Animal Cruelty Cases

***********

The Moulder brothers pled guilty to NINE (9) felony counts today.

Animal torture- baked live pit x puppy in oven!

 

 

Anyone in the Atlanta area, please ATTEND the SENTENCING on FEB. 9, 2007 in Atlanta, GA, for the pit mix pup torture case. The Moulder brothers pled guilty to NINE (9) felony counts.

WRITE to the JUDGE, too!  Info on where to write can be found at the blog site below.

 

 

Please check out this blog.  Read the story in it's entirety, and see pictures of these evil kids!!

http://georgiapuppytorture.blogspot.com/
 

Fortunately only 1 in 100,000 Americans,  and in this case AMerican Soldiers, are this cruel. Majority of reports of our soldiers are saving the dogs and loving their companionship in Iraq. But this needs to be taken care of:

An Abomination! Soldier Throws Puppy Off Cliff - VIDEO & Petition

March 3, 2008 | By Admin In Crimes Against Canines, Just Sad :(, News & Updates, Petitions, Torture, Video |

I saw this video and was physically ill!! After so many heartwarming stories of soldiers and the dogs they love and rescue and work desperately to get to the US, we have a piece of trash like this laughing and throwing a puppy off a cliff. He doesn’t deserve to serve as an American soldier, as a representation of this country!" Quote from a rescuer.

From MArines: "

A video of a Marine mistreating a puppy gained widespread attention on the Internet Monday. The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine.

This video came to our attention Monday morning, and we have initiated an investigation. We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action.

The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States. There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave.

If your e-mail is regarding another issue I will respond as soon as I can."V/r,

Maj Perrine

 

You can watch the video below - WARNING - GRAPHIC IMAGES!!

Soldier Throwing Puppy - GRAPHIC

Trust me, there’s much more that I’d like to say but I’d break my own rules of posting if I did!

I actually have information on the soldier, name address, ect. but am loathe to post what I have as there is no way for me to verify the accuracy of it. The name of the soldier mentioned on the tape who threw the innocent and defenseless puppy is ‘Motari’ which coincides with my info.

Voice your outrage - Sign the PETITION!

UPDATE - The Video has since been pulled from YouTube but thousands have seen the disturbing images. The military is investigating and these is massive news coverage regarding the video and public outrage.
 

UPDATE - The following is an article that came out today regarding this highly disturbing video.

Puppy-tossing video implicates Monroe Marine

Herald Staff

The video is upsetting: A man who appears to be a U.S. Marine in Iraq holds a puppy up to the camera, throws the animal off a cliff and shrugs.

The 17-second video, which is spreading across the world through YouTube, has brought fury and death threats to a Marine some are identifying as a Monroe man.

No one can say yet whether the video is a hoax or a real act of a live puppy being killed. It’s unclear where the video was shot or who actually shot it and posted it on the Internet. The video started spreading across the Internet on Monday.

A Marine Corps spokeswoman in the Pentagon on Monday afternoon said the Marines have just become aware of the video and they’re investigating.

“I have seen all the information on the Web but we haven’t been able to verify anything,” Capt. Blanca Binstock said.

The video is poor quality and it’s difficult to tell whether the puppy is a toy or real, alive or dead. It dangles motionless as the Marine holds it by the scruff of the neck and shows it to the camera. The animal makes no sound.

He then turns and tosses it off a cliff. The animal tumbles through the air end over end. Yelping sounds are heard after the animal is thrown, but it’s unclear where the sounds were coming from.

Veterinarians at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine reviewed the video at The Herald’s request.

They cannot determine whether the puppy was real. One did note that it appeared to leave the frame of the video for a second and the Marines could have switched it with a fake dog.

“There is no way to know for sure if the puppy is real or not unless you are the one who produced it,” said Charlie Powell, a veterinary college spokesman. “Whoever did produce the film needs to be looked at, even if it is fake, because the intent is the same and represents a horrific act of cruelty, real or not.”

A profile for the Marine on Bebo, a social networking site, says he was stationed in Iraq, but was expecting to be transferred to Hawaii.

A woman at the home listed for the Marine declined to talk.

“Could you just leave? We already know why you’re here,” the woman said. “Just go. There’s nothing to say.”

And here another article from Hawaii about the video, looks like there’s going to be some serious investigating going on!

Puppy abuse video investigated by Hawaii Marine base

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Marine Corps Base Hawaii is investigating a shocking video of a smiling Marine throwing a puppy off the top of a steep hillside in Iraq into a gully below.

The video today gained widespread attention and condemnation on the Internet.

“The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine,” the Kane’ohe Bay base said in a release.

Base officials said the video came to their attention this morning. An investigation has been initiated. Maj. Chris Perrine, a Marine spokesman here, said “it’s looking like” the Marine is based out of Hawai’i.

“We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action,” the base said.

Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held.

“Cute little puppy, huh?” says one Marine as he smiles broadly.

“Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy,” says another in a child-like voice.

The Marine holding the puppy is then seen throwing the animal overhand into a desert-like gully below. The animal yelps until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully.

“That’s mean,” one Marine says afterward.

The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment of about 1,000 Hawai’i Marines recently replaced a sister unit in Iraq, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

Marine Corps Base Hawai’i said the vast majority of Marines “conduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States.”

There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave.”

Here’s some info from another article discussing the soldier who is alleged to be the puppy thrower in the video;

The video came to the attention of officials yesterday morning, the base said.

Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds what appears to be a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held.

“Cute little puppy, huh?” says one Marine as he smiles broadly.

“Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy,” says another in a childlike voice.

The Marine holding what seems to be a puppy is then seen flinging the animal overhand into a desertlike gully below. Yelps accompany the end-over-end tumble until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully.

“That’s mean,” one Marine says afterward. “That was mean, Motari.”

Maj. Chris Perrine, a Marine spokesman, said a Lance Cpl. David Motari is with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment at Kane’ohe Bay.

Motari returned to Hawai’i in October from Haqlaniyah, Iraq, after a seven-month deployment, Perrine said. The 1,000 Marines with the 1st Battalion were stationed in the “Triad” area of Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barwana northwest of Baghdad.

Motari could not be reached for comment.

“We’re still trying to figure out, is this a legitimate video?” Perrine said. “Was it edited? Is it (Motari) who’s in it? We don’t know. We’ll find that out hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Motari, on a www.bebo.com social networking page, identified himself as a 22-year-old from Seattle.

On the page he says he is scared of “nothing,” and is happiest “chillin’ out, sleeping, playing sports, hittin’ the gym, hangin’ with friends, with my family, at home, Fridays, eating, running, cruisin’, and definitely when I get out of the Marine Corps.”

Web postings say he is married. MySpace and other networking sites for Motari and family members were changed to restricted access yesterday or were removed.

The Everett, Wash., Herald said a woman at the home listed for the Marine in Washington state declined to talk.

“Could you just leave? We already know why you’re here,” the woman told the newspaper. “Just go. There’s nothing to say.”

Farmed Animal Watch: Objective Information for the Thinking Advocate<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/farmed_animal_watch.gif>

Farmed Animal Watch<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/faw_collage2.jpg> [missing header image]<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/newsletter_ico.jpg> Subscribe to Farmed Animal Watch <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045131>

MARCH 28, 2008 -- Number 10, Volume 8

1. CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES

"The hog was lying in the cradle and all four feet had been removed. The hog was observed to be kicking and shaking its head. It exhibited skin twitching and irregular but rhythmic breathing with deep abdominal and thoracic movement. it appeared to be gasping for breath," wrote a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector about a still-conscious pig at a slaughterplant in Missouri. The passage is included in Crimes Without Consequences, a new report from the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) that analyzes enforcement of state, federal and foreign animal welfare laws at plants that slaughter cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens and turkeys.

Author Dena Jones said her research indicated poor record keeping, inadequate reporting of problems, and inconsistent enforcement by USDA inspectors. Jones found less than 2% of USDA inspection is devoted to monitoring live animals. Of 501 welfare-related noncompliance records issued between October 2002 and March 2004, more than half were due to failure to provide water and for inadequate or hazardous spaces for animals. About 10% were for mishandling non-ambulatory animals, mostly cattle; 13% involved faulty stunning, and 15% were for conscious animals on the bleed-out line (see chart at: http://tinyurl.com/37d3bq <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045132> ). Between 2002 and 2005, only 42 enforcement actions, beyond issuing deficiency reports, were taken. Actions by on-site inspectors were found to vary widely by district, with operations stopped for relatively minor offenses in some cases while no action was taken in cases with more serious violations. (See also "Inspection System Questioned": http://tinyurl.com/2kp6sa <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045133> )

AWI concludes: "…ensuring animals raised for food are handled and slaughtered in a humane manner is a low priority of U.S. agricultural enforcement agencies and of the U.S. animal agriculture industry." A USDA spokesperson said the agency has taken steps to better assess handling practices. The complete 142-page AWI report can be accessed at [note PDF]: http://tinyurl.com/35dskq <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045134> .

 

<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/hbar.gif>

 

THE TRUTH BEHIND HUMANE SLAUGHTER LAW

PRNewswire-USNewswire, March 25, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS226056+25-Mar-2008+PRN20080325 <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045135>

RESEARCHER: COW ABUSE ISN'T RARE

The Press-Enterprise, Janet Zimmerman, March 25, 2008 http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cows26.3780e8d.html <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045136>

BEEF RECALL CASE: CATTLE ABUSE WASN'T A RARE OCCURRENCE USA Today, Julie Schmit, March 24, 2008 http://tinyurl.com/24ae2f <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045137>

2. SENTENCING IN HALLMARK CASE

The two men criminally charged in the Hallmark case (see: http://tinyurl.com/2l8ehy <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045138> ) have been sentenced. Rafael Sanchez Herrera pled guilty to three misdemeanor counts of illegally moving a non-ambulatory animal. Under a plea deal, he was sentenced to six months in jail, after which time he will be deported to Mexico. "The public sympathy wasn't going to be on his side," his lawyer said in regard to the three years in jail Herrera could have faced in a jury trial. His former supervisor, Daniel Ugarte Navarro, pleaded not guilty to five felony counts and three misdemeanor counts of animal abuse. His next court date is April 17th. He, too, could be offered a plea deal.

<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/hbar.gif>

Kokun and Potpo are two extraordinarily lucky chickens. They were rescued by an undercover PETA investigator from a miserable life, and had he not whisked them away to safety, they were destined to die on a Tyson Foods factory farm. Most chickens will never be as fortunate as these two are. Each year in the U.S., more than 9 billion individual chickens suffer on factory farms and are killed for their wings and thighs. Because these birds are not protected by a single federal law, workers maim, torture, and slaughter them in the most barbaric ways. PETA's undercover investigators have documented sickening cruelty to chickens in Tyson slaughterhouses in Union City, Tenn., and Cumming, Ga. We have videotaped workers while they beat live chickens against walls and rails until the birds' backs broke. The workers ripped animals' heads off their bodies, stabbed live chickens in their necks, and urinated on the conveyor belt that moves the birds to the blade that cuts their throats. Tyson Foods is the largest meat processor on the planet—and it is among the corporate world's worst abusers of animals. Now, armed with the evidence of the cruelty we've uncovered, PETA is pushing Tyson to the negotiating table. No chicken should suffer this abusive treatment. We urgently need your support to win strong new protections for chickens on factory farms. PETA's efforts have already accomplished much: Tyson has fired workers we caught on tape abusing animals and has disciplined others.   State and federal authorities are investigating Tyson slaughterhouses, and we hope they will pursue cruelty-to-animals charges. This is a good start, but Tyson has much more left to do to stop some of the worst abuses in the lives and deaths of the chickens it slaughters. Most important is phasing out the cruel "killing machine" that usually cuts chickens' throats—except when birds thrash in terror and miss the blade. Chickens who miss the blade are often still conscious when they reach the defeathering tank—where they are scalded to death. PETA wants Tyson to begin using controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—which is the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed—in all its slaughterhouses immediately. CAK entails painlessly killing chickens with a nonpoisonous and undetectable gas mixture while they are still in transport cages. This method drastically reduces the amount of physical abuse that workers can inflict on birds. Just by switching to CAK, Tyson Foods can eliminate almost all the abuse that PETA investigators have documented at chicken slaughterhouses. But Tyson has shown that it will not do the right thing and protect these animals. That's why it is vital that caring people like you act now—while the "slaughterhouse scandal" is still in the news—to win further concessions to protect chickens at Tyson plants.

 

PLEA DEAL: SIX MONTHS IN JAIL FOR MAN CHARGED IN CHINO COW ABUSE CASE The Press-Enterprise, John F. Berry, March 21, 2008 http://tinyurl.com/379lwn <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045139>

3. HOW RELIABLE ARE INDEPENDENT AUDITS?

Within days after the Hallmark video was shot (see: http://tinyurl.com/3y9qf9 <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045140> ) but prior to its release, the company was audited by two independent firms and given high marks. HACCP Consulting Group reported it has a well-designed animal handling program. Silliker Inc (see: http://tinyurl.com/2pgok8 <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045141> ) gave it 106 of a possible 110 points, with perfect scores for the condition of the cattle and how they were unloaded and treated in holding pens. Companies, such as McDonald’s and Wal-Mart, are increasingly relying on third-party inspections to assure the public. However, critics, such as Temple Grandin ( http://www.Grandin.com <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045142> ) and Chris Waldrop of Consumer Federation of America, point out that companies have plenty of advance time to alert workers to the imminent presence of auditors and have them alter their practices. (Dena Jones (see item #1) had a similar comment about government inspectors, see: http://tinyurl.com/37d3bq <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045143> ). According to the Hallmark undercover investigator, the company coached workers on handling practices the day before an audit.

