Is probation the right sentence?

So the two young men who brutally tortured a dog which had trusted them, and then burnt it alive, have been sentenced to three years probation.

Would it not have been more appropriate - in the horrendous circumstances - to have sentenced them to six months community service?

In this case, the service to the community would have involved working with, and being part of, one of our animal sanctuaries.

These young men would then have had a first-hand opportunity to see, and to appreciate, the care and love which all the volunteers give to the animals in their care.

And, in time, they would have been almost certain to have received, in return, friendship, trust and love from the animals for whom they were responsible.