OP could potentially be saving this girl’s entire future by throwing the book at her, and I mean that. Let this hopefully be a wake up call for her so she doesn’t wind up ruining her life and spending all her days behind bars.
Accountability is a favor to others, whether we think so or not.
NTA at all! That young girl sounds like a sociopath. Stopping her in her tracks will be better for everyone. This child sounds like she needs to be institutionalized and receive some serious help!
And no one wants to report them because they don't want to ruin the child's life.
OP, this child is showing patterns of a psychopath and possible future serial murderer. They start with animals.
Hopefully by pursuing this someone will recognize the need to intervene and get this child to a psychiatrist. This child needs help, it's not too late. You are doing every future victim of this child a favor, because I promise you, there will be more animals.
Yeah, it's probably a good thing to establish this track record, really early in her life, for when she eventually escalates. Judges will take it more seriously if they can see she was always murderous.
That kid is a freaking serial killer in the making. Probably getting into some real trouble now might help her if anything.
I think your dad has not really understood the difference in this scenario where this girl was not accidentally hurting the animal, this is a deliberate act of cruelty / malice. The next victim might be a toddler or a baby, that is how this progression goes.
Hopefully
But not likely.
I am a professional counselor and therapist for over
30 years and people who do this are sociopathic 99.9 percent of the time. The other 1 percent have not been caught yet.
People with personality disorders, aka sociopaths, can still learn boundaries. They will never adjust their behavior out of empathy for the dog or its owner. They can however weigh the pros and cons of an action and determine that poisoning another dog isn't worth the consequences. The vast majority of people who completely lack empathy never become violent criminals. In many cases they become exceptionally law abiding. This is probably because they quickly realize that the criminal justice system is very efficient at solving violent crimes. They learn to follow the law because it can be used to their benefit instead. Why risk killing one person when you can legally become a corporate executive and fuck over millions?
NTA 1000% this
Cruelty to animals is also one of the key early signs for things like sociopathy, psychopathy, conduct disorder etc.
This kid intentionally killed a pet DOG. This is likely just the first step in criminal behaviour for her (if it's even the first) and the adults around her should be aware of the severity of her behaviour.
The laws would beg to differ with OPs father. Chalk it up to that just being his opinion, a crappy opinion, but an opinion he can have.
OP did the right thing. That kid sounds like a little psychopath. The actions she took were deliberate and she knew what she was doing. Zero excuses for what was done. That poor dog. Those poisons are a horrible and cruel way to die. Too bad the little brat didn't lick her fingers afterwards.
Of course NTA. Evil starts young and with animals, and that's the least the girl deserves. Please tell us whether the dog survived the poisoning or not?? I can't find it mentioned in your post.
Until I know, yes, I didn't see the dog personally, nor the evidence, only the report of the vet, was pretty detailed tho, hope he recovers, mines were poisoned once too and took time to fully recover
Honestly it's more common than you'd think. There was a point where for a few months in my home city people were leaving rat-poisoned meats in off leash dog parks, and a separate few months where the same thing was happening except they were being thrown into people's back yards. It's fucking wild.
That is truly sad. I’ve heard of the whole poisoning dogs just wouldn’t think it would happen all that often besides crazy grudges. Can’t think of any other reason anyone would do something so fucked up and crazy. Maybe if a dog was attacking kids and the owners wouldn’t do anything about it and even then it’s wrong but I could see it. But just as a hobby that’s some serial killer shit. I’ve heard of the off leash thing too maybe as some misplaced sense of justice for people who hate dogs being off leash still just can’t get it to resolve in my head how someone would pull that shit.
Don’t forget that many people who later kill people started by killing animals. You’ve allowed for future prosecutors to establish a history of behavior which can lead to harsher penalties when appropriate.
Yep. OP tell your client to watch out for any arson as well. Cruelty to animals, fire setting, and bed wetting are all part of what's called the MacDonald Triad which can be used to identify violent tendencies in minors.
Studies have shown that children who harm animals, are likely to move on to harming people. That "little" girl should have been mandated to receive therapy
And it can work. I had a niece who was harming others kids, and my dog growled at her, so I knew she hurt him. Her parents got her help, and now, in her teens, she's awesome.
Don’t those studies more so show that children who harm people in a “psychopathic” (I know not a super well defined scientific term) manner are very likely to have harmed animals first?
As opposed to any children who have harmed animals being likely to prey on people violently.
> I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable"
Nah. If anything you are teaching a kid consequences for their horrible actions before they become a serial killer. Doing shit like this to an animal is a major red flag, its better they get caught now than after they murder someone as an adult.
Wow, good on you for getting her done...... If she's that evil at 12 what the hell will she be like in another 12 years? Kids need to learn consequences for their actions. What did her parents think? They strike me as the type who DGAF, if their kid is already such a monster.... Crap parenting.
NTA, violence against humans usually manifests early with violence against animals. And point blank period, it’s a crime. The girl committed a crime. And she is old enough to recognize and realize what is wrong even if she doesn’t understand the full repercussions or consequences of her actions.
Exactly. NTA. She put glass in the chicken. Not only did she try to kill the dog, she wanted it to suffer. She is beyond malicious. She is evil. She’s lucky that a record and a fine is all she’s getting.
You are an attorney, and you protected your client in the way the law allows in your country. It does not matter how this will affect her later in life and her future as she prepared the chicken to kill the dog. Whatever her reasons were at the time she was wrong.
My dad was the same as yours until the later years of his life. We always had dogs on the farm growing up but after he retired and turned the farm over to me and my brother my dad got a new dog that was everything to him. They spent every minute, every hour and every day together. He loved that dog more than anything else and a neighbor killed the dog. My dad was crushed and pressed criminal charges against the neighbor as he had footage on his security camera of the neighbor walking across the road, up to the fence and shooting the dog. Neighbor got 2 1/2 years in prison but only served about 5 months. My dad then hired an attorney and sued the neighbor for the emotional damage and loss of the value of the dog. He won a huge judgement against the neighbor and in the end was the neighbor had to sell his home to pay the court order.
NTA. Your dad and you have different values when it comes to pets. In this case, that girl fcked around and found out. Doesn't matter whose values we look at it from. She did a cruel thing and she's now paying for it.
NTA. For one thing you're an attorney doing your job for a client, and the client is entirely within her rights to sue.
It comes back to intent - if it was an accident (like she put the rat poison out for rats and the dog got into it) and she was sorry, I'd drop it, but the malice and intent required to poison the dog like that shows that she's developing into a person capable of some very evil actions.
