When the Idaho 1 of 3 group failed to collect the total number of signatures required to get their initiative on the 2012 ballot, or strengthen the penalty portion of the animal cruelty law, the Idaho Legislature, led by Sen. Steve Vick, chairman of the Agriculture Committee at that time, in concert with the Cattlemen's and Wool Growers associations and a couple of lobbyists, concocted a law with rules and regulations that was sold to the citizens of Idaho as an animal cruelty law.

While we never dreamed that it was a law created to protect the professional ranchers against imaginary threats from the Idaho 1 of 3 initiative, it created what was hopefully an unintended consequence of making it easy for non-professional animal owners who abuse and or torture animal in their possession, in some cases to death, a way to avoid prosecution other than a small fine.

Clearly, the most recent case of gross negligence, abuse and, in fact, the torture of enduring starvation unto death, is one of the perhaps unintended consequences. The laws modified by the legislators of that year created a path for all kinds of abuse to be designated as misdemeanors. This allowed the doors of destruction of innocent animals to be left open and, as a result, abusers are left with mild penalties that are not, even in the worst cases, a serious crime that should have been a felony.

In a recent case at a major dairy where two milk cows tortured with electric prods went wild, and in their attempt to escape were injured seriously enough that they had to be euthanized, two of three abusers left town and, I believe, the one who was prosecuted was only fined. Though the current more horrific case in the Cataldo Rose Lake area is being investigated, it is basically a waste of taxpayer funds since there is no serious penalty, nor will it be a great comfort to the next group of animals that pass through this person's hands at some later date.

When legislators passed the bogus law that is now in place, I sadly predicted that an incident like the recent one which was reported in the Coeur d'Alene Press would occur. As the former president of the Panhandle Equine Rescue organization, I know that there are many more incidents similar to this that have occurred on a much smaller scale that have been ignored. Moreover, if we the citizens do not take charge of this issue, it too will be swept under the rug into obscurity.

If I could guess six numbers with the same accuracy as this easily predictable situation we are in, I would have won the big lottery and made each of Idaho's animal welfare organizations more effective.

I have heard from a very reliable source that the animals remaining at the Cataldo Horse Holocaust ranch were removed by one out of state organization as well as a relative of the ranch owner, Sean Black. More is the shame that we do not have a decent safety net organization in our state like Panhandle Equine Rescue, Inc. Of course, there is concern among those who want the state to take real responsibility in stemming the abusive behavior that goes unpunished, that the removal of the poor animals is merely a gesture to quell the outcry and, as in other situations like this, the animals will eventually be returned to the abusive environment.

As an aside, I approached one of the largest animal welfare groups in the country asking for help to re-launch our signature campaign for the next election, but they never even answered the call. So, I think it will have to be a grass roots, citizen-driven effort in order to avoid out of state radical groups from coming in. Are you ready?

Tony Mangan is a Spirit Lake resident.