This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as Donna Lawrence Helps Enact Susie’s Law to Make for Harsher Penalties for Animal Cruelty Offenses
Have you seen the movie Susie’s Hope? I reviewed the film for Pet-Lebrity News and am inspired by the intent of Susie’s Law to make animal cruelty offenses more punishable. Susie’s Law, which was signed by North Caroline Governor Bev Perdue in June of 2010, re-classified felony charges for cruelty to animals from a class I felony to a class H felony and elevated the misdemeanor of intentionally starving an animal to death to a class H felony, allowing judges to determine whether to give an active prison sentence.
The law was named after Susie, a dog that helped Donna Lawrence emotionally recover from a vicious dog attack and ultimately brought about both the film Susie’s Hope in addition to the law. Because of her experience with Susie and the work in animal welfare she does, I decided to personally interview Lawrence for this column.
Q: Before Susie’s Hope and Susie’s Law, how were you involved in the realm of animal welfare?
A: I've been an animal lover since childhood; my affinity toward animals, and their care, is something I was born with. Prior to adopting Susie, forming Susie's Hope, and initiating the campaign to end animal cruelty (through Susie’s Law), I had adopted animals in need, attended to and cared for animals and even neighboring animals. It's just in my blood.
Q: How were you able to overcome the physical and emotional trauma associated with the dog attack and be able to not only adopt Susie but to take up the endeavors of animal welfare?
A: That was a very, very difficult and trying time in my life. To be honest, after the attack, I really did not think I would bring in any more animals into my life. I became very depressed and felt an extreme sense of loss (learning that my husband and I could not have children as a result of the attack) and I was afraid. When I heard Susie's story, and I saw Susie, it was a God thing. She had so much spirit and love to give, even in her horrific condition. I learned so much from her; Susie was a Godsend and gave me strength to trust again. She has been my life motivation.
Q: What was it like to experience your story on the big screen through Susie’s Hope?
A: From creating the script to the filming, I was there every step of the way. It was kind of like an out-of-body experience to see our story brought to life by the folks who believed in the project (our wonderful friends and investors), to the screenwriters, to the talented actors. I just hope by sharing our story that we are able to move people in a spiritual way (to offer hope) and to bring attention to the growing animal cruelty epidemic in our country. We hope the movie moves people to make a difference in their own lives and to become a voice for those who cannot speak.
Q: Are there any updates in what the Susie’s Hope organization is striving to achieve in terms of making animal cruelty offenses more punishable?
A: We're still a very young charity and our goals are lofty. We want to become a national charity with a BIG voice to educate the public about the need to adopt, pet adoption as the ultimate choice, the adoption processes and our responsibilities to our family companions when we adopt and to help protect animals as an advocate to put a stop to animal cruelty across the board. We just need a little help from our friends who have the same passion, and with their help, I'm confident lawmakers will take a stand to effect Susie's Law in every state. It's just the right thing to do, there should be no alternative. Animal abuse is a crime!
Q: What is next for you and Susie’s Hope? Will we see another chapter of the film, a book, or other media project?
A: Every day is a new chapter in our lives, a chapter with brand new life experiences. We visit a number of schools, nursing homes and medical facilities share our story and our spiritual message throughout the course of the year. We volunteer at various rescues; we rescue beautiful, healthy animals that may otherwise be euthanized to help them find healthy and welcoming homes. Susie's Hope is aligned with a number of other shelters and charities that we support by attending special outings and events. The friends helping friends camaraderie to support our furry friends is so uplifting and contagious!
I think my next personal endeavor is to finish up my autobiography, and again, the big finish is to achieve our goal to become a nationally-known charity that has been successful in ending the animal cruelty epidemic. The first thing to deter inhumane behavior is to effect and enforce stronger laws throughout our country.
Thank you Donna Lawrence for contributing to this interview and for the great work done to help improve the quality of life of animals. If you’d like to watch Susie’s Hope, please purchase a DVD as every sale is donated to the mission to end animal cruelty.
Thank you for reading this article. Your constructive comments are welcome (although I may not respond). Please follow my adventures in veterinary medicine and life via: Instagram @PatrickMahaney Facebook Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian: Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets Twitter @PatrickMahaney
Copyright of this article (2015) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.