UPDATE: Help for a Guy Who Tried to Help a Dog

May 7, 2001 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Last month The Scoop reported the story of John Christoffel, a man who tried to save a dog that was being killed by another man with a sledgehammer.

John Christoffel, who lives next door to the garage where the incident occurred, confronted the killer, but was himself threatened by the sledgehammer-wielding maniac.  He then ran home and returned with a .22 calibre rifle—but unfortunately, it was too late to save the 2-year-old Shepherd/Husky (read the full story here).

And to top it off, our hero got slapped with criminal charges for wielding a gun.

While authorities had originally intended to prosecute Mr. Christoffel (yes, the good guy) under felony charges of "making terroristic threats", the prosecution has since stepped it down to "reckless use of a firearm."

"I know that pulling out a gun is pretty serious," explains Mr. Christoffel. "I regret that, but I just couldn't believe what was happening."

It has not yet been disclosed as to whether or not Mr. Christoffel intends to fight this lesser charge, or if he's just going to take his lumps and accept the punishment.

But now it seems that many justice-minded individuals are willing to take up the fight on Mr. Christoffel's behalf, for his heroic actions and for what it represents.

Animal Rights Online has launched a campaign in defense of Mr. Christoffel.  All those sympathetic to his plight are urged to send a message to James C. Backstrom (attorney@co.dakota.mn.us), Dakota County Attorney, requesting that the charges be dropped.  Animal Rights Online has provided a sample letter (click here).

More than just a simple case of crime and punishment, this case has all the makings of a landmark, judicial struggle for the recognition of animals as defensible beings.  That is, while firearms have been deemed "necessary force" in defending a human's life, there has been no precedent set for exactly how far one may go to save a dog.

Attorney for the defense, Larry Levinthal says, "While we have not located cases that allow the use of weapons to defend a dog, we believe that this well-recognized doctrine should be expanded to include such reasonable conduct. Precious [the Shepherd/Husky] was not only a neighborhood dog, she was a friend of John's, and John acted to protect her life."

He adds, "Sometimes, the law seems perverted."

Which of course reminds me of yet another appropriate quote from the great magician Willie Wonka:

"Wrong, sir, wrong! Under Section Thirty-Seven B of the contract signed by him it states quite clearly that
all offers shall become null and void if—and you can read it for yourself in this photostatic copy:
'I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera,
et cetera . . . fax mentis incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor delicatum!'

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