March 14, 2017
Sage the cat reward increased to $50,925
Outpouring of generous donations continue to be made on behalf of Sage the cat
The story of Sage, a 6-year-old domestic cat, has spread across the U.S. and beyond as donations contributing to the reward offered are collected to apprehend and convict the person or people responsible for his brutal torture and resultant death. Sage was discovered by the Cassel family in their Clearfield, Utah home Wednesday, March 8, 2017, with signs of abuse and taken to their local veterinary hospital. Sage was transferred to Advanced Veterinary Care hospital where he died from his injuries Friday, March 9, at 4:45 p.m. despite CPR efforts. The Humane Society of Utah (HSU) hopes the reward assists Davis County Animal Services in obtaining information required to identify and charge whoever is responsible for this serious and disturbing act of animal cruelty.
“It is humbling to see the number of people wanting to help and take action on behalf of Sage,” said Deann Shepherd, HSU representative. “We understand that this case is not only about the death of a cat; it represents a larger issue about the serious nature of animal abuse and its relationship to other anti-social behavior, cruelty and crime. People understand that whoever was capable of this heinous behavior needs to be apprehended for the safety of the community.”
Voluntary tax-deductible donations to the Humane Society of Utah have been received from across the U.S. and as far as Australia and England. In addition to the original $5,000 amount offered by the HSU, individual donations in the amount of $17,699 have been added. A generous donation of $10,000 was offered Friday, March 10, from an anonymous donor in Vernal, Utah.
“The unspeakable horror of this felonious action has brought the entire community together in unified grief and outrage,” said Gene Baierschmidt, HSU executive director. “It is our sincere hope that this widespread reaction will result in the swift resolution if the case and appropriate punishment for the perpetrators.”
The Humane Society of Northern Utah (HSNU) has collected $13,226 from individual donations for the reward. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) contributed $5,000.
According to the Utah State Criminal Code, it is a third-degree felony for a person to intentionally or knowingly torture a companion animal. Torture is defined as intentionally or knowingly causing or inflicting extreme physical pain to an animal in an especially heinous, atrocious, cruel or exceptionally depraved manner.
The punishment may be up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. The HSU and community will ask for the maximum possible sentence.
HSU recommends pet owners keep their cats indoors.
Donations made online at utahhumane.org/donations are tax-deductible and will be rolled over to help future animal welfare cases and deserving animals in need if not claimed.
Anyone with information regarding who may be responsible for the torture and death of Sage is urged to contact Davis County Animal Services at 801-444-2200 or Clearfield Police Department at 801-525-2806. Tips can remain anonymous,
###
About the Humane Society of Utah
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the HSU has been sheltering homeless animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals across the state of Utah. HSU is the largest open-admissions shelter in the state and welcomes any companion animal that can legally be admitted. As a member of the No-Kill Utah (NKUT) Coalition, the HSU works hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters the facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a local, private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not receive any state tax dollars or government funding. HSU is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Read more about the HSU online at www.utahhumane.org.
About the Humane Society of Northern Utah
The Humane Society of Northern Utah provides services to the people north of Layton, Utah. We have a Safe Haven Sanctuary in Corinne, Utah and are finishing an adoption center in Farr West, Utah. Our programs include education, Emergency medical, adoptions, rescue, an animal food bank and more. We are advocates for the animals. Visit our website at www.humanesocietyofnorthenutah.com.
About the Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated most effective by our peers. For more than 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We are the nation’s largest provider of hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 100,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns.
The HSUS is approved by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance for all 20 standards for charity accountability, and was named by Worth Magazine as one of the 10 most fiscally responsible charities. To support The HSUS, please make a monthly donation, or give in another way. You can also volunteer for The HSUS, and see our 55 ways you can help animals. Read more about our 60 years of transformational change for animals, and visit us online at humanesociety.org.
===================
Robert Panara: Teacher and Pioneer of Deaf Studies
to be Immortalized on a Stamp
WHAT:
First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the Robert Panara two-ounce Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public.
WHO:
U.S. Postal Service Chief Operating Officer David Williams
President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and Rochester Institute of Technology Vice President and Dean Dr. Gerard Buckley
NTID Instructional/Support Faculty member John Panara (son)
Stamp Photographer Mark Benjamin
Author and Professor Emeritus NTID Dr. Harry Lang
WHEN:
Tue., Apr. 11 at 10 a.m.
WHERE:
Robert F. Panara Theatre
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623-5604
The public may RVSP online at usps.com/rpanara. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view live streaming video of the event at facebook.com/USPS. The media is asked to share the news on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #PanaraForever and #DeafEducation.
BACKGROUND: The Postal Service’s 16th stamp in the Distinguished Americans series honors Robert Panara (1920-2014), an influential teacher and a pioneer in the field of Deaf Studies. He inspired generations of students with his powerful use of American Sign Language to convey works of literature. At age 10, Panara was profoundly deafened after contracting spinal meningitis, which damaged his auditory nerves.
Panara taught English for two decades, beginning in 1948, at Gallaudet College (now University), in Washington, DC. In 1967, he helped found the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and became its first deaf faculty member. He taught English to both deaf and hearing students at NTID, part of the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York State for the next 20 years.
The two-ounce Forever stamp features a photograph of Panara signing the word “respect.” The issuance coincides with the 200th anniversary of the founding in 1817 of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT — marking the beginning of formal education for deaf students in America.
Once purchased, the stamp is always good for mailing two-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future, regardless of price changes. The current price is 70-cents.
---------------------
