Press Release

  • For Immediate Release:

27 Veteran Law Enforcement Professionals Weigh in on Wolf Torture, Call for Felony Charges to Match Crime of Extreme Cruelty

National Law Enforcement Council compels prosecution of Cody Roberts for high-level crime

Washington, D.C. — The National Law Enforcement Council of Animal Wellness Action and the Animal Wellness Foundation called on Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr and County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich to collaborate and advance a case of felony animal cruelty against a Wyoming man who ran over a wolf with a snowmobile, took the animal into his possession, bound the adolescent female’s mouth, and then tormented her, before parading her around a bar and then killing her out back.

“This was deliberate cruelty, particularly the public celebration of it,” said Josh Marquis, former Clatsop County (Ore.) District Attorney and NLEC co-chair. “This man’s actions clearly violate the laws against animal cruelty and go against human decency.”

“Roberts must be arrested and charged with animal cruelty,” said Drew Edmondson, former Oklahoma Attorney General and NLEC co-chair. “Anyone who would commit the acts that have been described has no sense of moral behavior or respect for the law. When we stamp out animal cruelty and apprehend people who have lost empathy for the suffering of others, we make our communities safer for everyone. In my view this individual poses a greater risk to society than the wolf.”

The NLEC is a group of current and former local and state prosecutors, attorneys general, and other law enforcement professionals who support fortifying the legal framework against animal cruelty and seeing that all of our animal welfare laws are robustly enforced at all levels of government. The NLEC has 27 members.

Cody Roberts, owner of C. Roberts Trucking, LLC, paid a $250 fine for possession of live wildlife. He has not been charged, however, with felony animal-cruelty, though Wyoming state law applies to the case and does not provide an exemption for wolves.

A legal analysis demonstrating that the fact pattern in this case warrants prosecution can be read here.

Animal Wellness Action has created an online petition to encourage local law enforcement to charge Roberts with the felony. That petition may be viewed here.

Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter

Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News

Animal Wellness Foundation is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization with a mission of helping animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability. We organize rescue efforts and medical services for dogs and cats in need and help homeless pets find a loving caregiver. We are advocates for getting veterinarians to the front lines of the animal welfare movement; promoting responsible pet ownership; and vaccinating animals against infectious diseases such as distemper. We also support policies that prevent animal cruelty and that alleviate suffering. We believe helping animals helps us all.

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