Washington Humane Society Applauds Judge J. Ramsey Johnson's Move to Deter Future Violence

Washington, D.C. - In D.C. Superior Court, the Honorable Judge J. Ramsey Johnson sentenced a 21-year-old male, Kevin Knott of the 1300 block of Oak Street, NW, to one year incarceration for felony animal cruelty charges and two years for assault, to be served concurrently. Once released, Knott will serve an additional three years of supervised release during which time he will be prohibited from having any contact with animals, do community service, and attend anger management and general counseling. By law, he could have received as much as five years for killing a neighbor's dog and ten years for assault.

The sentencing was for a March 2005 crime, in which Knott enticed two younger boys, who were interested in buying a puppy from Knott, to bring their dog to Knott's house. When the boys did so, Knott had his pit bull attack their dog. He then shot the boys' dog six times with a pistol, killing her instantly. Finally, Knott waved his gun at one of the boys and ordered him to remove the dead dog, following him with the gun as he did so.

Knott was indicted on 3 counts of cruelty to animals and 8 other counts related to the weapon. On January 17, 2006, he pleaded guilty to felony charges of cruelty to animals and felony assault charges in D.C. Superior Court, the Honorable Judge Ramsey Johnson presiding. In so doing, Knott became the second person convicted of felony animal cruelty charges since felony charges for animal abuse became a possibility in August 2001. In announcing the guilty plea, United States Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein praised the effort of the Washington Humane Society's Law Enforcement Department and Chief Operating Officer Adam Parascandola.

"We are delighted with the sentencing," says Washington Humane Society Executive Director Howard Nelson. "Judge Johnson clearly understands that cruelty to animals is a very serious crime that cannot be tolerated in a civil society. Moreover, study after study has established that people who abuse animals rarely stop there: their next victims are likely to be human. It appears that this is now understood by the judiciary. We applaud Judge Johnson's insightful sentencing and trust that it will send a message to the public that our community has zero tolerance for animal abuse."

Since 1870, the Washington Humane Society has enforced the District of Columbia's laws that prohibit cruelty to animals under a U.S. Congressional charter. This work is supported entirely through private donations. In 2001, the society worked to amend the District's anti-cruelty laws to include a provision for felony sentences in cases of severe and deliberate abuse and animal fighting. At that point, the law was also amended to make failure to provide necessary veterinary care illegal.

In fiscal year 2005, the society's four humane officers opened 1,515 new cases of suspected animals cruelty and neglect. They impounded 484 animals to protect their health and safety, obtained four search warrants, oversaw six arrests for animal abuse, and completed 3,765 inspections to ensure compliance with the law.

The Washington Humane Society reminds the public that they can report cases of animal abuse and neglect 24 hours a day by calling 202-BE-HUMANE. More information on preventing cruelty to animals can be found at the Washington Humane Society website, www.washhumane.org. Donations in support of the society's Humane Law Enforcement department can be sent to The Washington Humane Society, 7319 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20012 or can be made online.

The Washington Humane Society works to prevent cruelty to animals by enforcing animal protection laws, educating children and adults on responsible animal care, and providing shelter and adoptions for homeless and abused animals of all sorts. It has been selected by the District government to provide animal control services for the city and to operate the D.C. Animal Shelter. The society operates an additional, private animal shelter and spay/neuter clinic in Northwest Washington. Each year, the Washington Humane Society cares for nearly 12,000 animals and responds to 15,500 calls for help.