Lucky, a golden-haired cocker spaniel, didn't stand a chance when Marc Czernik tossed him to two killer dogs after trying to ransom him for $10,000.

But Lucky and his owners did get justice. In this case two years ago, Czernik was ordered by a Will County judge to serve 15 months behind bars. One group that played a role in nailing down that sentence was the Dog Advisory Work Group, an organization of ordinary citizens who work as advocates in the courts to make sure laws against animal abusers are fully enforced.

Animal abusers have long relied on public apathy and ignorance of the law to get off lightly. But volunteers trained by the group have shadowed animal abuse cases to ensure wrongdoers are punished. The group is sanctioned by the Cook County Board to confer with law enforcement officers and assistant state's attorneys on the finer points of animal abuse laws, said Cynthia Bathurst, an advocate of the group and a member of the Cook County Partners Against Animal Cruelty Task Force.

Volunteers for the Dog Advisory Work Group were key players last summer when 37 dogs were seized in a South Holland dogfighting ring. When officials were tipped off about an emaciated pit bull, volunteers helped clarify which laws were broken and direct the legal seizure of the dogs so they could be adopted into safe, loving homes. Volunteers also monitor cases so they won't be dropped for lack of interest.

These advocates matter because animal abuse is a red flag for a cycle of violence and intimidation that often moves on to kids, spouses and the elderly.

It's too late for Lucky, the playful pup who liked to frolic with Tigger, the family mouser. But if it's true that a society's greatness is measured by the way animals are treated, doing more to punish their abusers is a good place to start.

Volunteers work to make sure animal abusers pay for crime...........

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