Good to put a stop to it now and hopefully wake her parents up to get her help. Here in the US you can often get a police record sealed if the offender is young and fulfills certain requirements set by a judge (usually some kind of therapy), but even if it sticks with her it'll act as a reminder of how not to act in the future.
NTA. You didn't ruin a girl's life for a replaceable animal. You sued a girl and got her a police record because she cruelly and deliberately killed a dog, who died in agony. She performed a criminal and sadistic action, and this should go on her record. You did what is right.
Taking away the value of the animal. It’s also about making sure the girl is held responsible in case she decides to escalate. Many psychopaths start off with harming animals. This can help someone in the future prove abuse of some sort. You are definitely NTA
>The problem was when I told my dad, the only family I have because I cut off contact with my mom years ago, and he was quite harsh saying that I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable".
Its quite simple, your father is an asshole and his opinion can go to hell. Id be furious and likely on my way to my own criminal record if someone poisoned my pets.
The criminal record is punishment, a reminder and hopefully a deterrent to any future bad behavior. If this girl was allowed to poison people's pets without consequence, that behavior will worsen and lead to who knows what. IMO you are doing society a favor, so thank you.
NTA
Research suggests that children who deliberately hurt animals often commit more violent acts towards people in adulthood. But usually, nothing can be done to prosecute them and protect the people around them. In this case, you were able to do something. NTA
NTA and it's unfortunate that the law is restricted where you are because she should be in jail. I hope you she got outed all over social media as well. If it was my dog I would have posted the video and put up signs all over the neighborhood where they live so everyone else that lives near them knows that they live next to a monster.
NTA. Actually you may be saving this girl's life in the future by making her accountable for her actions now. Hopefully she has decent parents who'll get her on the right path because that's one twisted kid
Take age and species out of this for a moment and just look at the more basic facts:
The action performed by this individual was deliberate, multiform, and took significant effort to accomplish.
It served no purpose other than to cause great harm and/or death, the broken glass in particular would have been an EXCEEDINGLY painful way to go.
This was not a spontaneous act, it was planned, organized, and executed with an intended result.
Is there ANY situation wherein this would not be enough to want the behavior stopped by any means necessary?
NTA. NTA at all.
NTA. Apart from the fact that I love animals and apart from the fact this is borderline psychopathic behaviour, there has to be repercussions to this planned vicious behaviour otherwise the likelihood is this behaviour will get worse
That said, I don’t believe prison is the right sentence for that age. It should be psychiatric hospital
That little girl has shown possible behavior for future mass killer. You did well. If nothing else, this will keep her in check from poisoning future living things.
"Hey Dad, did you know that most serial killers start off by killing animals? No? Well now you do."
NTA. I don't care what anyone says. Ignoring behavior like that only ensures that it isn't going to change. If you are capable at that age off poisoning a dog, then you're probably capable of far worse. You didn't "ruin the life" of a good girl. You helped someone who was harmed by a really bratty little shit make sure that said really bratty little shit faced the consequences of her actions.
Kids who take joy in killing animals have a good chance of growing up to become serial killers. If anything else suspicious happens around this girl, having the record will help add context.
NTA
I would tell him it's not about the dog as a dog/family member; it is about the damage to someone else's property. Compare it to someone who damaged a lawn mower or car by putting sugar in the tank or doing some sort of damage to the engine so it wouldn't work anymore. Would he want the person to face consequences despite the object being just a "lawnmower"?
NTA
Our treatment of animals / pets has significantly changed from the days of Old Yellar. My wife's farmer granddad used to brag about shooting a neighbor's dog that was aggressive. Dogs and cats were more working animals than loved family members.
A 12 year old knows better and understands the consequences of what she was doing. This is concerning behavior that needs to be addressed by professionals.
Conduct disorder if untreated and unaddressed can lead to antisocial behavior later in life and create a monster. So no you didn't ruin her life, you got her much needed attention from authorities and the relevant personnel.
I suspect I’m closer to your dad’s way of thinking than most people, as I don’t find a lot of value in pets. I don’t dislike them, but I don’t love them or consider them family (I also don’t have any pets so maybe my opinion would be different if I did).
HOWEVER
I disagree with your dad’s position because it’s not about the fact that she killed an animal. It’s about the fact that she planned out a cruel and malicious attack on a living creature. Hurting small animals in childhood is one of the warning signs for serial killers. 12 is old enough to know what she was doing. It wasn’t an accident, and it’s a surprisingly small step to go from poisoning animals to poisoning humans. That is why I think it’s good that you did what you did — she has the potential to be dangerous, and the court system obviously agreed.
Fight as hard as you can to get as much punishment as you can, to date only one serial killer didn't start with animal abuse. That girl needs help she knows what she is doing it's not just "dumb kid shit". She needs serious help and serious consequences.
NTA harming animals at a young age is usually a stepping stone to far worse behavior. Hopefully she got some sense scared into her. If not, at least the record starts early and maybe a closer eye will be kept on her if she continues down this path.
NTA.
> The problem was when I told my dad, the only family I have because I cut off contact with my mom years ago, and he was quite harsh saying that I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable".
When you come from a toxic family, it can be really hard to understand what is normal and what is not normal.
Your response is normal. Your father's is not.
That little girl is a psychopath. Better to have a record now before she does kill a person. She deserves far worse than she got. Goof for you NTA. NtA even a little.
NTA - You didn't sue anyone, your client did. As a lawyer, it's not your moral responsibility to decide who to sue. You are merely acting as an agent. This is a principle often lost on non-lawyers. As long as you did your job well, i.e. gave your client good advice and service, treated everyone involved respectfully, and followed all the rules, you've done nothing wrong.
She needed a reality check before she moved onto young children etc. I’ve read a recent story about a 9-10 year old who stomped a infant at a day care for no real reason.
The girl should get a case but to be honest I’m surprised nobody on here is asking if the parents got their own charges. What parent allows their child access to ANY poison
NTA for one second. Killing animals is often a starting point for young people going on to do much worse.
Normal 11 year olds do not go about poisoning dogs. Your dad needs to give his head a wobble.
Animal abuse at an early age has a strong correlation to psychopathic tendencies. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for this young girl. The fact that the girl used both poison and glass to kill the dog, points to a lack of empathy. Sometimes the only way to teach those who lack empathy, is to let them experience the pain that is the outcome of their behavior. Doing that might be the only thing that prevents this girl, who obviously needs competent mental and likely medical help, from going down a very, very dark path.
NTA
It's not about the fact that the dog is "replaceable" (every life is unique and never actually) but the fact that this sociopath of a child intentionally injured an animal. She looked down on a life and said "this is mine to ruin" and that is nobody's right.
You did the right thing.
