New Jersey 101.5 Offers Clarification on Recent Comments on Animals

On Tuesday May 21, 2013, New Jersey 101.5 mid-day program hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco and overnight host Ray Rossi discussed the topic of animal abuse in general - and the case of Sammy the Cocker Spaniel in specific - on their respective programs.  During these programs, there were spirited discussions of the relative importance of human rights and animal rights, as well as the passions of animal rights proponents, which involved calls from audience members.

As is the case with many topics discussed on our programs, the conversation continued after the programs on our website www.nj1015.com, as well as on our social media platforms.  Unfortunately, some of the online commentary regarding the discussions which transpired on these programs has become dislocated from the facts.  In order to ensure that the ongoing online discussion remains grounded in veracity, we would like to clarify New Jersey 101.5’s position on animal abuse as well as delineate what was actually stated on the topic by the program hosts.

New Jersey 101.5 and its employees do not condone or make light of animal abuse.  Animal abuse is a vile phenomenon and perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  There is no place for animal abuse in civilized society.

As it relates to what was actually stated during the programs, below are direct quotes from the program hosts:

Dennis:   “We do not in any way shape or form support animal cruelty.”

Judi:         “In any way what these people did was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.”

Dennis:   “It’s so disturbing, I don’t even want to say what they did to the dog.”

Judi:         “It’s disgusting. We think it’s heinous. We think it’s horrible.”

Judi:         “It’s unsettling that people are cruel and that there are people who are disgusting, heartless people who will do horrible things to animals. “

Judi:         “Physical cruelty to either an animal or a person [is] both repugnant.”

Dennis:   “No one’s for animal cruelty to animals. No one should ever do anything bad to an animal, ever.”

Notwithstanding our program hosts’ clear stated position against animal cruelty, the program discussions attempted to explore the relative public concern for animal rights and animals lives and human rights and humans lives as well as the passion of certain fervent animal rights proponents.  While reasonable people can disagree on the relative merits of these positions as well as the passion of animal rights proponents, it is important to not confuse dissenting points of view with condoning animal cruelty.

Reflecting on the last week’s discussion, Dennis Malloy stated, "Judi and I were simply attempting to have a discussion about changing opinions on animal cruelty in the last few years.  We referenced a recent criminal case related to animal cruelty in New Jersey.  We pointed out several times the heinous nature of the acts involved in the criminal case.  We were attempting to draw out a discussion regarding the appropriateness of equating the life and rights of an animal with those of a human."

New Jersey 101.5 continues to encourage online conversation on this topic and it is our hope that this statement helps to ensure that such conversation is faithful to the actual statements made by our program hosts.

Respectfully,

New Jersey 101.5