 

<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/hbar.gif>

 

INSPECTORS DIDN'T CATCH CATTLE ABUSE IN CALIFORNIA The Des Moines Register, Philip Brasher, March 23, 2008 http://tinyurl.com/299w8j <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045144>

4. UEP AND AMERICAN HUMANE ANNOUNCE AUDITING AGREEMENT

During the late 1990’s, American Humane (AH) was involved in the development of United Egg Producers (UEP)’s production guidelines. UEP’s certification program is for eggs produced in cage systems or cage-free systems ( http://www.uepcertified.com <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045145> ), while AH has a program for eggs produced in cage-free and free-range systems ( http://tinyurl.com/jo8ty <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045146> ). UEP and AH have now announced a welfare auditing relationship. Under the agreement, an entity producing eggs under the UEP Certified guidelines that passes the AH Certified audit could market the eggs with both the UEP Certified logo and the AH Certified logo. UEP would not require an entity that passes the AH audit to undergo and pay for a UEP audit. See also: http://tinyurl.com/rnfku <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045147>

 

<http://www.farmedanimal.net/images/hbar.gif>

UEP AND AHA ENTER WELFARE AUDITING RELATIONSHIP Feedstuffs Foodlink, March 24, 2008 (link unavailable)

UNITED EGG PRODUCERS ANNOUNCE ANIMAL-WELFARE AUDITING RELATIONSHIP WITH AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION PRNewswire, March 24, 2008 http://sev.prnewswire.com/food-beverages/20080324/CLM09424032008-1.html <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=200474457&u=2045148>

 

KINSHIP CIRCLE PRIMARY - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

3/8/07: Soldiers Coping In Iraq?
Tell DOD & Congress Animal Abuse Is A Crime
http://www.KinshipCircle.org

Was Killing the Puppy a Way of Coping for One Marine? Stressful Environment
May Have Contributed to Marine Apparently Tossing a Dog to His Death
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4387128&page=1

ALERT FROM / REPLY TO:
Pam Leavy, tundraleap@msn.com
sheilamahon22@yahoo.com
Brenda Shoss, kinshipcircle@accessus.net

BACKGROUND:
   It’s bigger than the puppy, bless his precious soul. The mass outrage over
    the YouTube video depicting Marine David Motari tossing a puppy to his
    death...has unearthed OTHER incidents of soldiers torturing animals [SEE
    BELOW]. Please write your elected officials in Congress and Dept. of Defense
    leaders, asking them to overhaul policy on animals in war zones.


    Soldiers taunt & kill crippled dog in Iraq
   http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6445f9fdd7
    http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=6244&aid=19

    

US Soldier shoots dog with M203 training round
 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0a5ee2d6eb
 http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=6703&aid=19

 
Dog Shot In The Ass
This video has been removed. Stills extracted from video are here: 
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_10.html#anchor6

Soldiers detonate an insurgent IED that has been set inside the carcass of a dog: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=122_1176242731

Lions Fed Donkeys In Iraqi Zoo, US Soldiers Film, Laugh & Jeer
http://www.evtv1.com/showcomm.aspx?itemnum=6407&aid=19 

US Soldiers Shoot A Shepherd´s Flock In Iraq
http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=11017&aid=19
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23317978-5006003,00.html

 

 

 
Soldier tosses puppy over cliff to his death
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/43462/9fb16ab3/us_soldaat_gooit_puppy.html

CONTACT INFORMATION / TAKE ACTION:
1. Contact U.S. Department of Defense officials and ask them to make
regulatory changes regarding animals in war zones.
Specifically, urge the DOD to institute these policies:

• Insert and enforce an anti-cruelty clause in the Universal Code of Military Justice.
• Investigate all animal cruelty crimes and take prompt punitive action.
• Utilize non-lethal vaccination to cope with rabies concerns in Iraq or other countries.
• Implement an adoption system that lets soldiers bring vetted pets back to the U.S. with them.

    WEB COMMENT FORMS: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html

	Contact The U.S. Army		Contact The U.S. Navy
	Contact The U.S. Marine Corps		Contact The U.S. Air Force

    http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/questions.aspx

    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE / PUBLIC CONTACT: ph: +1 703-428-0711 +1
    DEPT. OF DEFENSE LEADERS, MORE ADDRESSES:
    http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/dod_addresses.html

    Dr. Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense
    U.S. Department of Defense
    1000 Defense Pentagon; Washington, DC 20301-1000

    Gordon R. England, Deputy Secretary of Defense
    1010 Defense Pentagon; Washington, DC 20301-1010

    U.S. ARMY EMAILS: http://www.army.mil/contactus/
    U.S. NAVY WEB MAIL: http://www.navy.mil/submit/contacts.asp
    U.S. AIR FORCE WEB MAIL: http://www.afoutreach.af.mil/main/contactus.asp
    U.S. MARINES: robert.milstead@usmc.mil, comrel@hqmc.usmc.mil

2. Ask your Senators and Representative in U.S. Congress to pressure the
Dept. of Defense to implement the bulleted points listed above in #1.
NOTE: Some soldiers have also gone beyond the call of duty, to HELP animals.
PHOTOS & STORIES: Animals - War's Unseen Collateral Damage
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/columns_articles/collateral_damage.html

    To identify your federal legislators and find contact info, try:
   Congress.org - http://www.Congress.org
    USA Senate - http://www.senate.gov
    USA House of Representatives - http://www.house.gov
    Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

    SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES:
    Carl Levin (D-MI), Chair: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
    269 Russell Office Building, U.S. Senate; Washington, DC 20510-2202
    ph: 202-224-6221; fax 202-224-1388
    Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY): http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
    John McCain (R-AZ), Ranking Member:
    http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
    REST OF SENTATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED FORCES CONTACTS:
    http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newcommittee.cgi?site=ctc&lang=&commcode=sarmed_services

    HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES:
    Ike Skelton (D-MO), Chairman: http://www.house.gov/skelton/zipauth.htm
    2206 Rayburn House Office Building; Washington, D.C. 20515-2504
    ph: 202-225-2876; fax: 202-225-2695
    Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Ranking Member: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
    REST OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ARMED FORCES CONTACTS:
    http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newcommittee.cgi?site=ctc&lang=&commcode=harmed_services

VIEW PAST LETTER CAMPAIGNS AS EXAMPLES OF WHAT/HOW TO WRITE:
   *   REQUEST LETTER: The Marine Who Tossed The Puppy
       kinshipcircle@accessus.net  (this letter campaign is not yet available on website)
    *   1/19/07: Latest Casualty: Soldiers Torment Crippled Dog In Iraq
       http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1626&seriesfirst=true
    *   American Soldier Shoots Yet Another Poor Dog In Iraq?
       http://www.kinshipcircle.org/digest/2007_10.html#anchor6


Action Campaigns I Literature I Animal Disaster Aid Networking
info@kinshipcircle.org or kinshipcircle@accessus.net
http://www.KinshipCircle.org * http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

PLEASE MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO KINSHIP CIRCLE:
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

 

"Yesterday, one of our "Animal Angel Advocates" Ellen, drove to Bullitt County after receiving a call that twisted teenagers" were doing their best to remove eyes from these puppies. We are sad to say that the puppy with the eye injury sadly died today as a result of complications. Ellen was met in the trailer by the teenagers with crowbars in hand.  Despite their attempt to intimidate, Ellen and her husband rescued the 7 puppies and rushed them to receive vet care.  Not before finding out that these same teenagers had literally and recently "stomped to death 4 cats." We did not have a plan, we just wanted to get these guys to safety.  We need to get them in foster homes ASAP!  The attending vet said they need lots of TLC, and he fears for their fragile immune systems if left. PLEASE PHONE ME AT: 245-6803 IF YOU CAN FOSTER ONE OF THESE PUPS. THEY'VE BEEN WORMED AND FIRST SHOTS. MAMA DOG ALSO NEEDS TO BE RESCUED AND FOSTERED.  SHE IS A MEDIUM SIZED LAB MIX.  JUSTIFIABLY, FRIGHTENED.  IT JUST WASN'T SAFE OR FEASIBLE TO GRAB HER AT THE SAME TIME, BUT SHE IS A PRIORITY. REST ASSURED THAT AFTER THESE DOGS ARE SAFE, ALL EFFORTS WILL BE PUT INTO BRINGING THIS MATTER TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION AS WELL AS LEGAL PROSECUTION. PLEASE PASS THE WORD. Michelle P.S. These babies are only 7 weeks old. Unconscionable to say the least.           Contact all Bullitt County Judges by telephone as well as county attorney. Listed below: Jusge Rebecca Ward: 502-543-2243 Bailey Taylor: 502-543-2243 Prosecutor: Walter Sholar 502-543-1505 County Judge: Kenneth Rigdon:  502-543-2262   Because they are juveniles (I suspect, as I couldn't read the details, they will be heard in district court), which is a closed court.  Let the KY Coalition for Animal Protection know.  Also, PETA will publish names and addresses of the little teens.  The local papers need the info., if anyone has ties." Londa Adkins, Esq., Recruiter Department of Public Advocacy 100 Fair Oaks Lane, Suite 302 Frankfort, KY 40601 502-564-8006 EXT.124

 

 

*********

PETA WANTS TOUGH PROSECUTION FOR PLEASANTVILLE JUVENILES
ACCUSED OF TORTURING CAT, SETTING HER ON FIRE
Youths May Pose Danger to People, Too, Warns Group

For Immediate Release:
October 6, 2006

Contact:
Dan Paden 757-622-7382

Pleasantville, N.J. - This morning, PETA sent an urgent plea to
Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz urging his office to
vigorously prosecute three Pleasantville teens—ages 15, 16, and 17—
for their alleged September 25 torture of a kitten in Pleasantville.
News sources state that the boys allegedly placed the animal in a
bag and repeatedly threw the bag in the air, letting the cat fall to
the ground each time. Additionally, the boys allegedly stomped on
and kicked the kitten before dousing her in lighter fluid and
setting her on fire, ultimately leaving charred remains.

PETA warns that such acts should never be dismissed as "childish
pranks." Criminal profile studi es show that many people who are
violent toward animals in their youth grow up to commit violent
crimes against humans. Robert Ressler, founder of the FBI's
behavioral sciences unit, has described serial killers and other
psychopathic torturers of people as "the kids who never learned it's
wrong to poke out a puppy's eyes."

A 1999 study of suspects charged with cruelty to animals—ranging
from severe neglect to intentional killing—found that 78 percent had
also been charged with offenses involving violence or the threat of
violence toward humans.

"Young people who harm animals are a threat to society, and
Atlantic County authorities must send a strong message that violence
in the community will not be swept under the rug," says PETA
researcher Dan Paden. "Given the strong connection between cruelty
to animals and other forms of violence, it is imperative, for
everyone's sake, that this case be taken seriously."

For more information, please visit HelpingAnimals.com. To view
PETA's new anti-violence public service announcement featuring
Sopranos star Edie Falco, please visit PETATV.com.

PETA's letter to County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz follows.


October 6, 2006

The Honorable Jeffrey S. Blitz
Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office
P.O. Box 2002
4997 Unami Blvd.
Mays Landing, NJ 08330

Dear Mr. Blitz:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the world's
largest animal rights organization, with more than 1 million members
and supporters dedicated to animal protection. This letter concerns
a recent case of cruelty to animals that your office is handling,
involving three unnamed Pleasantville teens who face charges
stemming from their alleged September 25 prolonged torture and fatal
burning of a kitten in Pleasantville. In their apparent search for
something "fun" to do, the boys reporte dly placed the animal in a
bag and threw the bag around and into the air, leaving the kitten to
fall to the ground. The boys kicked and stomped on the animal,
according to news sources, and unsuccessfully attempted to incite a
dog to attack her. The defendants then allegedly doused her in
lighter fluid and fatally set her on fire.

Mental health professionals and top law enforcement officials
consider animal abuse to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric
Association identifies cruelty to animals as one of the diagnostic
criteria for conduct disorders, and the FBI uses reports of animal
abuse in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known
criminals. FBI interviews with murderers showed that 36 percent had
tortured and killed animals as children and that 46 percent had done
so as adolescents.

Serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo ("The Boston
Strangler"), David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam"), Russell Wes ton, and Lee
Boyd Malvo all had histories of killing animals. And in recent
years, many schools have suffered the tragic consequences of
ignoring or casually dismissing cruelty to animals. The following
students, who perpetrated killing sprees in their schools, also had
histories of abusing animals: Mississippi's Luke Woodham, 16;
Kentucky's Michael Carneal, 14; Arkansas' Mitchell Johnson, 13, and
Andrew Golden, 11; Colorado's Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris,
17; Oregon's Kip Kinkel, 15; and Georgia's Thomas "T.J." Solomon
Jr., 15.