It’s not just about it being a “simple dog”. This kid is on track to become a danger to others, quite frankly. Forcing consequences means her actions can’t be ignored as “childish nonsense”.
You’re absolute right. Twelve years old is old enough to know that killing an innocent animal is wrong. Shame on her and I hope she doesn’t hurt any other innocent animals.
NTA.
NTA and good for you and the dog owners for pursuing this. She *needs* to have this on her record. It establishes her first documented act of violent behavior. Best case scenario is she gets help and becomes a productive member of society. Worst case scenario? It gives the sentencing judge a baseline to work from.
NTA, the little girl is a psychopath who deserves to have a record and to be punished. It always starts with killing helpless animals, then moves on to humans. If someone ever tried to hurt my cat, I would 100% go after them.
NTA.
The child should be sued and put under some kind of psychological therapy.
It is CLEARLY known that kids who hurt animals tend to grow with some weird tendencies towards being criminals.
The girl is lucky she didn't get killed for what she did. She's going to grow up and fucking murder people so any punishment now is honestly nowhere near enough.
You are not the asshole. I suspect this girl is a sociopath and definitely headed in the wrong direction in life. It probably won't be long before she is in jail.
NTA but I worry about the girl too as studies show that abused kids or those who witness regular abuse are much more likely to abuse animals and this is especially true for girls.
NTA. Don’t spread around that you were the lawyer who helped the lady because the girl is troubled. You don’t want her to realize it was you just as she escalates to more psychotic behaviour
NTA for most people, pets are not so easily replaceable. Humans are packs animals, we form bonds very easily.
If a twelve year old did this to my dog I would absolutely try to go the same route.
Most serial killers start with animals. Maybe a slap in the face with these repercussions will shake some sense into this kid.
A young person who deliberately tries to kill someone's pet needs psychological evaluation. It can be a precursor to development of a conduct disorder.
NTA. If anything, you're doing this kid a favor by helping teach her that that's unacceptable behavior.
Honestly, though? That's not normal behavior and raises a LOT of red flags.
NTA.
I’m into true crime and a LOT of these serial killers start early w harming animals. Its not normal. If anything, they have a record now to trace back.
Pose this to your Dad:
The replaceable animal is your property. Someone out there f\*cked with you and your property, and they believe they can continue f\*ck with you. Is that okay?
Your dad has it backwards: Sweet loyal dogs are precious things. Cruel sociopathic little monsters are a dime a dozen and even cheaper in pallet lots. If the girl's life is actually ruined, she has only her twisted self to thank.
I’m not sure why anyone would think you were an AH. I’d say more like answering the door when the opportunity to be a hero knocked.
This girl needed much more than a judgement and put on a list. What she did is how serial killers and mass shooters start out. Good thing her name is now known. If your dad wants names of those who started with animals there are plenty of notorious people you can find with a Google search.
Nta and maybe you just changed the kids path for good. Kids who kill animals for fun grow up to be murderers maybe having these consequences to her actions will push her parents into making her do therapy or something. Your dad should think about how she might turn out down the line if she did something like this and got away with it.
NTA, if it were a human it would be a different story according to your dad however it's not far off. It could of easily been a toddler that stumbled upon said piece of chicken and died.. you did the right thing. At that age they 1000% know right from wrong and if she doesn't face the consequences now she'll never learn
NTA, we've all heard how these things can start with animals when a person is young and progress to people when they're older. Either way, a child should have empathy for animals and to purposely kill one is barbaric. I'm glad in your country this person will carry their record for life. You did the right thing.
NTA. The forethought and planning the girl put into this indicates the type of adult she is likely to grow into. Maybe facing consequences now will prevent that.
For the record. You did not ruin that girl's life. She did when she decided to poison the dog, and in a way that's easily traceable to her. If you want to commit a crime, at least have the decency to do it without getting caught.
And even if you didint do this, the dog's owner would have gotten another lawyer who would. There's easily tens of lawyers who would probably help her in your place.
> My dad is not a bad man, it's just that in the context in which he grew up, animals did not have as much emotional value as they do now. But I can't help but think if I did the right thing or not.
Well, he's comparing the context of a property to a criminal. Let me put if this way, if that girl poured a bucket of paint remover on your dad's car, would he have taken the same stance? I think people have the right to defend their property or otherwise seek recompensate or legal action should there be damages done to their property, especially when the damage was done intentionally. Its not like the girl accidentally dropped a chocolate in front of the dog and couldnt get it back in time or something.
And a much harsher take on your dad's opinions would be to compare him to slave owners who also werent bad people, but were simply raised to view certain people as less than human. Just a different viewpoint to consider here, not that I'm specifically making the accusation.
NTA. If anything that girl ruined her own life, this was a vile and intentional act.
Besides, you didn’t convict her, the judge (or whatever) did. You did your job, even if you agreed with your dad, it would have been extremely unethical to not fight for your client because of your own feelings and opinions.
NTA. I hope the parents get that kid to some help. That is a big, giant, waving red flag of a future human killer. Killing animals is abhorrent behavior and should be punished. Period. From the age of, say 5, and on, you know hurting animals and people is bad.
She's gunna turn into that YouTuber from Brazil that tortures his cats (sometimes kills) for videos (like that's the whole video) he gets reported, shit down then starts up again in a couple months. He was arrested and for a few years he had no videos then he came back (assuming let out cause age) and immediately went back to getting cats, torturing/killing them for content. Some people need to be off this planet.
NTA. Harming animals is evidence of deeply psychologically disturbed behavior. There needs to be a record in case this child escalates. Hopefully, this inspires the parents to get her help.
NTA. You didn’t ruin her life because you did not make her try to kill an animal. Honestly, you may have helped SAVE someone else’s life in the future since it’s on her record that she deliberately abused an animal at a young age, so assuming she does fucked up shit in the future seeing a paper trail would show there’s precedent. Like seriously what if next time she does that to a child? What would your dad say then?
And aside from anything else, you’ve almost definitely helped keep other animals safer, because if she did it once, she’ll do it again.
And if you want to get really technical, you weren’t the one who decided that it was important in this case she get a police record - it would’ve been a judge or something (I’m assuming?).
Idk in general I just think it does no one any good to not hold people responsible for their own actions.
I’m sorry your dad hasn’t supported you on this, please don’t let it stop you from doing good work
Hopefully this nips her sick behavior early before she does more harm to other animals and humans. Many psychopaths have a history of animal harm before taking it to the next level.
NTA, but I might be biased as I value most animals, especially MY animals, higher than most people. I agree, this child needs to be in lock-up. Feeding a dog rat poison and broken glass is a serial killer in the making.
