Animal Cruelty Cases: What's the Right Punishment?

Two high profile incidents of animal abuse have sparked a strong reaction from Patch readers and community members about what should happen to those found guilty of animal cruelty.

In St. Petersburg, a man was accused of wrapping four kittens in sandwich bags and sticking them in his freezer. Three of the kittens are recovering in Largo, while the fourth didn't survive.

And in Bradenton, a dog was found last month walking through a neighborhood after taking an ax or machete to the head and face. Local animal services officials called it the worst case of animal cruelty they had seen out of "hundreds of cases a year."

The pit bull mix, , and several rewards have been offered to help find his attacker, including

Comments on these stories ranged from some readers "rethinking their stance on the death penalty" to calls for the perpetrators to "have the book thrown at them" or to suffer the same fate as the animals.

We want to hear from you, Tampa Bay. What's the appropriate punishment for those found guilty of animal cruelty? Do you think animal cruelty laws should be tougher? Should they be as tough as those that deal with people who harm people, or is that going too far? Post your comments below.