Given the undeniable connection between cruelty to animals and
interpersonal violence, it is imperative that animal abuse be taken
seriously. On behalf of our thousands of members and supporters in
New Jersey, we ask that, upon conviction and in addition to a period
of detention, the aforementioned defendants be provided any
counseling or treatment deemed necessary by mental health
of ficials¯the safety of the community may depend on it. Because
repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal
abusers and given the violent and sadistic nature of their alleged
crimes, we implore you to take every measure necessary to ensure
that they are barred from all contact with animals and that the
welfare of any animals who remain in their families' custodies is
immediately secured. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dan Paden, Researcher
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department
 

10/01/06CAMBRIA COUNTY -- A Cambria County mother said teens beat farm animals to
death during a hunting trip.
The mother of one of the accused says the teens admitted to killing two
lambs. The parent of one of the teens addressed rumors in the community,
saying the incident was not a satanic ritual and was not school related.
Central Cambria School Officials said, "The school district only has the
authority to impose discipline on students when the alleged misconduct
occurs on school property or under district supervision."
According to the parent and school, several teens went coyote hunting over
the weekend, but were unsuccessful. On their way home, they were surprised
by two sheep that came charging at the group.
The startled teens beat the farm animals with a firearm and field-dressed
them.
The parent, who doesn't want to be identified, said, "They did and cut them
up, but just as they would have if they were hunting, they felt it was a
sin to waste the meat and they didn't know what to do."
Channel 6 News found out the teens involved apologized to the farmer and
made restitution. They are to work on the farm to pay off the rest of the
debt to the farmer.

http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/HOMEPAGE/10_14WEBSITE/CRUELTYGEORGIA/Georgia.htm

	The Brothers Grim One warm night last August two teen brothers in Atlanta, Georgia decided to unleashed their fury on an innocent puppy. When they were finished the puppy was dead and the brothers had proudly invited the neighborhood children to view what remained of her small body. The details of her demise are graphic and deeply disturbing. However, we ask you to read on. In order to eradicate cruelty in our society and in our life-time, we must be fearless in the face of injustice. Our despair can be a catalyst for positive change and this incident illustrates the need all too vividly.
The evening started with a break-in. On August 21, 2006, Justin and Joshua Moulder, 18 and 17 years old, respectively, forced their way into their apartment complex community center. They then proceeded to trash the newly renovated building. That was not enough.
	The mixed-breed, 5-month old puppy they had brought with them was then hog-tied, her mouth was sealed with duck tape and then they dipped her in paint, all in preparation for her to be set afire. When the boys failed to ignite her body, they placed her in a commercial gas oven, turned it on, and watched as she baked, and then died. Eventually the apartment complex manager was notified of the disturbance and later found the puppy in the oven, charred beyond all recognition. So much so that necropsies (animal autopsy) could not determine her breed. See the local TV news story on the case here.
The pair were subsequently arrested and are presently looking at an 11-count indictment. Charges include aggravated cruelty to animals, burglary, criminal damage to property in the second degree, making terrorist-like threats and five misdemeanor counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. The two latter charges were levied because the Moulder brothers told their young audience that they would be killed if they told anyone what transpired in the community center that night. The charge of aggravated cruelty to animals in Georgia is a felony and carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. It goes without saying that the maximum is what the Moulder brothers deserve and what Fulton County prosecutors should seek. How You Can Help - It'll take you FIVE MINUTES! 1. Contact the Media Contacting the Atlanta, GA market will: --Keep this story alive. --Politicians will recognize how people from around the country, like you, care - --The Governor of Georgia will read and see press stories and will take note. Write ONE e-mail and copy & paste to each media link. Use the links below to quickly send Sample e-mail to them --State where you live and how you read about this story --Note that Pasado’s Safe Haven, a national animal rescue organization, is helping to spread the word on the need to prosecute the Moulder brothers to the fullest extent of the law. --Mention how this case is gaining attention of people across the country --Mention the link between animal cruelty and human violence (in your own words) --Let them know you are asking Governor Sonny Perdue to enact tougher animal cruelty laws (see below) --Thank them for continuing to cover the criminal case and the subsequent outcry for tougher animal cruelty laws for those who intentionally torture defenseless animals. Respectfully, (Insert Your Name) Atlanta TV Stations WSB-TV, Channel 2 (ABC) newstip@wsbtv.com WXIA-TV Channel 11, (NBC) WGCL-TV Channel 46 (CBS) cbs46news@cbs46.com WAGA-TV Channel 5 (Fox affiliate) and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Managing News Editor - Hank Klibanoff
	2. Support Those Who Work For Change! Soon after this heinous crime took place, the District Attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, Paul L. Howard, Jr., (left) wrote a letter to Georgia State Governor Sonny Perdue and asked that he propose legislation that would increase the penalty for the deliberate torture of animals as part of the 2007 legislative package. This is a very brave position to take and Mr. Howard needs our support. Please take just a few extra minutes to write to Governor Perdue and let him know that Mr. Howard speaks for you too!
Talking Points • State your name and address (knowing that this case is getting national attention will be helpful) • I am following the Moulder brother case where two boys tortured a puppy to death. • Violence, toward humans and animals, is a blight that is taking on ever greater proportions in our society. Tougher laws and longer sentences are needed to abate this trend. • I strongly urge you act on the request of Fulton County District Attorney, Paul L. Howard, Jr. and introduce legislation to increase the penalty for the deliberate torture of animals during the 2007 legislative session.

 

*********************

Demand Investigation and Termination Of Animal Tester/Torturer at
Vanderbilt U."

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in
signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a
difference.

We are trying to reach 1,000 signatures - please sign here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/644462436 

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and
family to sign as well.

Thank you!

Jeanne Fitzgerald

Nashville Tennessee's Vanderbilt University Research Department has long
been identified as one of the worse perpetrators of animal abuse in the
United States. 

Most of their heinous crimes against animals, particularly primates,
have been uncontested and uncontrolled by the USDA, given the fame and
prestige of the university. 

Recently, university technician Jeffrey Schall's horrific
experimentation on fully-awake primates moved fellow technicians and
veterinarian
Maggie Tighe to protest and blow the whistle on this employee. 

Jeffrey Schall's federally funded experiments use approximately $1.5
million taxpayer dollars per year to maintain his "Frankensteinish"
activities. 

He is in direct non-compliance with federal and university regulations
regarding humane animal care. 

We are petitioning for a full-scale investigation into this matter and
requesting that not only should Mr. Schall be FIRED but also to be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

If you agree that a full investigation should be undertaken, please sign
the petition. 

If you would like to take more action, please notify your legislators,
Vanderbilt University and check out the many animal abuse sites on the
web for more graphic information
 

 

*********************

Governor Sonny Perdue of Atlanta Georgia and ask that felony charges to be brought against these two teen criminals.

 

Visit web sight here:
http://www.gov.state.ga.us/contact_dom.shtml

 

 

 

Provided By:  The Associated Press

Last Modified: 9/7/2006 8:40:39 AM

 

ATLANTA (AP) -- Prompted by a case in which a puppy was cooked in an oven, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard is calling for tougher animal cruelty penalties in Georgia.

In a letter sent yesterday to Governor Perdue, Howard says no animal should ever be treated in such a way and that when it happens, should be punished severely.

Two teenage brothers are accused of breaking into a community center at an apartment complex last month, bringing with them a five-month-old puppy.

The brothers, ages 17 and 18, allegedly removed two shelves from a commercial gas range, put the puppy in and turned on the gas.

Authorities say the teens, who lived at the apartment complex, also destroyed computers and defaced walls at the center.

The brothers, Justin and Joshua Moulder, have been charged with burglary, criminal damage to property and aggravated cruelty to animals.

Currently, anyone convicted of felony aggrava ted cruelty to animals can be sentenced to five years in prison. But Howard is calling for an increase in the penalty for the obvious torture of animals.

 

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84347

 

Idaho, one of 8 states that don't have felony Animal Cruelty laws, meeting with HSUS about the Animal/Human Abuse Connection. Utah Legislature Dropped the ball again and didn't pass our Animal Cruelty Law!

Teen Indicted For Hanging Dog From A Tree - An 18-year-old girl was indicted on felony charges Monday by a Johnston County grand jury for hanging her mother’s dog from a tree limb.  Deniscia R. Gilliam, 18, of Lee Street , Benson was indicted on animal cruelty charges. Police Detective Randy Beasley said Gilliam was caught by her mother skipping school on February 3.  After scolding her daughter, the girl became angered, took her mothers Pomeranian and hung it with a chain over a pecan tree in their yard.  The mother discovered the dead animal when she returned from an errand and called police.  “The crime was very violent,” Detective Beasley said. “For someone to get angry for being scolded for skipping school and to do this to a dog, they would do this to a human.” Gilliam is a student at South Johnston High School .  Crystal Roberts, Public Information Officer for Johnston County Schools told WMPM on Tuesday, “Should Ms. Gilliam return to South Johnston High School , our counselors would certainly be available to provide assistance.  This resource is available to any student for whom services are deemed necessary or for any student who misses instruction for various reasons. Unfortunately, we cannot comment further without knowing the particulars of this case.”
 

He'll Break Your Heart

Telly was given to an HUA volunteer in a cardboard box that was covered in blood, skin and dirt. He was wrapped in a poop encrusted blanket. He has been paralyzed for six months. His back legs are completely atrophied. He was never given an xray or proper medical care. The HUA volunteer asked our vet why his stomach was so enlarged when he appeared to be emaciated. The answer was that his bladder probably had not been emptied fully for the entire six months. The smell of blood and infection in the urine was so overwhelming it almost made people faint. His skin is peeling off by the bucket loads. Telly is a blue dachshund. Blue is a dilute color, a defect. Blue dachshunds should not be bred as it leads to baldness. They almost never have a normal life span. And in fact Telly is mostly bald - hence his name after Telly Sevalis. The "kennel" had been using this dog as a breeder dog for five years. Imagine how many bald blue dachshunds he produced in that time just so that people could buy the latest fade dog. So of course unscrupulous puppy mills breed blue dogs as fast as they can. Then when the dog needs medical care, there is none and the dog is dumped. Of course she kept him without providing any care for a few months just in case he recovered without costing any money. This delay severely limited the likelihood that he could recover. In spite of being paralyzed, bald, full of infection and malnourished, Telly is about the happiest most fun little guy you could ever meet. He enjoyed his soft food, the first drink of clean water he's probably ever had in his life,and a nice bath. He probably thought he'd been flown to Paris when he saw his big new living quarters with his big soft bed, clean blankets, and plush toys. He got to walk with a towel around his middle and he tore around the shelter investigating. He had a blast. There isn't much hope that Telly will walk again but for a dog with this kind of spirit, anything is possible and we will do everything we can to help him. Our vet was very surprised that he did have some deep pain sensation left. So he's off to Kansas State University this week for surgery. With extensive rehabilitation that he will get at HUA, we hope he will be able to walk again. If you are ever tempted to buy that cute little puppy in the pet store, remember Telly. Tell everyone you know to boycott stores that sell puppies.

Phillipines 3,075 dog owners with their dogs protest Animal Cruelty Click here for story

Animal Gas Chambers Draw Fire in U.S.

VA Shelter will discontinue use of Gas Chamber:

"Buckmaster was happy that the shelter was going to discontinue using the gas chamber to euthanize unwanted animals and begin euthanasia by injection on July 1. Injection is considered more humane." Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/)

April 11, 2005

  Click Here and read How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber and now speaks for Dogs on Death Row!

Pope John Paul II Taught Love for Animals As Catholics around the world mourn the passing of His Holiness John Paul II, non-Catholic animal lovers join them in their grief. Pope John Paul II taught love for animals more than any other pope in recent memory. Read about His Holiness’ dream about a homeless cat and her kittens. In 1990, His Holiness proclaimed that “the animals possess a soul and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren.” He went on to say that all animals are “fruit of the creative action of the Holy Spirit and merit respect” and that they are “as near to God as men are.” Animal lovers everywhere were overjoyed! The Holy Father reminded people that all living beings, including animals, came into being because of the “breath” of God. Animals possess the divine spark of life—the living quality that is the soul—and they are not inferior beings, as factory farmers, fur farmers, and others who exploit animals for profit would have us believe. After he became Pope John Paul II, His Holiness went to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, and spoke of the saint’s love for animals. He declared, “We, too, are called to a similar attitude.” PETA is grateful that His Holiness spoke out so beautifully for animals and their souls, and we hope that his successor will also speak out for them with the same love and compassion. Catholics can honor his teachings by incorporating compassion for animals more fully in their own lives. My Mormon Bishop here in Utah gave me a book called "Animals and the Church" quoting the Mormon Prophets and the Scriptures: Joseph Smith taught "that humans should be kind to the animal world and not to kill any living creature unless necessary to protect human life or in time of famine. "  "The peaceful millennial reign of Christ could not take place until people learned to be kind to all living creatures first."  Isaiah 11: "  was partly humanity's responsibility to set the moral climate for this peace between animals and humans."  "Animals will have a place in a life hereafter and man will be held accountable by God for his treatment of these eternal creatures."  I has been known all through history of man that " cruelty to animals led to cruelty to humanity."  Martin Luther stated: " by the kind treatment of animals they learn gentleness and kindness."  During the time of the President of the Church Brigham Young, the legislative act on "Cruel treatment to domestic animals was read and passed in 1852." Presidents Heber C. Kimball and Grant declared that people who "beat, and kick, and pound their cattle, horses" were exhibiting "nonsense."  Heber C. Kimball felt that "a man that is abusive to his animal is apt to be the same to his wife or child."  George Q. Cannon in the First Presidency of John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, wrote about the "concern was youth ful cruelty to animals and developing into  a tendency to cruelty to humans." " Animals feel pain very acutely. They know when they are treated kindly and when they are abused, he stated, "God has given them this feelingg, and if men or boys abuse them, He will dondemn and punish them for so doing."  The Mormon Church believes that all living things on this earth have a Spirit.  President Joseph F. SMith stated "Take not away the life you cannot give, For all things have an equal right to life."  He stated that "Mistreatment of animals disqualifies companionship of the Holy Spirit." Satan never owned the earth; he never made a particle of it; his labor is not to create, but to destroy; while on the other hand, the labor of the Son of God is to create, preserve, purify, build up and exalt all things . . .  -Brigham Young* . . . If we are merely transients in an unexplainable world, we will act more like tourists than residents!  Men born into this planet are stewards.  -Ezra Taft Benson Man’s dominion is a call to service, not a license to exterminate.  -Hugh Nibley Nature helps us to see and understand God. . . . Love of nature is akin to the love of God; the two are inseparable.  -Joseph F. Smith Can any man who has walked beneath the stars at night, can anyone who has seen the touch of spring upon the land doubt the hand of divinity in creation? . . . All of [the] beauty in the earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator.  -Gordon B. Hinckley I love to view the things around me; to gaze upon the sun, moon, and stars; to study the planetary systems, and the world we inhabit . . . I could not help but believe there was a God, if there was no such thing as religion in the world.  -John Taylor Kindness to animals and to all living things is one good way of expressing true religion.  -Joseph F. Smith A true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God has created all.  -David O. McKay If we maltreat our animals, or each other, the spirit within us, our traditions, and the Bible, all agree in declaring it is wrong.  -Brigham Young Cruelty to animals is always the sign of a weak and little mind, whereas we invariably find really great men distinguished by their humanity.  -George Q. Cannon What is even more serious than the wrongs inflicted upon dumb animals is the habit of wrong doing, for doing wrong to animals is but a stepping stone to the doing of wrong to our fellowmen.  -Joseph F. Smith

Edmund Burke said:
  "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil

is for good persons to do nothing."