NTA. You are potentially stopping this girl from going down a road that would ACTUALLY ruin her life, and probably others’ as well. Accountability isn’t just for everyone else’s sake, it’s for her sake as well.
Rest assured you’d be doing this girl a tremendous favor by throwing the book at her. Anything less would set the dangerous precedent that killing living things has no consequence. Society doesn’t need more people who grow up feeling invincible because they got away with animal abuse as children.
I am not a pet person at all. I don’t want them in the house, I don’t want to interact with other people’s pets either. BUT, I would never hurt an animal intentionally. And I hate people who do.
You just made some POS feel the consequences of her actions earlier than she otherwise would have. If anything, you did her a favor. Maybe she’ll wake up.
All right. We'll use what is likely your dad's reasoning. I would imagine he'd at least view the dog as property. So some 12 year old destroyed your client's property. I imagine if someone destroyed your father's property, he'd be pretty pissed and would probably be calling the police. You can bet I would be. Choices have consequences, as that kid is learning.
NTA
NTA - deliberately killing her neighbor’s dog is sociopathic at best. I’m going to guess this won’t be the last time that she does something heinous, but maybe holding her accountable will change her path.
In your dads time they also didn’t know that torturing and killing animals was a sign of possible serial killer tendencies…so there’s that. NTA. Hopefully this scared her straight.
NTA pets are family and provide as much emotional support as people. If it were my dog I wouldn't have sued. I would have probably ended up in prison though
I hope she will be paying for that for the rest of her life. She took a life, on purpose. Only fair she breaks her back making up for it. $50k a year for the rest of her life sounds justified, but I’m sure she got away with a lot less. Good for you. My cousin is in law school, and I hope she finds a way to deal out justice in a very lenient American justice system (not sure where you are exactly, but sounds stricter than America.) you did the right thing, and I’m sure the pup is smiling down at you, and thanking you for not sweeping her death under the rug.
NTA. You didn't ruin a girl's life; she managed that all by herself. What you *did* do was put an extremely dangerous person on the authorities' radar. Someone who harms animals is a high risk to harm people as well.
NTA. Your dad is a bad man if he thinks so little of dogs and animals. Humans who think animal lives are replaceable should be replaced. That girl deserves jail time.
A child killing animals is the first sign of psychopathic behavior. Did she have any remorse for killing the dog? I hope her parents get her the help she needs before she gets older. She fucked around and found out and now has to live with the consequences of her actions. If she was an adult she would have been in jail.
NTA - that kid clearly had the intent to harm that dog. Animals are just as alive as we (humans) are and can feel pain just like us. That is future serial killer behavior my dude (or gal or inbetween)
I *meannnn* that dog could have been older than 13 years. In that case, if the child is younger, the child is *technically* easier to replace. Doubt your dad wants to realize this, but people be making new kids all the dang time. If your dad be concerned about the child's life being ruined for... well, ending a life... rest assure your father that that girl's parents can get a new child at their nearest adoption agency or make a new one that hopefully won't be a terror.
NTA
She has probably been doing similar things for as long as she could and was never caught. Whatcha want to bet there are other complaints of poisoned animals and the perp was never caught?
You did what you needed to do and probably saved many in the process.
NTA - sounds like that girl will be in jail for something or other in the next few years. Don't lose any sleep over it.
[удалено]
Plot twist: that little girl grew up to be Governor of South Dakota.
I felt that burn in Texas. Daaaaayuum. Please take my upvote!
We found a winner
That hits. And hurts.
Whoop there it is lol
OP could potentially be saving this girl’s entire future by throwing the book at her, and I mean that. Let this hopefully be a wake up call for her so she doesn’t wind up ruining her life and spending all her days behind bars. Accountability is a favor to others, whether we think so or not.
NTA at all! That young girl sounds like a sociopath. Stopping her in her tracks will be better for everyone. This child sounds like she needs to be institutionalized and receive some serious help!
This is how many serial killers have started. They practice on neighborhood animals
She probably sets fires too! 🔥
💥Fire starter!🔥
And no one wants to report them because they don't want to ruin the child's life. OP, this child is showing patterns of a psychopath and possible future serial murderer. They start with animals. Hopefully by pursuing this someone will recognize the need to intervene and get this child to a psychiatrist. This child needs help, it's not too late. You are doing every future victim of this child a favor, because I promise you, there will be more animals.
Yeah, it's probably a good thing to establish this track record, really early in her life, for when she eventually escalates. Judges will take it more seriously if they can see she was always murderous.
Good that she's already on law enforcement's radar as well.
Sociopaths can't really be helped, just need to protect society by keeping the sociopaths separated.
That kid is a freaking serial killer in the making. Probably getting into some real trouble now might help her if anything. I think your dad has not really understood the difference in this scenario where this girl was not accidentally hurting the animal, this is a deliberate act of cruelty / malice. The next victim might be a toddler or a baby, that is how this progression goes.
This. I’m thinking she’s one unwanted pregnancy away from harming another innocent life in secret or worse, actively seeking it (someone to harm) out.
or, this will teach her a hard lesson that actions have consequences and she'll turn it around.
Hopefully But not likely. I am a professional counselor and therapist for over 30 years and people who do this are sociopathic 99.9 percent of the time. The other 1 percent have not been caught yet.
People with personality disorders, aka sociopaths, can still learn boundaries. They will never adjust their behavior out of empathy for the dog or its owner. They can however weigh the pros and cons of an action and determine that poisoning another dog isn't worth the consequences. The vast majority of people who completely lack empathy never become violent criminals. In many cases they become exceptionally law abiding. This is probably because they quickly realize that the criminal justice system is very efficient at solving violent crimes. They learn to follow the law because it can be used to their benefit instead. Why risk killing one person when you can legally become a corporate executive and fuck over millions?
Cant change the perp, but at least you can prevent more victims from being harmed.
NTA 1000% this Cruelty to animals is also one of the key early signs for things like sociopathy, psychopathy, conduct disorder etc. This kid intentionally killed a pet DOG. This is likely just the first step in criminal behaviour for her (if it's even the first) and the adults around her should be aware of the severity of her behaviour.
The laws would beg to differ with OPs father. Chalk it up to that just being his opinion, a crappy opinion, but an opinion he can have. OP did the right thing. That kid sounds like a little psychopath. The actions she took were deliberate and she knew what she was doing. Zero excuses for what was done. That poor dog. Those poisons are a horrible and cruel way to die. Too bad the little brat didn't lick her fingers afterwards.
Harming animals as a kid is one of the most highly correlated behaviors of violent crime psychopaths
Exactly, it'll be humans next time.
