Northstar

Animal cruelty is a disgusting act committed by pathetic, cowardly individuals. A few days ago, I read about an act of cruelty that just made me feel terrible. A six-year-old horse named Northstar was intentionally doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire in PA. According to his owners, Northstar is like a family member; they have raised him since he was a baby and he has never done anything to cause harm to anyone. They're baffled as to who would target Northstar or why they would commit such a cruel, violent act.

Miraculously, Northstar is fighting to survive. His owner found him and responded to his cries- not the usual whinnies for a treat or some affection, but the cries of an animal in absolute agony. Northstar's face had been burned to the bone; his eyelashes, nostril hairs, and the hair in his ears was also gone.
Although a local veterinarian is treating Northstar with antibiotics and painkillers, he has only been given a 50-50 chance at survival. There is a chance that an infection could occur, which puts the odds somewhat against his favor. However, as you can see in the picture above, Northstar is standing. With horses, that tends to be a good sign. I'll continue to blog about Northstar whenever I can find an update.

What's even more upsetting about this incident is that Pennsylvania has some of the worst animal cruelty laws in the country. In PA, no matter how terrible the crime may be, there are no provisions for first time offenders for animal neglect or cruelty offenses. Additionally, veterinarians aren’t required to report animal cruelty. In fact, Pennsylvania's laws do very little to encourage the fight against animal cruelty: the state does not mandate counseling offenders nor do they require that animal shelters be reimbursed for the costs of feeding, housing, and caring for seized animals.

Now, if you're wondering about the absolute best/worst states as far as animal cruelty is concerned, it may interest you to know that Illinois has held the honor of having the best animal cruelty laws in the nation for the last four years. Kentucky is on the opposite end of that list, having the weakest animal protection laws in the nation. Hey, Turtleman, think you can do anything about that? Sounds like Kentucky's critters are in need of some live action!

If you want to help Northstar's family with the astronomical veterinary bills they've incurred, you can donate to the Northstar Fund in care of:

Marley Veterinary Clinic
11416 Hydetown Road
Titusville, PA 16354

You can also go to any PNC Bank and make a donation under "Donations for Northstar."

If you have any information regarding this crime, please call the Pennsylvania State Police at (814) 663-2043 or (800) 922-1975.