Mike Farrell from "MASH" Youth Violence and Raising Kind Kids PSA TO WATCH , click here: http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=youth_violence&Player=wm&speed=_med 

     1. Be aware. Without phone calls from concerned citizens who report
        cruelty in their neighborhoods, humane organizations wouldn't know
        about most instances of animal abuse.  Get to know and look out for
        the animals in your neighborhood.  By being aware, people are more
        likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door who was once
        hefty has lost weight rapidly -- a possible indicator of abuse.

     2. Learn to recognize animal cruelty.  The following are some signs:

      * Wounds on the body; patches of missing hair; extremely thin, starving
        animals; limping, etc.
      * An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal.
      * Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, often
        chained up in a yard.
      * Dogs who have been hit by cars -- or are showing any of the signs
        listed above -- and have not been taken to a veterinarian.
      * Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather
        conditions.
      * Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their
        owners.

     3. Know who to call to report animal cruelty.  Every state and every town
        is different. In some areas, people may rely on the police department
        to investigate animal cruelty; in others, people have to contact their
        local animal control or another municipal agency. The ASPCA® has a
        section of its website devoted to helping people find local services
        for investigating animal cruelty, please visit http://www.aspca.org
        for more information.

     4. Provide as much as information as possible when reporting animal
        cruelty.  It helps to write down the type of cruelty that you
        witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it
        took place.

     5. Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know
        that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty
        is a CRIME -- and the police MUST investigate these crimes.

     6. Know your state's animal cruelty laws. They vary from state to state,
        and even from city to city.  You can visit the ASPCA® website at
        http://www.aspca.org/statelaws to find information about the laws in
        your state.

     7. You can fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws on federal,
        state and local levels by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to lobby
        your legislators and help get the laws passed.

     8. Set a good example for others. If you have pets, be sure to always
        show them the love and good care that they deserve. It's more than
        just food, water, and adequate shelter.  If you think your animal is
        sick, bring him to the veterinarian. Be responsible and have your
        animals spayed or neutered.

     9. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and
        respect.  One of the most power tools for preventing cruelty to
        animals is education. It is important to plant the seeds of kindness
        in children early, and to nurture their development as the child
        grows. Children not only need to learn what they shouldn't do, but
        also what they can and should do. When children see that their pets
        are happy and loving, it will make the child feel good, too. This in
        turn will help the children care for their pets' feelings.

     10. Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization.  Support
         your local animal rescue organization or shelter with donations of
         money, food or supplies.  Volunteering your time or fostering a
         shelter animal is a good way to make a difference.

    About ASPCA®

Animal Cruelty Legislation Thanks to the tireless efforts of animal welfare groups and concerned citizens throughout the country, animal cruelty now carries a felony sentence in 41 states plus the District of Columbia. But we can't stop there -- other states need our help! And American Humane needs your help! As you can see from this map, nine states (in purple) still do not have these strong animal cruelty laws. That means in nearly one-fifth of this nation, an animal can be abused, neglected, or left for dead -- with the perpetrator receiving only a mild sentence. We urge you to help! If your state is not one of the 41 states listed on the right that consider animal cruelty a felony, contact your senators and representatives and ask that they introduce legislation that recognizes the seriousness of these cruel act and calls for felony charges, as well as mandatory counseling.  Also, contact us. We'll assist you in this campaign with tools to help you write effective letters and tips on meeting with your legislators and working in your state to get stronger animal cruelty laws written and passed into law.  Cruel acts against animals are not just an animal protection issue. Research confirms a strong correlation between violence toward animals and violence toward humans. And it is widely recognized that perpetrators of violent behavior are more likely to have participated in violent acts against both children and animals. Parents, community leaders, prosecutors, judges, and other individuals concerned with violence are recognizing the importance of animal cruelty as an indicator of disturbed family relationships and future aggressive behavior toward humans. For more information about this violence Link, please visit American Humane's National Resource Center on the Link Between Violence to People and Animals. States with Animal Cruelty as Felony Provisions (in green)     Alabama Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Washington, DC Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming   To find out more about animal cruelty statutes in all 50 states, download this updated version of the Cruelty Statutes (PDF;648KB) 87 pages. Thank you American Humane Organization for this information and your Animal/Human Cruelty Education.

Earless cats found Feb 14, 2005   Someone is cutting the ears off of cats in Rochester. At least four cats in the area around the Zumbro Ridge Estates mobile home park have had their ears clipped in recent months. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," said Diane Miller, manager of the mobile home park. "This is just terrible." Park resident Denise Johnson said she found the first cat with its ears clipped off in late August or September. Johnson cared for the cat, named "Maggie," for almost five months before taking it to the Paws and Claws Humane Society about a month ago. Maggie was still available for adoption this past week. Then, about three weeks ago, Johnson found another cat with its ears cut off. She's now taking care of that cat. A veterinarian confirmed that the cats' ears were cut off, and that the damage was not from frostbite, Johnson said. Paws and Claws knows of two other cats with similar injuries found at the nearby Hallmark Terrace Court mobile home park. MariLynn Johnson, Paws and Claws adoption counselor, said animal abuse is a gross misdemeanor. With four cats disfigured, she contacted the Olmsted County Sheriff's Department. "I just feel if somebody does this to animals, what could they possibly be doing to people?" Johnson said.

Animal abuse cases on the rise

Web Posted: 04/25/2004 12:00 AM CDT

Marina Pisano

San Antonio Express-News

It was a nasty scene of cruelty played out on a spring day. Teenage boys savagely stomping two tiny kittens as if they were pieces of trash.

A man passing by chased off the boys, but not before they had killed one of the animals. He scooped up the other one and rushed to the Animal Defense League. Three-week-old Mona Lisa, as rescuers named her, lived but suffered severe injuries that left her unable to move her mangled back legs.

More Coverage

Reasons a child may be abusing animals

Such acts of cruelty have risen dramatically, and research is showing they should raise alarms for parents and society.

"Unfortunately, we see a lot of animal abuse," says Gayle Jones, Animal Defense League foster care coordinator, who cared for Mona Lisa before her adoption last August. "We've seen severe blows, head trauma, paint poured all over them, burns. We're like a MASH unit.

We go that extra mile and don't give up on them."

San Antonio animal cruelty investigator Eddie Wright says his office received 5,920 animal cruelty calls in fiscal 2003, up from 3,629 in 2002. Calls specifically involving youth abusing animals are not separated out, but he estimates those account for 10 percent of calls.

The Humane Society of the United States says there are no national statistics on animal cruelty or on children hurting pets, strays and other animals. But its recently released 2003 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases is a snapshot of some incidents reported around the country. Of the 1,373 cases involving 1,682 perpetrators, 57 percent were intentional cruelty and 43 percent were extreme neglect. Adult and teen males commit most animal cruelty, and pets are the most common victims, dogs more frequently than cats.

"Utah Animal Abuse Cases:"  PetAbuse.com

Cheryl Smith of Wasatch Humane 2004:  "Where was everyone in 1996 when Wasatch Humane led the effort to try to get felony punishment in Utah, by aligning and giving testimony with child-abuse advocates on The Link to organize Voices Against Violence, getting nationally known expert psychologists to testify, attending daily committee hearings, and even making television PSAs and 100 videos documenting The Link that I gave to most conservative legislators. legislators immediately balked, compromised to get it increased to only a Class A, up from Class c at the time. Then it died on the Senate Floor at the midnight hour of the Session, so we hounded the Governor to put the issue on a Special Session agenda in April, which he relented and finally did, and it passed, upgraded to a Class A.  At least some improvement.  As you hopefully know, we're all working to gather petition signatures to get the issue on the ballot this November as a public initiative, calling for felony penalties, for Utah voters to decide since our legislators have repeatedly failed to recognize the violent nature of these crimes against animals.  So let's all continue to work toward this important goal."

Brigham Young: "The more kind we are to animals, the more will peace increase and the savage nature of the brute creation will vanish away."  George A. Smith, counselor to Brigham Young "used extra exertion to PREVENT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS." 

"THE PAST TWO DECADES HAVE WITNESSED A RESURGENCE OF INTEREST IN THE RELATION BETWEEN CRUELTY TO ANIMALS OR ANIMAL ABUSE, AND SERIOUS VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS. AS AN ILLUSTRATION A RECENT STUDY BY VERLINDEN (2000) OF 9 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE UNITED STATES REPORTED THAT 5 OF THE 11 PERPETRATORS HAD HISTORIES OF ALLEGED ANIMAL ABUSE. THE MOST WELL DOCUMENTED EXAMPLE WAS THE CASE IN 1996 OF LUKE  WOODHAM WHO MURDERED HIS MOTHER AND TWO SCHOOLMATES, and had TORTURED AND KILLED HIS OWN PET DOG."   Dr. Ascione, OJJDP JUVENILE JUSTICE BULLETIN 2001 

A & E TV Network aired "The Human/Animal Abuse Connection" Jan. 26, 2005.

Isaiah 11:6-9 "...they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord"

Gandhi: "You can judge the moral decay of a nation by the way it treats it animals."

______

Tenessee Animal Cruelty/Domestic Violence Case Feb 2005

  This is so sick and this poor little girl has now been traumatized and needs psychological help. This is a prime example of what all the research shows of domestic violence and animal cruelty.  This is so scary that so many men are like this. America needs to be educated with a documentary explaining the seriousness of these kind of cases and getting all the agencies to work together. This kind of domestic violence with cruel torture of animals, trauma to children and torment and abuse of the spouse goes on all over America, and many cases are not reported. We need to work together to put an educational video for all law enforcement/social agencies, schools, and professionals who might come in contact with animal abuse to learn what they need to do. Who wants to join us in working on this before more innocent animals and children die?

Utah Legislature deciding on whether or not to make animal cruelty a felony this week. We need all Utahns to call the House Reps to vote yes. We have the number one expert on Animal/Human Abuse Connection in the country here in Utah. Dr. Frank Ascione in Logan, Utah that studied Battered Women Shelters and concluded that whenever there is Animal Abuse, expect Human Abuse. Many men torture and kill the pets to get to the wives. That children even just witnessing this kind of abuse are traumatized and desensitized for life. This is very serious. Today KSL News Ch. 5 noted that 1000 cases of abuse a month are reported in Utah.

Warning this story is very graphic and heart wrenching.

