Seventy-eight animals were taken out of a single home in Carlisle, New York, this July. Investigators with the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office found 17 puppies, 12 adult dogs, nine cats, four horses, five chickens and 31 birds on the property. Three of the puppies required urgent care from a veterinarian.

Now three people have been charged in the case: Mary D. Sitors, Carlie J. Mace and William J. Jubry. Each faces counts of torturing and injuring animals and failing to provide them with proper food and care. All three were handed appearance tickets and allowed to go home while the case moves to Carlisle Town Court.

A case involving 78 animals deserves to be taken seriously. The Schoharie County District Attorney's Office has the power to pursue these charges fully and, if there is a conviction, to ask the court to bar all three from owning or caring for animals in the future. Without that kind of order, nothing prevents the same situation from happening again.

This case also points to a bigger problem. Under New York law, the charges filed here are misdemeanors, even when dozens of animals are involved. The New York State Legislature can change that by creating tougher penalties for large-scale neglect and cruelty.

People across Schoharie County, whatever their politics, can agree on one thing: animals that depend on people for food, water and shelter deserve protection, and the law should treat mass neglect as the serious harm it is.

Sign the petition to urge the Schoharie County District Attorney to seek full accountability and a ban on future animal ownership, before more animals are put at risk.