Animals, Criminal law, Society

Teen Who Killed Dog in Home Invasion Given 20 Years in Jail

I saw this story out of Grand Rapids, Michigan of a 15-year-old boy who was sentenced to 20 years for invading a home and killing a dog. Jonathan Castelan said that when he broke into the home, the family’s 8-pound dachhound bit him and he killed it with a hammer.

What is interesting about this case is two fold. First, this is part of a plea despite the huge sentence. Second, the killing of the pet seems to have driver the demands for the long sentence as much as the home invasion. The fact that this is a teen would often factor into a lower sentence but (given the sentence and the release of his name) he appears to have been treated as an adult.

Owners Abel and Denise Soto actually complained that the sentence was too light because of the dog’s death.

The sentence is in fact quite long for the killing of a pet and also long for a home invasion in many states. We have often complained on this blog about the light treatment given the killing of pets. The community was enraged by the dog’s death in this case and it seems to have translated into a longer sentence.

For their part, the Sotos were given a new dachshund puppy by an anonymous source.

Source: USA Today

70 thoughts on “Teen Who Killed Dog in Home Invasion Given 20 Years in Jail”

  1. I know a guy that almost shot the brains out of a little prick (no it wasn’t Bud) that broke into his house. The cops found hair and skin in the wall, grazed his head with a 9mm. Now that is a close shave. Lucky this kid didn’t break into the house of a gun loving, well armed citizen.

  3. To all the animal-loving pet keepers in here with the my-pet-is-my-brother-arguement in here.

    It is not.

    If your dog is like your brother, the spider, the fly and the fungus on your dick are too, but somehow… if it’s a bacteria, the sanctity of life doesn’t even seem to apply all of a sudden…

    Well, sorry but I don’t do thinking in corners…

    Care as much for your dog as for the fly on the wall, it’s the reasonable thing to do.

  4. Invading a home, sure, it should not be done. Restore any damages and a sentence of 5 years or so should do it for me. I don’t give two fucks about you losing your dog. And if you tell me 20 yrs for a minor is fine, or not enough, I can’t let you procreate. You’re the real killer in the story. That is murder.

    People make mistakes…. Some invade homes… some keep pets. It’s all crime to me.
    Go fuck yourself instead of the innocent, Einstein.

  7. is that the best you can come up with?

    that Rhubarb makes people shit themselves?

    we already knew that son.

  8. that might explain the abnormally large amount of excrement comin out you lot

    good luck with that copy and paste

    *chuckle*

  11. Dopey said
    Contradict yourself much, Spammy? (rhetorical)

    Spamheed said
    As a dog owner myself I have long held the opionion (whether logical or not) that bringing a pet into the family home should be regarded as adding a new family member to the home, rather than just another possession obtained and the law should recognise the status of the pet and in cases where the pet is killed or injured, the impact on the entire family unit should be considered a factor when it comes to sentencing.

    and the Dopey said
    While I have to agree that pets deserve more respect under the law than they usually get,

    does that mean that Dopey is also contradicting himself? of course it does, but dopey doens’t see it that way

    you at the ol’ double standards again Dopey? or is that ur way of telling Spam that you love him and want to be like him?

    Sad two faced little toad

  15. that was clever pete, and sadly apropos…

    thank you for that link culheath, nice article and all those lovely examples in 1 place 🙂
    I really like this one, it demonstrates ‘reasoned morality’ as well as compassion outside of the group;

    ‘In 2003, a herd of 11 elephants rescued antelope who were being held inside an enclosure in KwaZula-Natal, South Africa.
    The matriarch unfastened all of the metal latches holding the gates closed and swung the entrance open allowing the antelope to escape.’

    ~I think anyone who has ever had a pet can tell you that properly socialized animals are driven by the ‘rules’ they learn from their group. I can think of lots of people that should be on leashes or in cages…and the little dog in question was exhibiting protective behaviors…that is instinct of a higher order….

  18. damn kid needs to learn, if you’re going to break into someones home and shoot their dog, bring your badge!

  20. Actually recent studies have indicated that animals (especially monkeys and chimps) do have a sense of right and wrong.

    Ex: A group of chimps watching a subordinate male hassle the dominate male and then get trounced by the dominate show no reaction. But if a dominate male initiates the violence against a subordinate who did not provoke the attack, then the observing group will succor the victim demonstrating their awareness of the injustice of the attack.

    There are multiple and varied examples of such ethical awareness across species some more obvious than others.

    I will look up the study for you.

Comments are closed.