Lexington, Kentucky is better than the horrific act of animal abuse laid bare before our eyes in the last week. Rudy, a one year old black dog, was rescued by a bystander from the street where a group of individuals were throwing rocks at his crumpled, cowering body. Upon exam, Rudy was found to have numerous puncture marks, uprooted teeth and a detached lip. As of 2/27/25, 6 days after Rudy was rescued from the street, an investigation has yet to be opened by the Lexington Police Department.

The intentional torture of a dog or cat is a Class D Felony in Kentucky, as mandated by Ethan's Law [1]. Why then has an investigation into this clear act of torture upon a dog, not been opened? One report shared that "there have been no charges filed in the 'incident' because it is unclear who was involved." Since when does "knowing who's involved" preclude opening an investigation? Isn't that in fact what an investigation is for? To find out who was "involved"? 

It is a known phenomenon that violence towards animals and violence towards people are interconnected [2]; a phenomenon termed "the Link". Thus, the damage done by not investigating this act of torture is far-reaching - potentially affecting other animals or humans. In 2024 the Animal Legal Defense Fund ranked Kentucky as the fifth-worst state for animal protection [3]. It's no wonder, when something so egregious, so malicious, so illegal, goes not only unpunished but un-investigated. 

Lexington has both an ethical, and legal, obligation to act. If you are as sickened as I am about the torture of this dog that still has love in his eyes for humans, if you are as outraged as I am about the lack of investigation into this brazen act of animal abuse, and if you love the animals we share this planet with, please take a minute to sign this petition to demand the Lexington Police Department open an investigation into the intentional abuse of Rudy. 

Learn more about Rudy - https://www.wkyt.com/2025/02/21/bystander-rescues-dog-children-throwing-rocks-him-lexington/​

https://people.com/bystander-saves-dog-from-kids-throwing-rocks-11684180

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[1] https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24rs/hb258.html

[2] Jegatheesan B, Enders-Slegers MJ, Ormerod E, Boyden P. Understanding the Link between Animal Cruelty and Family Violence: The Bioecological Systems Model. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Apr 30;17(9):3116. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093116. PMID: 32365760; PMCID: PMC7246522.

[3] https://aldf.org/article/state-animal-protection-laws-kentucky-2023/