Deputies make arrest in widely followed cruelty case

St. Mary investigators have made an arrest in an animal cruelty case that led to expressions of anger and sorrow at the plight of a dog shot and left to die near Patterson.
Gerard Leon Harris, 44, Patterson, was arrested Friday on a warrant alleging aggravated cruelty to animals. Bail was set at $20,000.
A deputy was called March 6 to the Zenor Road area and talked to the man who found the dog.
“The deputy saw that the dog had multiple wounds consistent with gunshot wounds,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
“The dog was tied to a tree, and when untied, she had trouble walking as the front legs were severely injured or broken, and she was severely malnourished.”
The incident was turned over to SMPSO Investigations Division, and a detective opened an investigation.
A photo of the dog was posted on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page March 16, and the response was emotional:
• “You know how we get sex offender registries in our mail showing the guys face and what they’ve done? We need one for animal abusers now.”
• “There is a special place in hell for someone who could do that to an animal!!! I hope you find the culprits.”
• “NO ANIMALS DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS !!!”
• “People make me so mad!!!!!! If you can do this to an innocent animal then you can do it to humans!.”
• “Oh my God! Its horrible to see this happening so close to home.”
Not all the reaction was confined to the internet.
An SMPSO detective obtained information that established Harris as the person who shot the dog, the Sheriff’s Office said. A warrant was obtained for Harris on the charge of aggravated cruelty to animals.
“Animal abuse is a crime against the defenseless,” Sheriff Gary Driskell said in a Facebook post. “Those who commit these horrific acts will be arrested and prosecuted.
“It takes time and work to get the evidence needed to make an arrest. I want to thank our detective and patrol deputies who worked this case and relentlessly pursued the evidence needed for the arrest. I also want to thank the members of our community who assisted in this process. When law enforcement and the community work together, we can accomplish great things.”
In Louisiana, a simple cruelty to animals charge can result from overwork; tormenting or “unjustifiably beating”; failure to provide food, water, shelter or veterinary care; abandonment; harming an animal that belongs to another; failing to provide food or water to an animal confined in a pound or other shelter; administering a drug or poison to an animal; and general mistreatment in a way to cause suffering or pain.
Simple animal cruelty carries a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
Aggravated animal cruelty includes the intentional torture or maiming of an animal; tampering with livestock at an exhibition or sale; or causing someone else to inflict pain on an animal.
The penalty is a fine of $5,000-$25,000 and a jail sentence of one to 10 years.
A psychological assessment may be required in simple cruelty cases. Such an assessment is mandatory after a conviction for aggravated animal cruelty.