From our LA, CA crossposter-----Original Message-----
From: Kelly Sperber [mailto:KSPER334@FOXTV.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 4:23 PM
To: Kelly Sperber
Subject: Father? Breaks Neck/Suffocates Puppy; Then Laughs Giving It ToDaughter

From: Julia Sharp <juliatat@yahoo.com>
Date: 2/2/05 9:44AM
Subject: Father? Breaks Neck/Suffocates Puppy; Then Laughs Giving
It To Daughter

Words completely escape me right now...this is horrible. You have to register to read the article.
You can leave comments here
http://web.knoxnews.com/silence/archives/003089.html

J2468@webtv.net wrote:
From: J2468@webtv.net
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 21:22:17 -0600
Subject: Father Breaks Neck/Suffocates Puppy; Then Laughs Giving It To Daughter
FOR YOUR INFORMATION!
From: Google News Alert

Via: Knoxville News Sentinal
Knoxville,TN
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_3512970,00.html

First felony animal abuse case pursued in Knox County
Man charged with killing puppy of stepdaughter in domestic dispute
By JAMIE SATTERFIELD,
satterfield@knews.com

February 1, 2005

In a calculated campaign of domestic violence, a Knoxville man broke the neck of his stepdaughter's puppy, suffocated it and then laughed as he presented the dead animal to the girl and her mother, a warrant alleges.  Timothy David Sawyer, 40, appeared in Knox County General Sessions Court on Monday to face a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, the first-ever felony animal cruelty case pursued locally.  Sawyer is accused of killing a 2-month-old Jack Russell terrier on Jan.
13, a crime Knoxville Police Department officers say they heard him gruesomely describe to his estranged wife.  Assistant District Attorney General Willie Harper and attorney David Skidmore agreed at Monday's hearing to have the case waived to a Knox County grand jury for review.
Court records show Sawyer has repeated arrests for domestic violence
involving his estranged wife, who has a restraining order filed against him.
Police allege the puppy's killing was another act designed to hurt and intimidate the woman.
According to a warrant filed by KPD Officer Kathy Pappas, the woman and
her 13-year-old daughter returned to their Paris Road home on Jan. 13 and were greeted by Sawyer.
Sawyer "said he had something to show her and took her to the dead puppy," the warrant states.
He also showed the puppy's body to the woman's daughter, who slept
with the puppy at night, the warrant states. "(Sawyer) was laughing at the dead puppy" in front of both of them, the warrant states.  Five days later, Sawyer made a series of calls to the woman's home,
according to the warrant. He did not know that KPD officers were
there, the document states. "Officers were listening and overheard (Sawyer) confessing to killing
the puppy," Pappas wrote.  Sawyer is accused of shutting a bathroom door on the puppy's neck,
crushing it. As the puppy struggled to breath, Sawyer allegedly poured
liquid makeup down its throat until the puppy suffocated, court records allege.
A necropsy, the equivalent of an autopsy, confirmed Sawyer's account of
what he did to the puppy, records show. He insisted, however, that he
was not trying to kill the dog but instead poured makeup down its throat
"to make it stop whining," the warrant states.  At Monday's hearing, Sawyer, who was sitting on a courtroom bench with other inmates, repeatedly tried to get the attention of his estranged
wife, who was also in the courtroom. He mouthed pleading words.
At one point, Sawyer raised his handcuffed hand and extended his index
and middle finger as if flashing a peace sign.  He is being held in the Knox County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.
Jamie Satterfield may be reached at  865-342-6308.
Copyright 2005, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
===========
In Seymour, CT
(Seymour-WTNH, Jan. 20, 2005 Updated 12:46 PM ) _ A disturbing story
of animal abuse out of Seymour. A man faces charges for allegedly slitting the throats of several puppies there.
by News Channel 8's Sara Welch Police are calling this attack "sick and vicious."They followed footsteps in the snow to a wooded area and found a basket of puppies that were left to die. The lone surviving puppy had her throat slashed and a stab wound in her back. "This is brutal, it's the worst thing I ever saw in two years as the dog warden in the town. He brutally cut her throat. It was terrible," says Joe LaRovera.  Twenty-year-old Brandon Chandler is facing six counts of animal cruelty. The vicious attack happened at a house on Skorkorat Street where the suspect lived with dogs' owners. "Police responded to the home on Skorkorat Street in Seymour, at which time they spoke to the accused and asked where the puppies were. He had stated that he 'sent them to heaven,'" says Paul Beres from the Seymour Police Dept.Behind the house police found six puppies left outside in the woods in a basket. Five of the dogs were dead, the remaining animal is now struggling to stay alive. Police say the suspect used a buck knife to slit the dogs' throat. "He appea rs to show no remorse. He told officers that he had been drinking prior to the episode -- that he had several beers."  The suspect was arraigned this morning and held on $50,000 bail. Police tell News Channel 8 that the man may have attacked the dogs  because the owners refused to give him one of the puppies. The owners are devastated by this and say they don't have the financial means to care for the dog. They signed over custody of the  puppy to the Town of Seymour. The puppy is now receiving around-the-clock care at the animal hospital.
___________

Jan 25, 2005

Lyndonville Vermont

A Lyndonville teenager has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty as the result of a four month sodomy investigation by the Lyndonville Police Chief. Jeffrey Plorde, 17 faces up to three years in prison if convicted. More arrests are possible
The case was reported to police on Oct 16 after Kacey, a 2 year old chocolate Labrador Retriever was allegedly struck by a car and suffered a broken leg. According to a report issued by the Humane Society of the United States, Kacey made her way back home and her owners took her to the animal hospital for treatment. The veterinarians discovered she had been sodomized and her tail had been pulled 6 inches from her body and broken. She had also been strangled. The injuries were so severe she had to be euthanized.

Please sign this petition, and a printed copy will be handed to the Judge that is hearing this case. The date for the hearing is Feb 28,2005 __________________-

From www.tennessean.com

Boys killed dog on barbecue grill, police charge

By KELLI HEWETT TAYLOR
Staff Writer


Youths, 11 and 14, were 'just doing it' to do it, officer says

Two boys have been charged with animal cruelty in the burning death
of a puppy on a gas grill in Springfield.

Names of the Robertson County youths, ages 11 and 14, have not been
released by Springfield police. Other boys are being investigated in
connection with the case, which occurred July 24 near an unoccupied
building on Carden Circle, investigators said.  No motive has been revealed.
''They were just doing it'' to do it, said Lt. William Watkins, a
spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.
The young suspects told police that a man gave them the puppy, but
authorities have not found the man or any other owner.
A neighborhood boy saw the incident and ran to neighbors to get
help, Watkins said.
'When officers arrived, the dog had jumped off the grill and was on
the ground, barely breathing,'' Williams said. The puppy died soon
after officers arrived.
The boys will appear in Juvenile Court, but a date could not be
confirmed at press time.

Kelli Hewett Taylor can be reached at 726-5938, or
khewett@tennessean.com. 


______

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/2142

Case# 2142 The teen is on house arrest and was ordered to remain on it until sentencing July 12, 2004. Cartmel also prohibited the teen from being around any animals without supervision.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/153048-3863-092.html

One of two teens accused in the torture death of a dog pleaded guilty to the charges today in a case that drew national attention from animal rights activists.

The 15-year-old told Magistrate Julie Cartmel in juvenile court that he took the dog to the roof of a Westside residence on March 21, and then tossed the animal onto the ground. The fall broke the pit bull's back in multiple places. The teens then allegedly dragged the dog to an outdoors cabinet and placed it there to die.
A neighbor who witnessed the incident told police she was horrified to see the laughing teens on the roof hold onto the dogs legs, then swing it back and forth a few times before letting it go, said Indianapolis Police Department Detective Christa Dobbs.
Dobbs said the boy's mother was out of town when he and a group of other boys corralled a stray female dog that had recently given birth to puppies.
An Animal Care and Control Division officer who told the judge the dog had tears in its eyes before it was put to death.
"This is probably one of the worst conditions in an animal I have seen,"
said Animal Control Officer Tracy Hutchens. "I just hope he understands the pain he put on this animal."
The teen is on house arrest and was ordered to remain on it until sentencing July 12. Cartmel also prohibited the teen from being around any animals without supervision.
"He has not proven he has any respect for life. He has no appreciation for what he has done. I do not want him around any animals, not even a gold fish."
The other boy charged in the case, a 13-year-old, said he was in the group but took no part in throwing the animal off of the roof.
Cartmel set the younger boy's trial for June 21.
Deputy Prosecutor Karen Kaufman said she typically feels sorry for children who appear in Juvenile Court on criminal charges because many come from homes where they have no chance to succeed.
"These boys are old enough to know better, and what these boys did shows a lack of respect for humanity, and that is very scary."
In a letter to the prosecutor's office, animal rights activist Daniel Paden of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the organization was inundated with calls from outraged Indianapolis residents who heard about the case through media reports.

Paden said psychiatric and criminal behavior professionals have found that animal cruelty is an indicator of future violent behavior against people.
"Given the strong connection between cruelty to animals and other forms of violence, it is imperative, for everyone's sake, that this case be taken seriously."
He said this was not a case of "boys being boys."
Animal Control officials said 1,307 animal neglect and cruelty cases were reported in Marion County last year, and over 60 percent involved pit bulls, frequently used in illegal dogfights.
Call Star reporter Eunice Trotter at (317) 444-6037.

Joanna Toms
Cruelty Caseworker
www.pet-abuse.com
jtoms@pet-abuse.com
717-404-7199
________________

___________________

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SETTING KITTEN ON FIRE

________________

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News   Reviewed By Brunilda  Nazario, MD
on Friday, July 02, 2004

July 2, 2004 -- Children of violent marriages may be more than twice as likely to set fires intentionally or be cruel to animals than those from nonviolent homes, according to new research. The study shows that problems in the family, especially violent behavior among father figures, significantly increase the risk of fire setting and animal cruelty in children, and these behaviors set the stage for later adolescent delinquency.
Researchers say childhood fire setting and animal cruelty may be linked to childhood psychological problems such as ADHD or conduct disorder, which may lead to later chronic criminal behavior, but few studies have looked at the relationship between these behaviors and family risk factors.
This study suggests that the relationship between fire setting and animal cruelty and juvenile delinquency is potentially strong, and any sign of these behaviors should be taken seriously and addressed at an early age.
Family Factors Tied to Fire Setting, Animal Cruelty
In the study, researchers followed a group of about 300 battered women and their children for 10 years and asked them periodically about family life and any problem behavior in their children.
The results appear in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology.
The study showed that children from homes with violent marriages were 2.4 times more likely to set fires than those residing in nonviolent homes. Children from homes where the mother's partner harmed pets or drank large quantities of alcohol were also more likely to engage in fire-setting behavior.
In addition, researchers found that children from violent homes were 2.3 times more likely to be cruel to animals, and harsh parenting from either parent also increased the risk of animal cruelty.
Over time, the study showed that children who set fires were nearly four times more likely than non-fire setters to be referred to juvenile court in adolescence, and they were nearly five times as likely be arrested for a violent crime.
The researchers did not find a relationship between childhood cruelty to animals and a referral to juvenile court for an offense. However, animal abusers were twice as likely to commit a violent offense such as assault or possession of a weapon.
The researchers show that a diagnosis of conduct disorder was more than six times higher in children who set fires and more than five times higher in children who abuse animals.

"These findings converge with those from other studies generally linking family dysfunction and childhood conduct disorders," write researcher Kimberly D. Becker, PhD, of the University of Hawaii, and colleagues. "An intriguing finding is that most of the significant family variables were associated with partner behavior.

"Future research should investigate the mechanisms by which a violent antisocial man in the home contributes to a child's firesetting and animal cruelty," they write______________________

Kitten torture case has kids facing felonies

By: BEN BENTON Staff Writer
Source: The Daily Post-Athenian
06-28-2004

ENGLEWOOD Felony ! charges are pending against two juvenile boys in
an alleged animal cruelty case investigated by Englewood police and
sheriff's deputies, the Tennessee Humane Society and the state
Department of Children's Services.

Englewood Police Sgt. David Greaves said Wednesday the charges stem
from a case of abuse involving five kittens whose eyes had just begun
> >to open and a small, mixed-breed dog.

The boys involved are age 10 and 14, Greaves said.

"According to the witnesses, there were five kittens. They tied their
rear legs together at the ankles, hit them against a tree and hung
them up where the dogs could get them," said Greaves, who is the
Englewood Police Department's canine officer.
Police say the alleged abuse is said to have taken place sometime
between June 17 and 19 at a residence in Englewood.
"We began our investigation on June 19 and what we have charged now
is up through June 20 in our investigation," Greaves said.
"Because of the severity of the abuse and due to the sadisticness and
outright torture of the animals, we are pushing for felony charges,"
he said.
Larry Eaton, the animal abuse investigator for the local chapter of
the Humane Society, assisted in the investigation, according to Greaves.
"Larry really spearheaded the operation. He called me out on it and I
called on the Sheriff's Department," Greaves said.
Deputy Doug Mills is also assisting in the investigation, Greaves said.
Greaves said a small dog, belonging to one of the boys, has also been
abused.
"The older child stated he loved his dog, but then he'd taken a box
cutter to his dog just to see what it was like," Greaves said.
Greaves said he appreciated the help provided by residents in the boys'
neighborhood.
"They (the neighbors) said they're not going to stand for that stuff,"
Greaves said. "Chief (Danny) McDonald and I aren't going to st! and
for that kind of thing either."
Greaves said the mother of the older boy "was very upset with her son."
The younger boys' mother has not yet talked with police, according to
authorities.
Greaves said the charges will be filed on juvenile petitions in
McMinn County Juvenile Court as the investigation comes to a close in
the next few days.
Eaton told The DPA earlier in the week that he'd never seen a case of
animal abuse as bad as the one being investigated in Englewood.
Eaton said the injuries to the small dog were being treated and the
animal is expected to make a full recovery.
A "foster home" is being sought for the dog, said to be a small,
friendly terrier mix, according to officials. The dog will be
neutered and his shots updated, officials said.
The Human Society has full ownership of the dog, said Eaton, and he
can be adopted by a qualifying family.
Anyone interested in adopting the dog! or anyone interested in making
a donation toward his care and veterinary bills can contact Eaton at:

PHONE...........744-9548
OR
HOME........... 744-3059
Meanwhile, the two juveniles will await service of juvenile
petitions, according to police.
Greaves said police and officials from DCS were seeking psychological
treatment for the two boys.
Greaves said the investigation is continuing.
EMAIL.......... bbenton@xtn.net
__________________________________

Dogs attacked with fireworks ...from CNN

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Six puppies were killed, apparently by fireworks placed in their mouths, shortly after teenage boys were seen carrying Roman candles in a north Tulsa neighborhood.

