To start...they are talking animals. I think we can all suspend expectations of reality from that point. I saw a movie once about an ogre and a talking donkey. My children and I both knew what followed would not be grounded in truth and reality.
I think this shows how "serious" the courts consider this type of violation. The judge made a joke out of it, and it supposedly was one of the largest "poaching rings" in the state's history. Sad...……...but these same judges let dopeheads, murderers and rapists walk the streets, so really no surprise.