Picture of an Idiot

Posted on July 24, 2004 12:10 AM by Joel Comm

dogsnout.jpgRichard Swift, from The Colony, TX (near Dallas), is facing felony animal cruelty charges for wrapping duct tape around the snout of his brother's Labrador retriever, whose barking was bothering Swift. The poor dog, named Bull, suffered heat stroke and was later euthanized. Swift, who gagged the dog on a day that temperatures hit 95 degrees in the Dallas area, was released from the Denton County lockup after posting $4000 bond. He faces a maximum of two years in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the cruelty charge. Unbelievable what some people will do. Simply mind-boggling.

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8 Comments For This Post

  1. Ken Says:
    July 26, 2004 08:09 AM

    There are worse things happening in this world ...people are getting beheaded on a regular basis in Iraq, hundreds dying of hunger ... I am not really concerned about issues as this anymore ...

  2. Joel Says:
    July 26, 2004 09:59 AM

    There have always been worse things in the world. There will always be worse things in the world. Hurricances, wars, earthquakes, famime, disease, cancer, death. It's a brutal place we live in, no doubt.

    It's a just a story. If it doesn't interest you, I see no need to comment.

  3. Jack Perkins Says:
    July 26, 2004 01:30 PM

    The way a society handles the treatment of its innocents marks its value in the world. I'm sure people like Ken would like to sit around in the air conditioned comfort of their homes, wringing their hands about beheadings in the Middle East. Apathy towards this kind of treatment identifies them for what they are - less than human.

  4. Carol Johnson Says:
    July 27, 2004 03:23 PM

    The worse things in the world exist because we ignore their roots....the cruel and indifferent treatment of animals, children , the old....all those who do not have the power to fight back against such treatment.

    The "something is MORE wrong....over there" rationale....is a weak excuse for overlooking or trivializing actions such as this.

  5. Sheena Says:
    August 18, 2004 12:11 PM

    I just wanted to say that all of the above comments assume that Mr. Swift meant to harm the dog. There is no proof to such an assumption. Mr. Swift may have done some dumb stuff in his past and this may have just added on to that list but I cannot assume that he taped the dog's mouth in the hopes of killing the dog...it was an accident. Mr. Swift has always loved animals. I also would like to remind everyone out there who has a mean comment to add about this man that he has a family and his mom, dad, borthers, sisters and even his kids are having to read and hear the media and people across the country say that they wish Rick Swift coud get the death penalty. You all are hurting noone else but his family.

  6. Joel Says:
    August 18, 2004 08:24 PM

    Let me get this straight.. he "accidently" taped the dog's mouth shut? Now I've heard everything...

  7. vicki Says:
    September 22, 2004 05:38 PM

    Sheena,

    This man is pathetic, that you defend him shows just how weak people are in supporting bad things that evil people do.

    Any idiot would know that a dog perspires by panting-if you don't know that you shouldn't have children to look after. Any other idiot would know that to duct tape any living thing is cruel.

    I have no sympathy for him. He KILLED a companion animal because he is a crappy person with no patience. This is not the first crappy thing he has done, he has a record. God gave us dominion over the animals to care for them as He would, not to treat them with no thought for their welfare. I wonder about the judgement of some woman who would make kids with this man. If my husband ever did something like this- he'd be long gone, as I wouldn't trust him to control himself around our son....but that would never happen because he has shown over time that he is not an IDIOT!

    And Ken, your brain is legally dead. P.S. My husband is an F-14 pilot so I know of what I speak regarding battles and all those other woes. He has actually had his butt shot at on numerous occasions. He is not overwhelmed yet, so what has made you give up the fight Eyore? You might as well just not get up in the morning. Never give in to evil!

  8. Sheena Says:
    October 14, 2004 03:40 PM

    Perhaps he is an idiot and perhaps he does not deserve your compassion but you don't even know this man or the details of his case, let alone his life, and you have already condemned him. Vicki I see that you would never let your children around this guy well let me tell you I am his kid and I have no problem being around him. He may not be the best dad but I know he is not a cruel man in his heart. I am not defending his actions. The whole reason I wrote that comment was to try and get everyone to understand that they are not hurting him when they write these mean things they are hurting me and my family. As for Joel I just wanted to clarify that I did not mean that he accidently taped his mouth shut (if you would re-read you could see that that is clearly not what I said) but that the dog death was an accident.

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Joel Comm is an Internet entrepreneur who has been online for over 20 years. In 1995, Joel launched WorldVillage.com, a family-friendly portal to the web which enjoys thousands of visitors each day. Joel is the co-creator of ClassicGames.com, which was acquired by Yahoo! in 1997, and now goes by the name Yahoo! Games. Since then, Joel's company, InfoMedia, Inc., has launched dozens of web sites which offer online shopping, free stuff, website reviews and more. Joel is the author of many popular books, including the NY Times Best-Seller, The AdSense Code. He regularly makes appearances at Internet marketing conferences and seminars.

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