Animal control officers said they were following leads Tuesday but had no suspects in Sunday night's attacks, during which one person told police they heard a puppy yelp.

An older dog, a 4 1/2-month-old black Labrador mix, suffered burns on her muzzle and hindquarters from apparently being used as a moving target for fireworks.

The Tulsa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was caring for the injured dog and for the puppies' mother, a 11/2-year-old black-and-tan heeler mix that was not harmed.

The injured dog had begun to eat and was expected to survive, said Laurie Myers, executive director of the Tulsa SPCA.

The SPCA believes the puppies died from fireworks that exploded in their mouths.

A woman, Tonya Curry, 27, found all the dogs Monday among the remains of fireworks inside a vacant house and took the two survivors to the SPCA. When an animal control officer arrived later, the dead puppies were gone.

"Somebody probably went to clean up their mess so they wouldn't get in trouble," Officer Charity Curtis said.

The SPCA has raised about $1,000 and other organizations were undertaking similar efforts to reward people who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, officials said.

__________________________________

_A Shocking Case Of Animal Abuse In Tulsa

Authorities are looking for suspects in the torture and killing of dogs living in an abandoned north Tulsa house.

The two surviving dogs were brought to the SPCA early Monday morning. Both are expected to recover. But shelter officials could do nothing for six puppies that were found dead with fireworks in their mouths and their mouths partially blown off.

The mother of the puppies escaped physical injury, but is clearly traumatized by having her litter killed. Volunteers say she's been searching for the pups since she was brought in.

The other abuse victim, a 4-month old lab mix is suffering from severe burns. Authorities believe she was deliberately set on fire.

Laurie Mayes with Tulsa SPCA: "Why is only in the mind of the person who does it. We know that people that willingly abuse animals that they are also very likely to abuse humans, at least at some point in their lives."

Mayes says animal abuse is a felony and Tulsa Police are investigating. After their recovery time, both dogs will be put up for adoption.
Source: The News on 6

__________________________________________________________________________

______________

______________________

Apparently NH Governor Benson does have a price where common sense and the will of the state's legislature can be over ridden by special interest concerns of the Greyhound racing industry. NH: Benson has condemned scores of greyhounds By MICHAEL TROMBLEY  Guest Commentary  ON MAY 17, Gov. Craig Benson vetoed House Bill 520, which would have implemented record-keeping requirements for the greyhound racing  industry. Currently there is no accountability to the citizens of New Hampshire as to the ultimate fate of greyhounds who race or are injured at New Hampshire tracks, despite this being an industry that,  in Craig Bensonb s words, b is subject to enough regulation as it  is.  The House and Senate agreed that this bill would implement necessary and important safeguards to protect the welfare of greyhounds and the integrity of wagers placed at New Hampshire racetracks. Most other states that permit greyhound racing have instituted laws that require public access to disposition records. Why would the governor veto a
bill that would simply require accountability from an industry that has none? Allow me to connect the dots.
 

When Craig Benson was at Cabletron, he hired former Senate President Ed Dupont as his lobbyist. When Benson was elected governor, Ed Dupont served on his inauguration committee and was soon thereafter appointed by Benson to serve on the board of trustees of the University System of New Hampshire. The lobbyist for Hinsdale Greyhound Park is former Senate President Ed Dupont. Get the picture?
Craig Benson ran for governor on a platform that portrayed him as a  non-politician, an outsider who would not be swayed by lobbyists and special interests.  Inside deals such as this one should dispel that myth completely. Probable gubernatorial candidate John Lynch was quoted as alluding to Craig Benson as b someone who puts himself and his buddies first.  Benson has certainly proved that to be true in this case. After the veto, Benson announced that he would form a task force to look at animal abuse.  He struck down a law that would have instilled true accountability in favor of one more powerless, do-nothing, blue-ribbon task force, taking a page straight  from the Jeanne Shaheen handbook of pretend leadership. Do you really think this task force will ever set foot inside a greyhound kennel? If it does, you can be sure it will be after the tracks are given several weeks notice of their visit. Gov. Benson claimed that HB 520 would cost the state money, but he didn t say how much. He said it would cost the state jobs, but he didn t say which ones.
The Pari-Mutuel Commission claimed that in order to implement HB 520, it would have to hire 2B= new full-time employees and spend tens of thousands of dollars on computer software. All the bill requires of the Pari-Mutuel Commission is that it store some forms and compile some statistics. The commission has claimed all along that most of
those records are already being kept and, if the commission is to be believed about the welfare of racing greyhounds in New Hampshire, that  there are very few deaths and injuries to report in the first place.  Under this bill, state employees arenb t even the ones that would have to prepare the forms. So why would it take 2B= full-time employees to file a few dozen forms? It wouldnb t, and anyone with half a brain should see that the Pari-Mutuel Commission simply made up some numbers that it hoped would turn people off to HB 520.  The truth is that HB 520 would cost the state less than what Jack Heath will be paid for a couple months of part-time work. But it is obviously less important to the Benson administration to hold the racing industry accountable to the citizens of New Hampshire than to have the ability to put out a good press release that will convince the public that the accountability is already there. I have years of experience with the abuse and corruption of the greyhound racing industry in New Hampshire. I have seen horrible cases of neglect at tracks. I  have seen dogs put to death for no sound medical reason. You don t need a government task force to tell you
that killing a dog because it doesn t run very fast is abusive. About the only thing worse is running a dog so hard that its legs break and then killing it.  Estimates of the number of dogs buried behind Hinsdale Greyhound Park
alone range into the thousands. Only a tiny fraction of those dogs were ever injured in a race. Most met their fate simply by being too slow to win any money.  Thanks to Craig Bensonb s cronyism and political payback, we can be
sure that thousands more greyhounds will disappear without a trace  into the New Hampshire soil.
Michael Trombley was deputy director of the New Hampshire Pari-Mutuel
Commission from 1996 to 1999.
 

http://www.theunionleader.com/artic...l?article=38433_______________________________________________________

                                                 FATHER SHOOTS DOG IN FRONT OF KIDS

The Honorable Steve P. Leskinen, Judge
Fayette County Court
61 E. Main St.
Uniontown, PA 15401
Fax: 724-430-1001

Dear Judge Leskinen,

Many guardians wisely choose to prohibit their companion animals from bringing more puppies into a world that cannot care for them. Most have their dogs spayed or neutered. On February 15, Scot Richard Maust aimed a .22-caliber rifle at the family dog as his wife and children begged for her life. "Daddy didn't want her to have more babies," one of Maust's children later explained.

After the killing, Maust ordered his four children to embrace the dog's lifeless body and clean the bloodstained area where she died. Maust allegedly threatened his own children's lives if any of them spoke about the shooting. Two of the children confided in their teachers anyway. They were subsequently beaten with a board.

Within days, Maust faced nine first-degree misdemeanors, including cruelty to animals, corruption of minors, and making terroristic threats. If convicted of these and other counts, Maust could be imprisoned for up to 45 years.

But Maust will not see a single day behind bars. Fayette County District Attorney Nancy Vernon negotiated a plea bargain with Maust that stipulates a term of probation and mandatory counseling.

Judge Leskinen, when you hear the terms of this plea agreement on July 9, please reject it.  I respectfully ask you to incarcerate Maust to the fullest extent under the law and to prohibit his future contact with animals, including any animals currently in his custody. I hope you will also sentence Maust for corruption of minors and any related child abuse charges.

Animal abuse is often an overt clue to a troubled family. In a study of New Jersey families receiving state assistance due to physical abuse within their households, 88 percent claimed their animals had been abused as well. Evidence of cruelty to animals is a key indicator that children and spouses may also be victims of violence.

The fact that Maust's children were forced to witness and participate in the killing is profoundly disturbing. Statistics demonstrate that youngsters raised in violent settings are notably high-risk for perpetuating the cycle of violence.

The justice system fails the accused, his family and the community if it discounts the violent nature of this crime. Lenient penalties leave offenders such as Maust to vent future rage against their families or society. Please turn down the plea agreement and sentence Maust with maximum penalties for his brutal crimes.

Thank you,

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Posted on Tue, Jun. 22, 2004

AIMEE JUAREZ
Herald Staff Writer

SARASOTA - Spectators jumped fences and ran through neighboring yards Sunday night fleeing arrest after police broke up an illegal dog fight in someone's backyard.

Officers discovered about 50 people watching an organized pit bull fight at 9:30 p.m. at a home along David Avenue, according to a report from Sarasota Police Department.

Police found about 11 dogs inside 10 vehicles parked in front of the house at 4923 David Ave. The dogs were confiscated by Sarasota County animal control officers.

Once inside the yard, officers found two pit bulls in a makeshift ring fighting each other, with one dog's jaws locked onto the other dog's neck.

"This had to be planned pretty well in advance," Sarasota Police spokesman Jay Frank said.

Frank did not say if police found any money at the scene from bets placed on the fights.

The group abruptly disbanded as soon as police arrived - jumping the fence and running through neighboring yards, Frank added.

Police arrested Isack Edwards, 22, who lives at the house, and charged him with three felony counts of animal fighting or baiting and four felony counts of animal cruelty, officials said. Mark A. Mayes, 14, was also arrested and charged with two felony counts of animal fighting or baiting.

Edwards was released from the Sarasota County jail Monday afternoon on $3,480 bail. An employee at the jail could not provide information on Mayes' arrest because Mayes is a juvenile.

Frank said police have issued six arrest warrants; three women, ages 25, 26, and 29, are among the people being sought by authorities.

Several attempts were made to separate the dogs as officers tried to break up the fight with their batons and pepper spray, reports stated.

After exhausting all efforts, police say an order was given to shoot one of the dogs. The animal died at the scene. The other pit bull ran off with a critical wound to its neck.

"Officers were afraid if the dogs separated, one or both would come after them," Frank said. "They had to shoot one of them."

Frank said calls about illegal dog fights and cock fights are rare in Sarasota County. Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dave Bristow said the same about such calls in Manatee County.

"It's not an every day occurrence," Bristow said. "It's not something they respond to weekly or monthly - it's not something we respond to frequently."

Such fights are usually held in rural areas, according to Bristow and Frank, which is why Sunday's call surprised Frank.

"It's rare to have them in a residential area," Frank said. "I don't know how they thought they'd get away with it."

CAN YOU HELP?

Authorities ask anyone with information about Sunday's dog fight to call Sarasota Police at (941) 954-7025. Police are asking anyone who has seen the missing, injured pit bull to call 9-1-1.

Copyright 2003 Knight Ridder. All Rights Reserved http://www.bradenton.com/mld/braden...cal/8980200.htm

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SWEETENER SLAUGHTER

The Sunday Mirror, UK - August 5th 2001

12,800 animals die for no-calorie pills. Dogs were killed after 52
weeks of treatment by exsanguination. BEAGLES were among thousands of
animals killed in laboratory tests on a new artificial sweetener.

The dogs probably had their throats cut, while marmoset monkeys died
from brain damage and rabbits were poisoned during a 20-year study
into the effects of Sucralose.

The sweetener - sold in the United States as Splenda - is expected to
be on sale in the UK in a couple of months. Researchers estimate that
12,800 animals died during the research. The death toll came to light
in articles published in a scientific journal.

Sucralose - which is 600 times sweeter than sugar - is the first
no-calorie sugar-based sweetener to be developed. It is set to be a
money- spinner for British sugar giant Tate & Lyle, who commissioned
the research. But thousands of animals died in a series of gruesome
laboratory experiments to test the sweetener both here and in the US,
anti-vivisection campaigners have revealed.

In the most shocking tests, 32 beagle dogs were locked in metal cages
for 52 weeks at the McNeil Speciality Products labs in New Jersey.
They were given Sucralose mixed in with their normal feed, and blood
and urine samples were collected. At the end of the study they were
anaesthetised and had their throats slit open so they bled to death.
They were then cut open and their organs - by now drained of blood so
easier to dissect - were examined to test the product's toxicity
levels.

A report of the study was published in the journal Food and Chemical
Toxicology. It read: "Dogs were killed after 52 weeks of treatment by
exsanguination (draining of blood) while under anaesthesia and
examined."

Thousands of monkeys, rabbits, mice and rats were killed during tests
in the UK. In one experiment at the controversial Huntingdon Research
Centre in Cambridgeshire four beagle puppies were starved before being
force-fed Sucralose through tubes.

Researchers took blood samples from the animals' jugular veins and
examined their urine and faeces to discover the effect of Sucralose on
their metabolisms. It is unclear whether the puppies survived or not.

An unspecified number of marmoset monkeys died or were killed after
they were force-fed Sucralose at the Life Science Research lab in Eye,
Suffolk, now part of Huntingdon Life Sciences. Twelve male monkeys
aged under 10 months were examined and force-fed Sucralose for seven
weeks. On the seventh day of the study two of the monkeys died from
brain defects, a third was killed after four weeks and the remainder
of the brain-damaged animals were put down.

In another British-based experiment, also carried out at Eye, rabbits
were given a dose of Sucralose 1,200 times the expected human daily
intake. Many died from trauma. Others suffered extreme weight loss,
convulsions and intestinal disorders. Tests on pregnant rabbits and
thousands of mice and rats were also carried out at Huntingdon.

Experiments, which have not been published, were also carried out at
labs at Inveresk, near Edinburgh, and at Covance at Harrogate,
Yorkshire. The British Union For The Abolition Of Vivisection (email:
info@buav.org), estimates tens of thousands of animals have died.

