Despite the
best efforts of animal advocates and the
King County prosecutor’s office, Terrance
Hedin and his son Travis Hedin walked away
from first degree animal cruelty charges
this week. Both men were on trial for
allegedly shooting their dog Maynard and
leaving him to die from his wounds in the
woods of North Bend, WA. Maynard was later
euthanized.
Charges were
dismissed against the elder Hedin when a
hung jury ended in a mistrial and the same
jury found the younger Hedin not guilty. The
following statement is according to a
well-placed source, who will remain
anonymous:
"While we
would have loved to have seen convictions
and justice for Maynard, we know we did
everything we could to bring light to the
violent and callous way he was treated. We
can’t take away the pain and abandonment he
felt after being shot by his owners, but we
can be proud that we stood up for him when
no one else would."
As Marin
Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere.”
If nothing
else, we hope that others in the position of
making a choice to kill their animal will do
the humane thing and take them to a vet
clinic so a professional can ensure they
leave this world in as little pain as
possible. It was reported that the Hedins
chose not to take this route because they
could not afford it. With the attorney’s
fees, time in court and the damage to their
reputation, the actual costs to this family
could have brought the peace Maynard
deserved, over and over again.
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STOP TO ANIMAL CRUELTY BY
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READ ABOUT OTHER CRUELTY CASES
HERE.
Last spring, Maynard, a 4-year-old Rottweiler, was found bleeding and paralyzed, left for dead in the woods of North Bend, WA. Maynard was transported to King County Animal Care and Control and later euthanized after it was determined that the 3 bullets that penetrated his body had damaged him beyond repair. Maynard’s owner Travis Hedin and his father Terrance Hedin
were charged with first degree animal cruelty. According to court documents, they
had allegedly tied Maynard to a tree at the top of an embankment with the intention of shooting him
to death, but they failed to kill him. Prosecutors stated that Maynard fell over the embankment when he was shot, but neither man climbed down to make sure he was dead.
Instead the two men left him there to suffer,
paralyzed, terrified and alone. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Go
here to read the case history and for more information.
Pasado’s has been following this case closely,
from the initial reward that eventually helped identify the alleged shooters, to the arraignment, to this week’s court appearance. As
the trial continues we will cover the proceedings and be a presence at the courthouse as we were this week. These actions not only honor Maynard, an innocent victim who suffered immeasurably and needlessly, but they also serve to send a message to the criminal justice system that there is strong support for prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.
The first degree animal cruelty statute under which the Hedins have been charged was originally passed as a result of the cruelty inflicted upon a sweet, friendly donkey named
Pasado. It’s not enough that we have good laws on the books, it’s equally important to make sure that those laws are enforced when animals suffer at the hands of humans. The spirit of justice comes alive when we use our voice as a witness for animals who can’t defend themselves or tell their story.