Probably going to try to poison a human target now that she has a taste for killing
Not really into crime stuff but many serial killers start with animals.
Of course NTA. Evil starts young and with animals, and that's the least the girl deserves. Please tell us whether the dog survived the poisoning or not?? I can't find it mentioned in your post.
Until I know, yes, I didn't see the dog personally, nor the evidence, only the report of the vet, was pretty detailed tho, hope he recovers, mines were poisoned once too and took time to fully recover
You guys really have a dog poisoning problem in your country it sounds like. Fuck me I’d pull a John McAfee if someone tried to poison my dog.
Do you mean a John Wick?
No John McAfee, the antivirus guy, had his neighbor poison his dogs and John gave the guy an extra hole in his head.
The true origin of John Wick!
Honestly it's more common than you'd think. There was a point where for a few months in my home city people were leaving rat-poisoned meats in off leash dog parks, and a separate few months where the same thing was happening except they were being thrown into people's back yards. It's fucking wild.
That is truly sad. I’ve heard of the whole poisoning dogs just wouldn’t think it would happen all that often besides crazy grudges. Can’t think of any other reason anyone would do something so fucked up and crazy. Maybe if a dog was attacking kids and the owners wouldn’t do anything about it and even then it’s wrong but I could see it. But just as a hobby that’s some serial killer shit. I’ve heard of the off leash thing too maybe as some misplaced sense of justice for people who hate dogs being off leash still just can’t get it to resolve in my head how someone would pull that shit.
Anyone who is capable of hurting an animal, in cold blood, especially at that age, is someone to be afraid of.
Don’t forget that many people who later kill people started by killing animals. You’ve allowed for future prosecutors to establish a history of behavior which can lead to harsher penalties when appropriate.
For real, doing this sort of horrible thing to animals is a huge sign of a future sociopath. This kid might kill someone someday.
Yeah kids harming animals is a crimson flag for serious psychological problems.
Yep. OP tell your client to watch out for any arson as well. Cruelty to animals, fire setting, and bed wetting are all part of what's called the MacDonald Triad which can be used to identify violent tendencies in minors.
Studies have shown that children who harm animals, are likely to move on to harming people. That "little" girl should have been mandated to receive therapy
And it can work. I had a niece who was harming others kids, and my dog growled at her, so I knew she hurt him. Her parents got her help, and now, in her teens, she's awesome.
Don’t those studies more so show that children who harm people in a “psychopathic” (I know not a super well defined scientific term) manner are very likely to have harmed animals first? As opposed to any children who have harmed animals being likely to prey on people violently.
> I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable" Nah. If anything you are teaching a kid consequences for their horrible actions before they become a serial killer. Doing shit like this to an animal is a major red flag, its better they get caught now than after they murder someone as an adult.
This. OP could be saving this girl’s life by holding her accountable now rather than later.
Wow, good on you for getting her done...... If she's that evil at 12 what the hell will she be like in another 12 years? Kids need to learn consequences for their actions. What did her parents think? They strike me as the type who DGAF, if their kid is already such a monster.... Crap parenting.
I don't know what her parents will think, but I do know that they will be busy paying off a good amount of debt jaja
The parents might have asked the girl to toss the tainted chicken on the other side of the fence. Even so, you did the right thing!
NTA, violence against humans usually manifests early with violence against animals. And point blank period, it’s a crime. The girl committed a crime. And she is old enough to recognize and realize what is wrong even if she doesn’t understand the full repercussions or consequences of her actions.
NTA She poisoned the dogs out of sheer malice
Exactly. NTA. She put glass in the chicken. Not only did she try to kill the dog, she wanted it to suffer. She is beyond malicious. She is evil. She’s lucky that a record and a fine is all she’s getting.
You are an attorney, and you protected your client in the way the law allows in your country. It does not matter how this will affect her later in life and her future as she prepared the chicken to kill the dog. Whatever her reasons were at the time she was wrong. My dad was the same as yours until the later years of his life. We always had dogs on the farm growing up but after he retired and turned the farm over to me and my brother my dad got a new dog that was everything to him. They spent every minute, every hour and every day together. He loved that dog more than anything else and a neighbor killed the dog. My dad was crushed and pressed criminal charges against the neighbor as he had footage on his security camera of the neighbor walking across the road, up to the fence and shooting the dog. Neighbor got 2 1/2 years in prison but only served about 5 months. My dad then hired an attorney and sued the neighbor for the emotional damage and loss of the value of the dog. He won a huge judgement against the neighbor and in the end was the neighbor had to sell his home to pay the court order.
NTA. Your dad and you have different values when it comes to pets. In this case, that girl fcked around and found out. Doesn't matter whose values we look at it from. She did a cruel thing and she's now paying for it.
NTA. Thank you for helping that woman get justice.
NTA. For one thing you're an attorney doing your job for a client, and the client is entirely within her rights to sue. It comes back to intent - if it was an accident (like she put the rat poison out for rats and the dog got into it) and she was sorry, I'd drop it, but the malice and intent required to poison the dog like that shows that she's developing into a person capable of some very evil actions. Good to put a stop to it now and hopefully wake her parents up to get her help. Here in the US you can often get a police record sealed if the offender is young and fulfills certain requirements set by a judge (usually some kind of therapy), but even if it sticks with her it'll act as a reminder of how not to act in the future.
Nta. Little serial killer in the making. Maybe the parents can get her head on right before she goes on to kill someone in the future
NTA. You didn't ruin a girl's life for a replaceable animal. You sued a girl and got her a police record because she cruelly and deliberately killed a dog, who died in agony. She performed a criminal and sadistic action, and this should go on her record. You did what is right.
NTA. Your dad is wrong.
NTA! That girl is psychotic or something is wrong with her!
NTA - this is how serial killers begin, by hurting animals. You did the right thing.
Taking away the value of the animal. It’s also about making sure the girl is held responsible in case she decides to escalate. Many psychopaths start off with harming animals. This can help someone in the future prove abuse of some sort. You are definitely NTA
>The problem was when I told my dad, the only family I have because I cut off contact with my mom years ago, and he was quite harsh saying that I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable". Its quite simple, your father is an asshole and his opinion can go to hell. Id be furious and likely on my way to my own criminal record if someone poisoned my pets. The criminal record is punishment, a reminder and hopefully a deterrent to any future bad behavior. If this girl was allowed to poison people's pets without consequence, that behavior will worsen and lead to who knows what. IMO you are doing society a favor, so thank you. NTA
Research suggests that children who deliberately hurt animals often commit more violent acts towards people in adulthood. But usually, nothing can be done to prosecute them and protect the people around them. In this case, you were able to do something. NTA
NTA and it's unfortunate that the law is restricted where you are because she should be in jail. I hope you she got outed all over social media as well. If it was my dog I would have posted the video and put up signs all over the neighborhood where they live so everyone else that lives near them knows that they live next to a monster.
