In 2019 in Escondido, California, a beloved cat, Leonard, was brutally tortured, mutilated, and killed in what has been described as "the worst case of animal cruelty" the city has ever seen. This horrendous act of violence is not just an isolated incident; it's part of a larger pattern that often escalates to human victims. 

Research shows that there is a strong correlation between animal abuse and violent crimes against humans. A study by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans (Ascione, 2001). Despite this alarming connection, the current legal penalties for such heinous acts of animal cruelty are woefully inadequate.

We believe it's time for change. We call on lawmakers to increase the maximum sentences for egregious acts of animal cruelty and violence against animals. By doing so, we can send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated in our society.

Furthermore, we propose the establishment of a national registry for individuals convicted of severe animal cruelty or violent crimes against animals. This would prevent these individuals from owning or coming into contact with animals again.

Our loved ones - both human and non-human - deserve better protection under law from those capable of such horrifying acts. Please join us in calling for stronger legislation and the creation of ‘Leonard’s Law’ to protect innocent lives from senseless brutality.

For more information on Leonard and the court case please visit https://justiceforleonard.start.page and use the #justiceforleonardcat on social media.

Sign this petition today if you agree that it's time to take stronger action against severe animal cruelty!

Here is a statement from Leonard's Family:

Our cat Leonard went missing, which wasn't unusual, he was a friendly cat that traveled around the neighborhood visiting with people every day and soon became a regular in our neighbors’ lives. Sometimes he wouldn’t come back to the house at night when we called him to come in. At those times we had to go looking around the neighborhood for him. Which was extremely difficult, until we bought the GPS collar for Leonard. We used the app for the collar to find out where he was when he didn’t come home, and we had to go get him.

One night in May of 2019, Leonard didn’t come home. So, we looked on the GPS app and it pinged in the garage on someone's property 2 miles from his house. We drove over there to get him, but the house was on a gated property.  So, we looked from the outside, but couldn’t see him. We called for him repeatedly, but after a while we decided to go home, hoping that he would make his way home by himself.
The next day, my husband again went to find Leonard. We thought maybe he had hopped into someone’s car by accident, which Leonard has done before. The GPS had never been wrong before, but maybe the location wasn’t accurate because Leonard didn’t seem to be on the property. When my husband arrived, he could see a ‘private property’ sign further down the fence. So, he decided to call the police and have them investigate to see if Leonard was indeed in the garage where his GPS pinged. A police officer walked onto the property but came back a few minutes later with a concerned look on his face and said he needs to call Animal Control because there are “dead cats, zip tied to cages outside the garage.”

It turns out that Leonard is a hero. Even though he was kidnapped and killed, his GPS collar uncovered the biggest animal cruelty case in Escondido.

They found the culprit and arrested Joshua Boyer, soon after. Joshua denied anything happened and he pleaded not guilty, that was 4 years ago.  Since then, Joshua’s trial was postponed many times, and we were just about to lose faith when we received a phone call in August 2023. At that time Joshua finally chose to plead guilty to avoid a jury trial. We were elated!

But we need your help! The Judge is going to have the final sentencing hearing on March 1st, 2023. We need to show that the community cares about this case. So that the Judge will give Joshua the maximum sentence of 8 years. If no one comes, he might only get a couple years, which boggles my mind! Leonard was our “first baby” when my husband and I got married 17 years ago! We still miss him every day. Leonard’s body was never found. We are not the only one’s affected, the owners of the 10 cats whose bodies were found in the garage need to see him get the maximum sentence as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you are in the San Diego area and have time to come out and show your support, we would be endlessly grateful!  Joshua Boyer’s new sentencing date: March 1st, 2024 at the Vista Court House 325 S Melrose Dr Vista, CA  92081

Hope to see you there!