Opinions on dealing with animal cruelty in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. - Animal cruelty is a serious issue and in Ocean City they are trying to have stricter penalties for those charged with animal abuse.

Earlier last week the Ocean City Police Department posted on their Facebook page, asking for help. The department asked if anyone could help identify a group of men caught on a security camera breaking into a private residence and abusing a Koi fish in a pond. 

Ashley Miller, the Deputy Communications Manager for the Ocean City Police Department said the department hopes to find these men and prosecute them at the extent the law allows. 

Some visitors to Ocean City like Mary Grace Conlan has a pet dog named Emme and she said she thinks people should care for animals the right way.

"People get pets and don't really know the responsibility they're taking on and then animals suffer because of it," Conlan said. 

The police department said they want to protect all animals but the community also has to step up to help the cause. As temperatures soar as we head into the heat of summer, they want to remind people to not leave animals in hot car's unattended. 

One local Robin Robert's said she never leaves here dog Bella anywhere alone for long periods of time. 

"If you're taking your animal to go somewhere like a walk, that's fine," Roberts said. But cracking the window and leaving the dog in there, is just not fair to the dog."

Although Miller said the police department does not see a lot of animals left in cars in the hot summer months, they do other times of the year.

"We'll come across it more in the offseason, where it's that fall, spring time," Miller said. "Where people don't quite realize that the cars are going to heat up quick even though it doesn't feel hot outside."

In Maryland the laws are clear, abuse of an animal is not tolerated and Roberts said it shouldn't be hard to follow the laws. 

"If you're going to have a pet and you're not going to be responsible you shouldn't have a pet, it's like having a child and you have to take care of it the right way," Miller said. 

The Ocean City Police Department urges anyone who sees an animal being abused or unattended in hot cars to report it immediately or call 911.