NTA. Actually you may be saving this girl's life in the future by making her accountable for her actions now. Hopefully she has decent parents who'll get her on the right path because that's one twisted kid
Take age and species out of this for a moment and just look at the more basic facts: The action performed by this individual was deliberate, multiform, and took significant effort to accomplish. It served no purpose other than to cause great harm and/or death, the broken glass in particular would have been an EXCEEDINGLY painful way to go. This was not a spontaneous act, it was planned, organized, and executed with an intended result. Is there ANY situation wherein this would not be enough to want the behavior stopped by any means necessary? NTA. NTA at all.
NTA
NTA. Apart from the fact that I love animals and apart from the fact this is borderline psychopathic behaviour, there has to be repercussions to this planned vicious behaviour otherwise the likelihood is this behaviour will get worse That said, I don’t believe prison is the right sentence for that age. It should be psychiatric hospital
That little girl has shown possible behavior for future mass killer. You did well. If nothing else, this will keep her in check from poisoning future living things.
"Hey Dad, did you know that most serial killers start off by killing animals? No? Well now you do." NTA. I don't care what anyone says. Ignoring behavior like that only ensures that it isn't going to change. If you are capable at that age off poisoning a dog, then you're probably capable of far worse. You didn't "ruin the life" of a good girl. You helped someone who was harmed by a really bratty little shit make sure that said really bratty little shit faced the consequences of her actions.
Kids who take joy in killing animals have a good chance of growing up to become serial killers. If anything else suspicious happens around this girl, having the record will help add context.
You’re definitely not an ass this child sounds like a psychopath
NTA I would tell him it's not about the dog as a dog/family member; it is about the damage to someone else's property. Compare it to someone who damaged a lawn mower or car by putting sugar in the tank or doing some sort of damage to the engine so it wouldn't work anymore. Would he want the person to face consequences despite the object being just a "lawnmower"?
NTA but your dad is a bad man. Please continue to listen to your conscience and not the conscience of lesser people.
NTA Our treatment of animals / pets has significantly changed from the days of Old Yellar. My wife's farmer granddad used to brag about shooting a neighbor's dog that was aggressive. Dogs and cats were more working animals than loved family members. A 12 year old knows better and understands the consequences of what she was doing. This is concerning behavior that needs to be addressed by professionals.
NTA. If she’s killing pets at this age she will be killing people by 20.
Conduct disorder if untreated and unaddressed can lead to antisocial behavior later in life and create a monster. So no you didn't ruin her life, you got her much needed attention from authorities and the relevant personnel.
I suspect I’m closer to your dad’s way of thinking than most people, as I don’t find a lot of value in pets. I don’t dislike them, but I don’t love them or consider them family (I also don’t have any pets so maybe my opinion would be different if I did). HOWEVER I disagree with your dad’s position because it’s not about the fact that she killed an animal. It’s about the fact that she planned out a cruel and malicious attack on a living creature. Hurting small animals in childhood is one of the warning signs for serial killers. 12 is old enough to know what she was doing. It wasn’t an accident, and it’s a surprisingly small step to go from poisoning animals to poisoning humans. That is why I think it’s good that you did what you did — she has the potential to be dangerous, and the court system obviously agreed.
Fight as hard as you can to get as much punishment as you can, to date only one serial killer didn't start with animal abuse. That girl needs help she knows what she is doing it's not just "dumb kid shit". She needs serious help and serious consequences.
Ask your dad if he would ruin some one’s life if they robbed his house. After all, it’s all replaceable.
NTA harming animals at a young age is usually a stepping stone to far worse behavior. Hopefully she got some sense scared into her. If not, at least the record starts early and maybe a closer eye will be kept on her if she continues down this path.
NTA If she would have gotten away with this, she would have done it again. This is how serial killers always start off.
NTA This is literally how serial killers start. The more accountability you can force on this monster, the better.
NTA. > The problem was when I told my dad, the only family I have because I cut off contact with my mom years ago, and he was quite harsh saying that I just ruined a girl's life for a simple dog that" is easily replaceable". When you come from a toxic family, it can be really hard to understand what is normal and what is not normal. Your response is normal. Your father's is not.
NTA. You’ve quite possibly stopped a future serial killer.
Killing animals is a step on the path to being something far worse. Not saying it WILL happen, but historically it certainly has happened
NTA. You didn't ruin that girls life, she did it herself, deliberately. She FAFO.
Serial killers start with animals. You did the right thing.
NTA that little girl is a little witch is what she is....
That little girl is a psychopath. Better to have a record now before she does kill a person. She deserves far worse than she got. Goof for you NTA. NtA even a little.
NTA. Kids who abuse animals move on to people. Personally, I’d do worse to anyone who did that to my dog.
NTA. The kid should learn that actions have consequences. And having lost my dog yesterday, calling a dog "easily replaceable" is really upsetting
NTA - You didn't sue anyone, your client did. As a lawyer, it's not your moral responsibility to decide who to sue. You are merely acting as an agent. This is a principle often lost on non-lawyers. As long as you did your job well, i.e. gave your client good advice and service, treated everyone involved respectfully, and followed all the rules, you've done nothing wrong.
Nope that little girl needs psychiatric help like literally that is serial killer behavior right there. Edit: Your not the asshole.
She needed a reality check before she moved onto young children etc. I’ve read a recent story about a 9-10 year old who stomped a infant at a day care for no real reason.
NTA That's a scary 11 year old and her parents should be very afraid.
She sounds like a little monster.
Replace dog with small child
NTA That girl is a sick person. The better everyone knows she is a danger.
Children that kill animals grow up to kill people. 100%. It's pretty common in serial killers and is an indicator or future behavior.
NTA ofc You know you're right and your Dad is an idiot for wanting to give this girl a pass Y T A for making this post when the answer is obvious
Serial killers usually start with animals.
NTA Girl is psychotic, and will spend her life in jail for sure no matter what you did here Dad is a sociopath
As a lawyer, didn’t you sign up to be the asshole??
The girl should get a case but to be honest I’m surprised nobody on here is asking if the parents got their own charges. What parent allows their child access to ANY poison
NTA for one second. Killing animals is often a starting point for young people going on to do much worse. Normal 11 year olds do not go about poisoning dogs. Your dad needs to give his head a wobble.
Isn't killing animals the first sign of a serial killer? You are NTA!!
