Nationwide outcry for reopening of the Jayco Animal Cruelty Case
ELKHART, Ind. -- A petition asking the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office to reopen the criminal case against three former Jayco employees accused of animal abuse for killing two feral cats in a company trash compactor has gathered nearly 20,000 signatures nationwide as of Wednesday.
The incident has led to protests in Elkhart and a national response from animal rights groups.
Prosecutor Vicki Becker declined an interview with ABC57, but confirmed she is aware of the petition. She said she will not change her decision based on criticism and referred to her original statement from June 25.
“A person’s conduct, no matter how offensive or objectionable it may be, will only be actionable under criminal law where there is specific authority granted to the State, by its Legislature, to hold a person accountable,” the statement reads. “Prosecutorial decisions regarding formal charges may not be emotionally driven, nor be inconsistent with the intent of the Legislature.”
Here full release can be found, Here.
Becker said the dismissal of the case was due to an exception in Indiana animal abuse laws. She stated the cats were allegedly causing damage to Jayco property and were “destroyed in a manner that did not prolong suffering.” However, activists are outraged and believe the response is a misrepresentation of Indiana Law.
The petition was created by the animal rights advocacy group, Animal Victory, in partnership with the local organization Meow Mission, and a New York-based attorney.
Jodi Aker, president of Meow Mission, said, “Our response, as I think anyone who even has any compassion whatsoever was absolute shock and then horror and then just such a sadness about what these poor animals went through,” recalling her initial reaction to hearing about the incident.
Janelle Babington, founder and CEO of Animal Victory, shared their demands to the Prosecutor’s office to reopen the case and release any evidence of damage to the facility, “So our hope is for her to reopen the case, take this case seriously, to respect animals and to hold these men accountable,” said Babington.
The full petition, and list of requests can be found Here.
The advocates said Wednesday their calls for “Justice for the Jayco Cats” are just getting started. A vigil will be held for the cats July 31st from 7-8pm at Memorial Park in Downtown Middlebury.
Wednesday, Jayco referred back to their original statement when asked for comment:
Jayco takes this matter very seriously, and do not condone the actions of the three individuals involved or animal cruelty of any manner. Their employment with the company has been terminated. Immediate measures were taken and continue to be executed to educate employees on appropriate procedures and company expectations.