“I want to do what I can to make sure that Mr.Cole never-ever-ever has another animal, and I’m going to do my best because he should not have an animal, he is not capable of having an animal and treating it the way it deserves.”

— Kim Class, director, Companion Animal Foundation

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Humboldt County animal lovers and concerned citizens are outraged after learning that a dog they worked hard to protect may be headed back into the hands of its alleged abuser.

Witnesses say they’ve seen Charles Wesley Cole abuse his animals in downtown Arcata for more than a decade. Cole’s most recent dog — a black lab named Mr. Nobody. He allegedly kept the dog on a choke collar and tight leash and had it muzzled since it was a puppy. Kim Class of the Companion Animal Foundation has known Cole for 16 years, and is empathic of how Mr. Nobody was treated.

In January 2016, Cole was caught on surveillance camera by a local business and was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges.

The community thought Cole was sure to be convicted. After all, the video evidence played in court supposedly shows Mr. Nobody wearing a pack strapped to his back while being dragged by Cole before collapsing. Even more disturbing, Cole then allegedly picks up and drops the dog and continues to drag it.

Cole went to trial for the crime in July. The case ended in a hung jury. Currently, negotiations with his attorney are underway, with the possibility that the dog will be released back to Cole. However, District Attorney Maggie Fleming says her office is doing everything it can to protect Mr. Nobody.

Mr. Nobody has been renamed Jackpot and is now living with a family in San Francisco, that wants to adopt him. So now there’s a fight to ensure Jackpot is allowed to be adopted by his new family and not returned to Cole.

Cole is headed back to court on October 20. Witnesses and members of the Companion Animal Foundation have started an online petition and are speaking up on Jackpot’s behalf.