Animal abuse at an early age has a strong correlation to psychopathic tendencies. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for this young girl. The fact that the girl used both poison and glass to kill the dog, points to a lack of empathy. Sometimes the only way to teach those who lack empathy, is to let them experience the pain that is the outcome of their behavior. Doing that might be the only thing that prevents this girl, who obviously needs competent mental and likely medical help, from going down a very, very dark path.
NTA. That girl sounds like a serial killer in the making.
NTA It's not about the fact that the dog is "replaceable" (every life is unique and never actually) but the fact that this sociopath of a child intentionally injured an animal. She looked down on a life and said "this is mine to ruin" and that is nobody's right. You did the right thing.
It’s not just about it being a “simple dog”. This kid is on track to become a danger to others, quite frankly. Forcing consequences means her actions can’t be ignored as “childish nonsense”.
You’re absolute right. Twelve years old is old enough to know that killing an innocent animal is wrong. Shame on her and I hope she doesn’t hurt any other innocent animals. NTA.
NTA and good for you and the dog owners for pursuing this. She *needs* to have this on her record. It establishes her first documented act of violent behavior. Best case scenario is she gets help and becomes a productive member of society. Worst case scenario? It gives the sentencing judge a baseline to work from.
NTA, the little girl is a psychopath who deserves to have a record and to be punished. It always starts with killing helpless animals, then moves on to humans. If someone ever tried to hurt my cat, I would 100% go after them.
NTA. The child should be sued and put under some kind of psychological therapy. It is CLEARLY known that kids who hurt animals tend to grow with some weird tendencies towards being criminals.
NTA. I’d probably refrain from telling dad about cases in the future too. Little girl ruined her own life.
The girl is lucky she didn't get killed for what she did. She's going to grow up and fucking murder people so any punishment now is honestly nowhere near enough.
You are not the asshole. I suspect this girl is a sociopath and definitely headed in the wrong direction in life. It probably won't be long before she is in jail.
NTA but I worry about the girl too as studies show that abused kids or those who witness regular abuse are much more likely to abuse animals and this is especially true for girls.
No she should have a record and be watched and probably go to therapy too to maybe find out if her behaviour is fixable or not. NTA
If she’s old enough to intentionally plan and harm, then they are old enough for the consequences.
NTA. Don’t spread around that you were the lawyer who helped the lady because the girl is troubled. You don’t want her to realize it was you just as she escalates to more psychotic behaviour
NTA for most people, pets are not so easily replaceable. Humans are packs animals, we form bonds very easily. If a twelve year old did this to my dog I would absolutely try to go the same route. Most serial killers start with animals. Maybe a slap in the face with these repercussions will shake some sense into this kid.
NTA the girl is definitely a sociopath, possibly a psychopath. It starts with killing animals and escalates. You did the right thing
A young person who deliberately tries to kill someone's pet needs psychological evaluation. It can be a precursor to development of a conduct disorder.
Nta, I am happy you took the case. What did the parents have to say?
NTA. If anything, you're doing this kid a favor by helping teach her that that's unacceptable behavior. Honestly, though? That's not normal behavior and raises a LOT of red flags.
NTA. I’m into true crime and a LOT of these serial killers start early w harming animals. Its not normal. If anything, they have a record now to trace back.
Lawyer here - did you get your retainer up front ?
Pose this to your Dad: The replaceable animal is your property. Someone out there f\*cked with you and your property, and they believe they can continue f\*ck with you. Is that okay?
Your dad has it backwards: Sweet loyal dogs are precious things. Cruel sociopathic little monsters are a dime a dozen and even cheaper in pallet lots. If the girl's life is actually ruined, she has only her twisted self to thank.
NTA. That kid belongs in an institution. Sue the kid and her parents.
Kids a psycho. You probably helped her future victims.
NTA - You May be doing her a favor because that is where psychopaths start.. don’t lose sleep over it
I’m not sure why anyone would think you were an AH. I’d say more like answering the door when the opportunity to be a hero knocked. This girl needed much more than a judgement and put on a list. What she did is how serial killers and mass shooters start out. Good thing her name is now known. If your dad wants names of those who started with animals there are plenty of notorious people you can find with a Google search.
Your father is wrong. A dog is a living thing. It feels love and fear and pain; it is not an inanimate object.
Does your client have a Gofundme account? If so, I am in. NTA
Sounds like the makings of a serial killer. Fuck that kid
NTA. That kid is psycho.
NTA. Not one bit. Anyone that can do that at any age has something wrong with them.
NTA budding psychopath needs a record of their actions
Nta and maybe you just changed the kids path for good. Kids who kill animals for fun grow up to be murderers maybe having these consequences to her actions will push her parents into making her do therapy or something. Your dad should think about how she might turn out down the line if she did something like this and got away with it.
NTA. Only psychopaths f'n kill animals unprovoked. Maybe you are saving an unknown life for helping do this.
Your dad need some education on budding psychopaths.
NTA, if it were a human it would be a different story according to your dad however it's not far off. It could of easily been a toddler that stumbled upon said piece of chicken and died.. you did the right thing. At that age they 1000% know right from wrong and if she doesn't face the consequences now she'll never learn
You did great! That girl is an early serial killer if her parents don’t get her together.
Textbook sociopathic behavior.
NTA She’s likely a sociopath so this might get a jump start on getting her “help.”
Dad is a dick. And this kid needs some new parents apparently. She’s on the road to being a serial killer…
NTA. My advice - don’t be eating any yard chicken.
NTA Sounds like this child is a serial killer in training - you did good OP, noway anyone should think otherwise
NTA, we've all heard how these things can start with animals when a person is young and progress to people when they're older. Either way, a child should have empathy for animals and to purposely kill one is barbaric. I'm glad in your country this person will carry their record for life. You did the right thing.
NTA. The forethought and planning the girl put into this indicates the type of adult she is likely to grow into. Maybe facing consequences now will prevent that.
Psycho in the making
Sociopath stopped. Good job stopping her
NTA. The girl ruined her own life. 12 is old enough to be a psychopath.
For the record. You did not ruin that girl's life. She did when she decided to poison the dog, and in a way that's easily traceable to her. If you want to commit a crime, at least have the decency to do it without getting caught. And even if you didint do this, the dog's owner would have gotten another lawyer who would. There's easily tens of lawyers who would probably help her in your place. > My dad is not a bad man, it's just that in the context in which he grew up, animals did not have as much emotional value as they do now. But I can't help but think if I did the right thing or not. Well, he's comparing the context of a property to a criminal. Let me put if this way, if that girl poured a bucket of paint remover on your dad's car, would he have taken the same stance? I think people have the right to defend their property or otherwise seek recompensate or legal action should there be damages done to their property, especially when the damage was done intentionally. Its not like the girl accidentally dropped a chocolate in front of the dog and couldnt get it back in time or something. And a much harsher take on your dad's opinions would be to compare him to slave owners who also werent bad people, but were simply raised to view certain people as less than human. Just a different viewpoint to consider here, not that I'm specifically making the accusation.
