‘Snapchat Dog Slayers’ Face Justice Today in Louisiana

Two men known as the “Snapchat Dog Slayers” face trial today in Bastrop, Louisiana, for the horrific killing of a dog posted to the social sharing app, Snapchat.

In Defense of Animals, the international animal protection organization that runs the Justice for Animals campaign in Mississippi, is calling on prosecutors to ensure that the abusers feel the full force of the law.

In August 2016, a video was posted to Snapchat that shows the men reveling in a particularly sadistic killing of a sweet-natured dog. Today, Boots Stanley and Steven Sadler will face trial for the heinous killing of the dog who has been named “Justice” by advocates who mourned her death.

“The vile nature of this crime will stick in the minds of animal advocates and until Sadler and Stanley pay for their crime, and even then, this senseless crime of bloodlust will not be forgotten,” said Doll Stanley, who spearheads In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals campaign. “This macabre crime warrants maximum sentencing and many advocates feel that won’t be enough. Both individuals seriously need psychiatric guidance.”

On, or about August 25, 2016, Stephen Sadler and Boots Stanley, both of Arkansas, played a twisted and ultimately lethal game with a gentle pit bull dog. The vile crime took place at a “kill barn” where horses are sold for slaughter in Mexico, a practice that has been banned in the U.S.

First, Steven Sadler put a rope around the dog’s neck, placed the dog on the back of a horse he rode over piled timbers in what apparently to see if he couldn’t cause the dog to fall and hang. The dog held fast, so next Sadler pet the dog while saying how gentle the dog was, then turned to straddle the dog, and held the dog’s collar and nose, pulled out his knife and began raking it across his victim’s throat. When the knife didn’t cut in, Boots Stanley heartlessly told Sadler to cut deeply. Justice’s lifeblood began to spurt out of her throat and she bled to death, all for a morbid kill game. Justice never resisted Sadler until her blood began to flow.

The men filmed and then posted their macabre dog-slaying game on Snapchat where Hanna Gospin intercepted it and bravely posted the video, which led to the culprits’ arrest.

The horrific video can be found by clicking here. WARNING: The video is graphic and disturbing.

Sadler and Stanley were arrested by authorities on August 25 with the cooperation of the Ashley County Sheriff’s Department, Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Department and the Hamburg Police Department. The pair was charged with Class B Felony, a count for aggravated cruelty to an animal and a count for conspiracy to commit a crime.

In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Campaign, based in Mississippi, is working tirelessly to advance the cause of justice and show state legislators that citizens are uniting against senseless and horrific animal abuse. Louisiana, Arkansas, and surrounding states have a first offense felony statute for aggravated cruelty, a crime which in Mississippi is a mere misdemeanor for a first offense.

The Justice for Animals Campaign aligns with judges, prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement officials, legislators, animal advocates and concerned citizens to pass meaningful regional ordinances that will protect animals when state statutes fail. In Defense of Animals has served in the Mid-South for 24 years, aiding victims and law enforcement with hundreds of cruelty reports.

For more information, please visit www.idausa.org