14 DAY TRIAL // A commander working with the Los Angeles Police Department is about to witness his reputation go down in flames, all because, while trying to send an email to one of his subordinates, he accidentally hit “reply all” instead.
This might not be such a big problem if it were not for what was written in that email.
Thus, Commander Andrew Smith was encouraging one of his subordinates to figure out a way to arrest some people on charges of illegal animal purchasing.
The sole purpose of these arrests would have been that of making sure the LAPD did not get any bad publicity for not doing anything to prevent animal trafficking during this year's winter holidays.
Besides the fact that putting an end to illegal animal sales and purchases should have everything to do with making sure that animals have their rights respected, and very little in common with media coverage, LAPD Commander also made the mistake of referring to animal rights activists as “rabbit people.”
Huffington Post quotes Lejla Hadzimuratovic, presently employed as the president of the Bunny World Foundation, who commented on this incident as follows:
“It's demeaning, it’s insulting and unacceptable. I'm livid when I read this. After all this work I've done... all the money we've put in.”
It is the Bunny World Foundation's belief that, although the LAPD might not think much about the issue of animal trafficking, the fact remains that this problem is one that must be dealt with as soon as possible by people who truly understand what respecting animal rights is all about.
“While the LAPD consider this atrocious act a simple misdemeanor, we think of it as animal cruelty. Not only is this an issue of animal cruelty, but it is an issue of public health and safety,” the Foundation argues.
Just for the record, starting September 2011, it is illegal to sell animals on the streets of the US. More precisely, this ban was meant to prevent the sale and purchase of baby bunnies in fashion districts.