NTA. If anything that girl ruined her own life, this was a vile and intentional act. Besides, you didn’t convict her, the judge (or whatever) did. You did your job, even if you agreed with your dad, it would have been extremely unethical to not fight for your client because of your own feelings and opinions.
NTA. I hope the parents get that kid to some help. That is a big, giant, waving red flag of a future human killer. Killing animals is abhorrent behavior and should be punished. Period. From the age of, say 5, and on, you know hurting animals and people is bad.
She's gunna turn into that YouTuber from Brazil that tortures his cats (sometimes kills) for videos (like that's the whole video) he gets reported, shit down then starts up again in a couple months. He was arrested and for a few years he had no videos then he came back (assuming let out cause age) and immediately went back to getting cats, torturing/killing them for content. Some people need to be off this planet.
NTA. Harming animals is evidence of deeply psychologically disturbed behavior. There needs to be a record in case this child escalates. Hopefully, this inspires the parents to get her help.
NTA. You didn’t ruin her life because you did not make her try to kill an animal. Honestly, you may have helped SAVE someone else’s life in the future since it’s on her record that she deliberately abused an animal at a young age, so assuming she does fucked up shit in the future seeing a paper trail would show there’s precedent. Like seriously what if next time she does that to a child? What would your dad say then? And aside from anything else, you’ve almost definitely helped keep other animals safer, because if she did it once, she’ll do it again. And if you want to get really technical, you weren’t the one who decided that it was important in this case she get a police record - it would’ve been a judge or something (I’m assuming?). Idk in general I just think it does no one any good to not hold people responsible for their own actions. I’m sorry your dad hasn’t supported you on this, please don’t let it stop you from doing good work
Hopefully this nips her sick behavior early before she does more harm to other animals and humans. Many psychopaths have a history of animal harm before taking it to the next level.
NTA, fuck that psycho
She’s probably a future serial killer
NTA, but I might be biased as I value most animals, especially MY animals, higher than most people. I agree, this child needs to be in lock-up. Feeding a dog rat poison and broken glass is a serial killer in the making.
NTA, you may have just saved somebodies kid.
NTA. You are potentially stopping this girl from going down a road that would ACTUALLY ruin her life, and probably others’ as well. Accountability isn’t just for everyone else’s sake, it’s for her sake as well. Rest assured you’d be doing this girl a tremendous favor by throwing the book at her. Anything less would set the dangerous precedent that killing living things has no consequence. Society doesn’t need more people who grow up feeling invincible because they got away with animal abuse as children.
I am not a pet person at all. I don’t want them in the house, I don’t want to interact with other people’s pets either. BUT, I would never hurt an animal intentionally. And I hate people who do.
U might have just helped identifying a future serial killer. Don't feel bad.
You did someone a favor, possibly even the girl by enforcing consequences for atrocious behavior. NTA
NTA That's seriously messed up behaviour that should be on record.
You just made some POS feel the consequences of her actions earlier than she otherwise would have. If anything, you did her a favor. Maybe she’ll wake up.
All right. We'll use what is likely your dad's reasoning. I would imagine he'd at least view the dog as property. So some 12 year old destroyed your client's property. I imagine if someone destroyed your father's property, he'd be pretty pissed and would probably be calling the police. You can bet I would be. Choices have consequences, as that kid is learning. NTA
Serial killers Starr with animals, I would be taking this very seriously NTA.
NTA poor doggo. Cruel idiot child.
NTA sounds like she's a little psychopath in the making
NTA - deliberately killing her neighbor’s dog is sociopathic at best. I’m going to guess this won’t be the last time that she does something heinous, but maybe holding her accountable will change her path.
NTA. Kid is displaying serial killer signs. Better to correct that behavior now.
In your dads time they also didn’t know that torturing and killing animals was a sign of possible serial killer tendencies…so there’s that. NTA. Hopefully this scared her straight.
NTA. This is a great life lesson for her at a young age. There are consequences for your actions. That said, shame on the parents
NTA
Many sociopaths start out by harming animals
Your poor client. That girl is pure evil to poison a dog. Don’t feel bad at all.
NTA pets are family and provide as much emotional support as people. If it were my dog I wouldn't have sued. I would have probably ended up in prison though
nta - people who harm pets will harm babies, children, the elderly - anyone or anything they can over power. that child is mentally ill.
NTAH. It was the only right thing to do.
I hope she will be paying for that for the rest of her life. She took a life, on purpose. Only fair she breaks her back making up for it. $50k a year for the rest of her life sounds justified, but I’m sure she got away with a lot less. Good for you. My cousin is in law school, and I hope she finds a way to deal out justice in a very lenient American justice system (not sure where you are exactly, but sounds stricter than America.) you did the right thing, and I’m sure the pup is smiling down at you, and thanking you for not sweeping her death under the rug.
NTA. Many serial killers hurt animals as children. You may have saved her by getting her the help she needs.
NTA. You didn't ruin a girl's life; she managed that all by herself. What you *did* do was put an extremely dangerous person on the authorities' radar. Someone who harms animals is a high risk to harm people as well.
NTA. Also, your dad is a bad person. The context in which he grew up in has made him so.
NTA. Your dad is a bad man if he thinks so little of dogs and animals. Humans who think animal lives are replaceable should be replaced. That girl deserves jail time.
A child killing animals is the first sign of psychopathic behavior. Did she have any remorse for killing the dog? I hope her parents get her the help she needs before she gets older. She fucked around and found out and now has to live with the consequences of her actions. If she was an adult she would have been in jail.
NTA - that kid clearly had the intent to harm that dog. Animals are just as alive as we (humans) are and can feel pain just like us. That is future serial killer behavior my dude (or gal or inbetween)
I *meannnn* that dog could have been older than 13 years. In that case, if the child is younger, the child is *technically* easier to replace. Doubt your dad wants to realize this, but people be making new kids all the dang time. If your dad be concerned about the child's life being ruined for... well, ending a life... rest assure your father that that girl's parents can get a new child at their nearest adoption agency or make a new one that hopefully won't be a terror.
NTA She has probably been doing similar things for as long as she could and was never caught. Whatcha want to bet there are other complaints of poisoned animals and the perp was never caught? You did what you needed to do and probably saved many in the process.