To the editor:

On Jan. 29, the Journal-World carried two articles regarding animal abuse.

Byron Anthony Snowton was found guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty in the case regarding the abuse of his dog, who I am happy to see had “no permanent damage” according to the Lawrence Humane Society. Snowton apparently had been arrested shortly after the Oct. 24 incident and is now facing sentencing in the matter.

The other story referenced the Dec. 14 incident at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity where a turkey was teased, tortured and killed as part of a fraternity event. This incident was witnessed by dozens of individuals, and yet over a month and a half later, “no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed” and “officers continue conducting interviews” in the case.

I sincerely hope there are good reasons for the apparent discrepancy in swift and significant legal responses to these incidences. Likewise, I hope those responsible for committing animal abuse at Beta Theta Pi will soon face charges. If no arrests are made or charges filed, I suspect this will lead many to question whether other factors than consistent enforcement of the law were at work.