BUAV's director of research Sarah Kite said: "They are particularly
nasty. Animals have been made to suffer and die simply to put out
another sweetener which we don't need."

"These appalling tests, which usually involve slitting the animals'
throats, are legal, but we feel they should not be allowed in this
country."

Sucralose is already on sale in 40 countries including the US - where
it is marketed under licence by Johnson & Johnson - Australia and
Canada. It is sold as tiny sweetener tablets or as a powder for use in
soft drinks, ice cream and jams. Tate & Lyle has applied to the
European Union and the UK's Food Standards Agency for approval to
release Sucralose.

Tate & Lyle divisional managing director Austin Maguire said: "We have
done the minimum number of tests required. Sucralose is unique.
Consumers welcome that additional choice."

A spokesman for Huntingdon Life Sciences - bailed out by the
Government this year when its bank became the focus for protests and
withdrew their loan - said: "We would only do these tests if there was
no alternative. "Most were done at Huntingdon some years ago and are
not happening now."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Anyone who wants to do safety testing
has to show a clear necessity for using animals to gain a licence."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By Matt Schudel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 23, 2004; Page B06


Lori Lehner, who played a central role in the infamous "Silver Spring monkeys" case when she opened her house to 17 laboratory monkeys in 1981, died of leukemia June 2 in Tampa. She was 45 and had lived in Florida since 1997.

By outfitting her basement in Rockville as a temporary refuge for the monkeys, Ms. Lehner helped set in motion the celebrated case, which led to a decade of legal and scientific wrangling and propelled the newly formed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals into the most powerful and controversial group in the animal rights movement.

Ms. Lehner had studied to be an actress, but she found herself on an especially bright public stage when Montgomery County police raided a Silver Spring laboratory on Sept. 11, 1981, and seized 17 monkeys from the Institute for Behavioral Research.

The laboratory was directed by Edward Taub, a well-known researcher who had received a $180,000 grant that year from the National Institutes of Health for studies that he hoped would aid stroke victims. He had operated on the spinal cords of some of the monkeys, numbing some of their limbs to study their physical and neural responses.

When the police entered the facility, the first time in the United States a scientific laboratory was raided to stop animal cruelty, they were overcome by the stench. They found some animals with open, untreated wounds, and some monkeys had gnawed off their own fingers, which had no sense of feeling.

Ms. Lehner, who was 23 at the time and part of a youthful band of animal lovers that had tipped off the police, agreed to keep the monkeys at her house, even though she also had 12 dogs at the time, all of which she had rescued.

Why do we allow this kind of cruelty to feeling, loving and innocent living beings?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twice-fired deputy wants job back again

By Bill Douthat, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 19, 2004

A sheriff's deputy fired three years ago for attending a dogfight appeared
before a department review board shortly thereafter and got his job back.

That same deputy was fired again in March for allegedly abandoning a dog
that later died.

Now Reginald Mickins is asking for his job back... again.

But this time he may find a tougher crowd on the review board: Two of the
five board members are deputies in K-9 units.

"That's great," said Michelle Rivera of Jupiter, a spokeswoman for People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "You know they are sympathetic."

Mickins goes before the board Tuesday in hopes of overturning Sheriff Ed
Bieluch's decision in March to fire Mickins and deputy Alton Harrell. The
two corrections deputies were together in 2000 and again in 2003 when they
were suspected of participating in dogfighting, which is illegal. Harrell's
appearance before a review board is scheduled for August.

Mickins and Harrell pleaded guilty to charges of attending a pit-bull
terrier dogfight in 2000 and were arrested again in 2003 after allegedly
leaving an injured pit bull to die off a rural road outside of Belle Glade.

Although neither man now faces criminal charges in the most recent incident,
Bieluch called Mickins and Harrell "thugs" and called their behavior
"despicable acts of cruelty."

Although the sheriff doesn't want them back, the deputies have the right
under law to appeal their firings, said Bieluch spokesman Paul Miller.

"Employees here feel very strongly about the way they have discredited the
agency," Miller said.

Mickins and Harrell need at least four votes from the five-member board to
win reinstatement. Both were reinstated after the first incident by
different review boards that recommended suspension instead of dismissal.

Even if Mickins loses this time, his request for a hearing keeps open his
option to file a civil lawsuit claiming wrongful firing. Courts require
employees to exhaust administrative appeals before suing.

Rivera said she was shocked to hear Mickinsand Harrell want to return to
duty after a second time of embarrassing the sheriff's office over
dogfighting allegations.

"I don't think they stand a snowball's chance," Rivera said. "There were 250
letters sent to the sheriff's office complaining about them."

Capt. Mark Chamberlain, who will preside over Tuesday's hearing, said the
two K-9 deputies are on the board because of their knowledge of animal DNA,
which figured in Mickins' latest arrest.

Stop's legality questioned

In September, 2003, animal blood was found on a cage in the back of a
Suburban occupied by four people, including Mickins, Harrell and Eric
Thompson, who is identified in an Internal Affairs report as a kennel owner
who has a Web site that promotes pit-bull fighting. Thompson could not be
reached for comment.

The truck was spotted about midnight on a rural dirt road near Belle Glade,
where deputy Dererk Savage was on the lookout for farm equipment thefts.
Savage noted the blood-smeared cage but found no violations and allowed the
men to leave.

About a half-mile down the dirt road, Savage spotted a black pit bull
bleeding from the head, face and front leg. The dog limped into the bushes.
The body of a black pit bull was found near the spot four days later.

Mickins and Harrell were arrested on charges of animal cruelty and
abandoning an animal. DNA tests on the blood on the cage and from the dead
dog matched, but the state attorney's office declined to prosecute.

Savage's stop of the Suburban was of "questionable legality" because he did
not have a sufficient reason to pull the vehicle over, Assistant State
Attorney Paul Zacks wrote in the case file. An illegal stop probably would
mean blood evidence from the cage would not be allowed in a trial, he said.

Also, there was no evidence that the wounded dog Savage saw was the dead
animal found later, Zacks wrote.

Mickins' attorney, Michael Salnick, said the deputy was singled out because
of the earlier charge of attending a dogfight. The only new evidence was
that Mickins was a passenger in a car, he said.

"Riding in a car doesn't make someone an animal abuser," Salnick said.

The sheriff's internal affairs report, issued in February and used as the
basis to fire Mickins and Harrell, came to a far different conclusion.

"A preponderance of evidence does exist to support the allegation that
deputies Harrell and Mickins participated in the abandonment of an injured
pit bull," the report states.

bill_douthat@pbpost.com
 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

June 18, 2004

http://www.peta.org/alert/automation/AlertItem.asp?id=1046

Ask Louisiana Judge to Give Maximum Sentence to Alleged Dog Killer

Please respond by September 10.

"We want jail time in this case. . This is serious, and I believe he could
become violent with a person in the future."

Such was Cindy Balint's request of judicial officials handling the case of
Nicholas Matassa, a 22-year-old Louisiana man accused of torturing and
killing Balint's dog on December 23, 2002. According to news sources,
Matassa-in an apparent attempt to exact revenge on Danielle Balint, his
ex-girlfriend and Cindy Balint's daughter-bound the 8-year-old dog's muzzle
with duct tape and proceeded to fatally beat the animal. Matassa, whose
father reportedly supervises the parish's animal-control agency and shelter,
evidently left the dog suffering from various injuries, including head
trauma and eight broken bones, in the Balint family's blood-spattered home.

Matassa was charged with felony cruelty to animals. He faces up to 10 years
in prison and will next appear in court on July 12 before Judge Ralph
Tureau. Matassa's trial is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Please remind Judge Tureau that, for safety's sake-that of animals and of
the community at large-it is imperative to impose severe sentences on animal
abusers.  Politely ask that, if Matassa should plead or be found guilty, he
be sentenced to 10 years of incarceration and a mandatory mental health
evaluation followed by psychological counseling and anger-management
classes. To ensure that no more animals fall prey to the defendant's alleged
malicious and violent tendencies, respectfully urge Judge Tureau to bar
Matassa from all future contact with animals and to order that any remaining
animals in his charge be immediately located and seized.

It is imperative that all correspondence be dignified and polite; otherwise,
our campaign will suffer.

The Honorable Ralph Tureau, Chief Judge
23rd Judicial District, Division A
P.O. Box 1919
Gonzales, LA 70737
 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________-

MORE COURTS PROSECUTING ANIMAL NEGLECT AS FELONY LEVEL CRIME
SAYS THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2004)—In courts around the country, more and more animal cruelty cases are being brought to trial as public awareness grows about crimes to animals and as states improve animal cruelty laws. Neglect, one form of animal cruelty, is also getting more attention from the law. The Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS) has found nearly a three-fold increase in reported cases of animal neglect prosecuted under state felony statutes.

Every state has laws that cover some form of animal cruelty. Laws on neglect are defined differently state to state, but in general, the legal definition of animal neglect is the failure to provide food, water, shelter or medical care to an animal, which causes unjustified pain, suffering or death.

"Animal neglect comes in many forms," said Ann Chynoweth, Counsel to Investigative Services for The Humane Society of the United States. "Abandonment, starvation, excessive chaining and hoarding are some of the deprivations that fall under neglect. The suffering caused by neglect is increasingly becoming recognized as cruelty on par with directly inflicted abuse."

Local animal care and control officers and other law enforcement officials who investigate animal cruelty report that more than 90 percent of the cases they respond to are animal neglect in the form of starvation and abandonment.

Delaware Attorney General M. Jane Brady recognizes the importance of addressing abuse and neglect as crimes. In 1999, she formed Delaware's Task Force on the Relationship between Animal Cruelty and Interpersonal Violence. "Neglect of animals is as significant as abuse," Brady said. "It costs animals their health and their lives and should be treated seriously. Delaware has recognized this and, through the work of my Task Force, we have changed the laws in Delaware regarding animal abuse and neglect."

As of May 1, there have been eight reported cases this year of animal neglect in the U.S. that have been prosecuted as a felony- level crime. In 2003, there were 23 reported cases of neglect tried under felony laws as compared to seven in 2002. Of the 23 cases last year, seven resulted in convictions.

"The fact that we are seeing more felony prosecutions of intentional animal neglect shows an acknowledgement of the seriousness of this insidious and widespread form of abuse," Chynoweth said. "Allowing an animal to endure a slow and painful death by starvation is its own form of violence and we agree it should be prosecuted as a felony level crime wherever the law allows."

The 2004 neglect cases include:

• An Alton, Illinois woman was charged with felony animal
cruelty for leaving her two pit bulls outdoors to freeze to death.
The Telegraph, February 2004
• In New Hampshire, a woman was indicted on five counts of
felony animal cruelty for depriving her cattle of food, water and medical care. Citizen Online, February 2004.
• Five former tenants of a house in New York were charged with
felony animal cruelty after they abandoned dogs, cats and other animals. The animals who had died were left for more than three weeks without food. Finger Lakes Times, February 2004
• In California, Slick Gardner was charged with nine felony
counts for failing to provide for adopted mustangs who were found to be ailing. Investigators raided the property twice and removed hundreds of horses. The Lompoc Record, January 2004
• A North Carolina woman was charged with four felony counts
of animal cruelty after sheriff's deputies found four of her horses dead, apparently from starvation. Charlotte Observer, January 2004
• A Missouri woman pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty for
purposefully starving dozens of cats and mistreating dogs. St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2004
• A husband and wife in California pleaded no-contest to
felony animal cruelty for failing to care for two of their horses.
A pathologist testified that one of the horses likely starved to death. Los Angeles Daily News, March 2004.
• The owner of 56 horses who were found starving to death in
Colorado was convicted of felony animal cruelty and neglect and sentenced to 90 days in jail and 18 months probation. Rocky Mountain News, February 2004.

