Scruffy And Magnum Changed Kansas Law

Magnum

In 1997, a Yorkshire terrier named Scruffy was beaten and burned alive in Kansas City. Four young men aged 17 to 21 choked the tiny dog, tied him in a trash bag, and set the bag on fire. When that didn’t kill the dog, the men attemped to decapitate Scruffy with a shovel and finally beat the dog to death. They had videotaped their horrific acts and made copies as entertainment to share with their friends.

Those responsible were caught, but under the current laws of the time, the abusers were charged only with a misdemeanor for torturing Scruffy. More severe felony charges were brought for arson because they had set him on fire. The community was outraged over the case, but Scruffy’s Law to make animal cruelty a felony was struck down several times by the Kansas Senate.

Then, in Wichita on August 1, 2005, citizens passing by a recycling bin heard muffled sounds. They stopped to look inside the container. There they found an 11 week old Labrador-mix puppy near death. The puppy had multiple injuries, including a broken leg, cuts, and chemical burns over much of his body. He had been bound with wire and one paw had been stuffed into his mouth. He had been tortured, then thrown away to die.

The puppy was taken to Heartland Animal Hospital where veterinarians and staff named him Magnum and tried their best to save him. But, alas, Magnum passed away just a few days later.

News of the puppy hit the community quickly. Most people were outraged that anyone would treat a puppy the way Magnum had been treated. Magnum’s death would not be in vain, though. Veterinarians and other animal lovers in the community were determined that something would change and change quickly. Animal cruelty and Kansas’ lax animal cruelty laws had made the front page again and this time the community’s voice would be heard. Senate bill No.408, dubbed “Magnum’s Law”, passed. It would impose mandatory jail time of at least 30 days in jail, a fine of $500-$5,000, and mandatory psychological evaluation for convicted offenders.

Magnum Force of Kansas is the organization that spearheaded this campaign to change the law. So far they have accumulated an $18,348 reward fund for information leading to the capture and prosecution of the people who committed this heinous crime.