i think that cruelty (and worse) to animals should be the legal equivalent to doing the same to people. i also think that when people are convicted for things like this, they should lose the right to have children of their own (adopted or natural), they should be blacklisted at animal shelters and should be unable to work with or around children and animals. a sociopath is a sociopath is a sociopath...
what else can you do to people that have no regard for life and still mete out justice of any shape or form? too many times the justice system doesn't even appropriately punish those for the cruelty and abuse (and worse) that people like that inflict on whoever crosses their paths, whether human or otherwise.
the scary part is that, they're likely to get out well in advance of the ten year sentence for "good behavior" while convicted and their ages when convicted.