23,841.98), and lodging ($117,490.01), with minor amounts going to office expenses, trash removal, and even an $88.63 charge for “Prize/Awards Payments.”Jay Phinizy of Ackworth, a former state representative who raises hunting dogs, believes existing laws are sufficient to deal with animal cruelty, if they are only enforced, and that Bradley’s bill is flawed by being rushed into law without sufficient study.