ATLANTA — Animal advocates are calling for tougher laws against animal cruelty in Georgia after R&B singer Jahiem Hoagland was arrested last month on charges of animal abuse.
Hoagland, who is facing six misdemeanor charges, appeared for a plea hearing in Fulton County Court on Monday.
A petition that has gained hundreds of signatures in just a few days is now urging that his charges be upgraded to felonies.
The petition, addressed to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, requests the following:
- File felony charges that reflect the cruelty and repeated nature of these crimes.
- Consider Jaheim’s prior arrest and conviction during sentencing.
- Prosecute this case to the fullest extent, because these dogs suffered and nearly died under his “care.”
Erin Sharoni, a bioethicist at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics and an animal advocate, says the case highlights a larger issue in the state.
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“Georgia actually ranks 45th out of all 50 states for animal protection laws,” Sharoni told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter.
Rachel Spencer, a petition signer, says the case became personal to her after she connected with one of the dogs seen outside the singer’s RV while volunteering at the Fulton County Animal Shelter.
“We sat down in the gravel, and Taka just put his whole body into me… He was just free to give his love like he had never known heartbreak,” Spencer said.
Hoagland was arrested on May 1 after witnesses reported seeing a large, copper-red dog that appeared malnourished.
He is accused of failing to provide sufficient water, sanitary conditions, and ventilation for six dogs.
Hoagland also has a 2021 third-degree animal cruelty case in Hillsborough, New Jersey. In that case, he allegedly kept 15 dogs in a home with deplorable conditions and failed to provide them with necessary care.
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