"Unfortunately, there is no shortage of neglect cases, but what we are seeing is that law makers, law enforcement, prosecutors and judges are getting tougher in addressing these crimes against animals," Chynoweth said. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have felony provisions for certain types of animal cruelty.
Whether or not an animal neglect case is prosecuted as a felony in those states is determined case-by-case.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

'PUPPY MILL' OWNER FORCED TO RELIQUISH 301 ANIMALS
By: KRISTI FLIPPIN, Staff Writer June 10, 2004

WILLS POINT - The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals won a battle against the owner of what authorities described as a "puppy mill" Thursday after a Van Zandt County judge ruled the owner was guilty of cruelty to animals and must divest the 301 animals.
Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Ozelle Wilcoxson awarded the SPCA custody of 275 dogs, 17 cats, eight birds and one horse that were rescued from filthy living conditions June 2.
The owner of the animals put her head in her hands and quietly cried when Judge Wilcoxson also ordered her to pay all court costs and a restitution of $24,080 to the SPCA for care of the animals during the past eight days.
The owner may also face criminal charges for cruelty to animals.
A prepared statement released by the SPCA said the animals will be immediately spayed or neutered and will be ready for adoption by June 17.
During the hearing, Van Zandt County Constable Pat Jordan testified that when he took a tour of the property on May 17 he found multiple dogs crowded in 2-foot by 3-foot wire cages stacked on top of each other and were matted with feces inside a non-air-conditioned metal barn.
He said approximately 200 dogs were living in "nasty conditions" inside the barn and more than 30 were caged or tethered outside. He was not allowed inside the house, where he expected more animals were living.
"I estimate eight out of every 10 bowls I saw were empty of water," Jordan testified.
The constable advised the owner to improve the animals' living conditions, but when he returned to the house on May 21 he observed the same environment.
Jordan obtained a warrant and the SPCA seized the animals from the yard, barn and found 48 dogs, 11 cats and eight birds inside the 1,400-square-foot house.
Jordan also testified he found 26 puppies dead in a wheelbarrow in the front yard.
District Attorney Leslie Poynter Dixon asked him if there was anything unusual about the dead puppies.
"Yes, they were frozen and in plastic bags," Jordan said.
The owner's daughter-in-law testified that the puppies had been in the kitchen freezer for a week and were placed there by the owner.
"They were frozen so she could bury them," she said.
A horse was also found dead in a pasture, Jordan said.
Defense attorney Sten Langsjo-en said his client was willing to voluntarily relinquish the dogs that were outside, but wanted to get back the animals that were inside her house at the time of the raid because law enforcement "did not have the right to enter her house because the warrant did not specify the house."
The judge denied the motion and allowed a videotape of the house's condition to be used as evidence.
The tape showed a messy house crowded with feces-laden cages and barking dogs. Dr. Jennifer Capp, a veterinarian present at the time of the rescue, said she saw mold growing on feces inside the house.
"The odor was terrible," she said.
This was the SPCA's second puppy mill raid this year and its largest to date.
Since their rescue, most of the animals have been cared for in a rented warehouse in downtown Dallas.
Veterinarians have evaluated all the animals and the majority are adoptable despite having ear mites, flea allergies, worms and injured paws. The SPCA reported 17 dogs are heartworm positive.
The SPCA is still accepting donations to offset the cost of this rescue mission. To help, visit www.spca.org or call (888) ANI-MALS, ext. 128.
Kristi Flippin covers Henderson and Van Zandt counties. She can be reached at 903.596-6267. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com

©Tyler Morning Telegraph 200

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

URGE MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR TIGGER'S DEATH:
An Ashtabula, Ohio couple is facing animal cruelty charges after
they allegedly ran down Tigger, a 12-pound Pomeranian puppy, on May
12, 2004. Tigger was outside his home when his 6-year-old "owner"
and other witnesses watched as the dog was hit three times by the
same car. Police and prosecutors believe that the driver and
passenger of the car switched seats and repeatedly ran down Tigger
in the street. Barry Shelott and Cassie Warsing, the alleged drivers
of the vehicle that killed Tigger, have pleaded `not guilty' to
animal cruelty charges as a result of this incident, and their trial
begins on June 29. But because animal cruelty is still only a
misdemeanor on the first offense, even if they are convicted, they
face, at most, a 3-month jail sentence and a fine.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Send a letter to the Ashtabula Prosecutor's office, thanking them
for pursuing charges against Shelott and Warsing, and encouraging
them to pursue the maximum possible sentence upon conviction.


Tom Simon, City Prosecutor
Margaret Draper, Assist. City Prosecutor
110 West 44th St.
Ashtabula, Ohio 44004
Fax: 440-998-6308
Email: jeannied@suite224.net (note: If you send an email, please
put "Maximum Sentence for Tigger's Death" in the subject line.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________-

THIS TIME IT WAS A DOG, NEXT TIME IT COULD BE A CHILD:  WHY ISN'T ANYONE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY?

____________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/06/08/crime.horses.reut/index.html

Texas woman gets bread and water for horse cruelty Tuesday, June 8, 2004 Posted: 1:10 PM EDT (1710 GMT) HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) -- A Texas woman convicted of neglecting her two horses will get only bread and water for the first three days of a 30-day jail sentence, a judge said Tuesday.
The Old West-style punishment was fitting for a crime in which Melissa Dawn Sweeney, 28, treated the horses "deplorably," County Court at Law Judge Mike Peters said.
"I used to think back to the time when jail was jail and punishment was punishment, and how they were put in solitary confinement with only bread and water to eat. That was in the back of my mind," he told Reuters.
Sweeney, a former stable worker, was convicted Friday of cruelty to animals for leaving her two horses unfed and unsheltered for four months outside her mobile home in Baytown, Texas, the Houston Chronicle said.
Peters said the horses were more than 200 pounds underweight and in poor health.
"The animals were literally starved," he said. One of them had to be euthanized, while the other recovered under the care of a new owner.
Sweeney testified that she fed the animals and treated them well but said they were in poor condition because they were old.
Peters also required Sweeney to post a photo of the malnourished horses in her jail cell.
"I want her to be forever reminded of what her conduct did to those horses,"
he said.




________________________________________________________________________________

POSTED: 9:59 am CDT June 2, 2004

HOLDENVILLE, Okla. -- Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson has been charged with racketeering and conspiracy following a 17-month investigation into dogfighting, prosecutors said.

Johnson, 33, was among 21 people charged Monday by Hughes County prosecutors. The charges accuse Johnson of participating in a ring that held fights between pit bull terriers and allowed gambling on the outcome of the fights.

Four of the 21 people accused were also accused of selling drugs.

Johnson played college football at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and was an All-American at Northern Illinois. His NFL career included stints with the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
He also played in the XFL.

Four years ago, Johnson's neighbors complained that he was involved in dog fights. Johnson's home was raided, but he was never charged.
Fourteen others were ticketed at the time for watching dog fights.

The 21 defendants will make their initial court appearance Thursday.

Felony dogfighting charges are punishable by one to 10 years in prison, said Scott Rowland, attorney for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control. Oklahoma's racketeering law carries a minimum prison sentence of 10 years that cannot be deferred or suspended until half is served in prison, Rowland said.


Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/406/
 SANTA ANA, Calif. - A man was convicted Thursday of killing and
beheading his dog after an argument with his girlfriend, and could face life  in prison under the state's three-strikes law.  Orange County Superior Court Judge Kazuharu Makino in a non-jury  trial found James Abernathy, 42, guilty of felony animal cruelty for killing the German shepherd he had named Marie.  Defense attorney William Morrissey said Abernathy is schizophrenic  but was  not taking any medication at the time of the dog's killing.  At trial, Abernathy's next-door neighbor said he showed up at her door Jan. 27, 2002, and told her he'd killed his dog after fighting with his girlfriend."He was very upset," Traci Healy said. "He was crying. He was shaking, kind of rocking back and forth. He seemed very distraught.  Healy's mother called police, and Abernathy was taken to a hospital, where  he told doctors he heard voices in his head, Morrissey said.  Psychiatric testimony was scheduled to begin Monday, June 7, 2004.
If he is determined to be sane, Abernathy faces 25 years to life in prison
because the killing would be a "third strike" conviction.
He twice has been previously convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.
 Judge Info:   http://www.occourts.org/geninfo/attynotices/order981.asp
Orange County Superior Court Judge Kazuharu Makino
Office: Central Justice Center, Department C30, 700 Civic Center
 Drive West, Santa Ana, 92701, (714) 834-5201 (subject to change) or (714)
 834-3734 (general number).
 Clerk: L. Torres
Joanna Toms Cruelty Caseworker
 www.pet-abuse.com jtoms@pet-abuse.com
717-404-7199    Toll Free Crime Line: 866-240-1179     Let Us Know About It ! - cases@reportcruelty.com     http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/caseinfo.php   Search Database - http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Man banished from Houston for killing dog By Becky Purser Telegraph
> Staff Writer PERRY - A Warner Robins man has been banished from
> Houston County after shooting and killing his neighbor's dog.
> Walter Graham, 75, of 116 Valley View Drive, pleaded guilty Thursday
> in Houston County Superior Court to aggravated cruelty to animals,
> tampering with evidence and aggravated stalking, said George Hartwig,
> assistant district attorney for Houston County.
> All of the charges are felonies, Hartwig said. He said he did not know
> why Graham shot the dog.
> Senior Judge L.A. "Buster" McConnell Jr. sentenced Graham to 10 years
> in jail to serve 60 days, with credit for time served. The judge
> banished him from the county for the period of his probation of 10
> years, said Hartwig.
> On Feb. 19, Graham went into his next-door neighbor's walled-in
> backyard and shot the family dog, Hartwig said.
> A neighbor heard the gunshot and looked out the window to see Graham
> dragging the limp dog out of the yard and into the back of his truck,
> Hartwig said. Graham then took the dog and threw it into a lake,
> Hartwig said.
> After police found splattered blood in the yard and a trail of blood
> through the yard, Graham was arrested, said Hartwig. Graham was
> released on bond pending his court date, but picked up by police again
> on March 31 after he was seen back in the neighbor's yard.
> Graham was held without bond until Thursday's court date and received
> credit for time served, which equaled the 60 days of his sentence.
> His banishment took effect immediately and he will live with relatives
> in another county, Hartwig said.
> McConnell also ordered Graham to pay $500 in court fines and fees,
> serve four hours of community service, preferably at an animal shelter
> if his health allows, and pay $800 in restitution to the family for
> the dog. Graham also was ordered to receive anger- management training
> and undergo alcohol counseling.
> Upon successful completion of his probation, Graham may have the
> felonies removed from his record under the state's first offender law,
> said Hartwig.
> Also, his 10-year probationary period may be reduced to five years for
> good behavior, Hartwig said. Once he successfully completes his
> probation, he may return to Houston County, said Hartwig.
> Hartwig said the stiff penalty for Graham's actions was made possible
> after recent changes in Georgia law that made aggravated animal
> cruelty a felony. He said the DA's office plans to aggressively pursue
> such cases.
> The punishment is appropriate for Graham's actions, giving him an
> opportunity for counseling while also protecting his neighbors, said
> Hartwig.
> Jay Walker, a Warner Robins attorney who represented Graham, declined
> to comment Friday

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/7852421.htm;
contact info provided by SavedWhiskers@aol.com

Little Chica probably never knew what happened. All she knew was pain as they extinguished the flames which engulfed her body with a fire extinguisher and rushed her to an emergency animal hospital on December 14, 2003. The suffering tabby cat was later euthanized due to burns over 90% of her body; burns that occured when Daniel Culligan thoughtlessly set her on fire for 'frustrating' him. Neighbors helped the cat seek medical help.

Since then, Daniel Culligan had confessed to her torture and the process of determining his punishment is in full swing. He has expressed no remorse for his actions, stating "What's the big deal?
Everyone has hurt cats or squirrels." (Bucks County Courier Times:
Sunday,2/1/04)

This process will come full circle tomorrow, June 2nd at the Doylestown Courthouse (Pennsylvania) after 10am.

The worth of Chica's life now stands with the decision of a judge and jury. One cannot rightly describe this cat's pain and suffering, nor the horror of this crime.

Please write a letter *today*, send a fax or email and ask that Daniel Culligan be prosecuted for BOTH the felony arson charge AND
the misdemeanor animal cruelty charge.

Please send a quick, POLITE letter to:

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Buck
Bucks County Administration Building
phone: 215-348-6351
fax: 215-348-6299

If you do not have fax available, letters will be collected at phillychickie22@yahoo.com to be delivered in court tomorrow.

Points to make in your letter:

-- Daniel Culligan should face the maximum penalty allowed by law for his felony charge of arson and misdemeanor of animal cruelty.

-- Daniel Culligan should not be allowed to own or harbor animals in the future.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Puppy Max Campaign

For updates on this campaign, please visit http://www.savepuppymax.com .
As of today, letters are still needed.
 

________________________________________________

Greetings from CBS 4 Denver! Joanna recommends you check out this story from CBS 4 Denver. Alleged Dog Killer Set To Stand Trial A man who admitted setting puppies on fire was ordered to stand trial Wednesday on charges of animal cruelty, arson and burglary. Prosecutors said Ryan Turtura, 19, set three dogs on fire. Two of them died. During testimony Thursday, police said Turtura told them he broke into Click here for the rest of this story.

Alleged Dog Killer Set To Stand Trial

May 20, 2004 10:40 am US/Mountain
DENVER (News 4) A man who admitted setting puppies on fire was ordered to stand trial Wednesday on charges of animal cruelty, arson and burglary.

Prosecutors said Ryan Turtura, 19, set three dogs on fire. Two of them died.

During testimony Thursday, police said Turtura told them he broke into the Colorado Humane Society shelter three times and stole four dogs in February.

Despite that, Turtura is pleading not guilty. He remains behind bars.

People who work at the Humane Society attended Wednesday's court hearing and said they were there in a show of support for the animals. It was the first time many of them had seen the suspect.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for next month.

One of the dogs that survived is with a new family, News 4 reports. The dog Ashley suffered burns and other injuries, but her new owners say that despite the abuse, she's very loveable.



(Copyright 2004 by news4colorado.com. All rights reserved.)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________Petco to Pay $900,000 to Settle Suits

By SETH HETTENA
.c The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., the nation's No. 2 pet supply chain, will pay more than $900,000 to settle two lawsuits that accused the company of mistreating animals and overcharging customers.

The settlements announced Thursday resolve both a lawsuit against the San Diego-based chain brought by district attorneys in four California counties along with a separate action filed in 2002 by San Francisco's city attorney.

In San Francisco, city inspectors and customers documented sick and dying animals kept in freezers; untreated animals with contagious diseases; animals in unclean enclosures with no water; freezers filled with dead birds; and reptiles and fish left dead in display tanks, according to City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

A four-year investigation by district attorneys in San Diego, Los Angeles, Marin and San Mateo counties found animals were kept in unclean cages and lacked proper nutrition and veterinary care, said Deputy District Attorney Tricia Pummill. The district attorneys'
investigation also found Petco price scanners overcharged on certain items by an average of $1.19, she said.

Petco, which admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlements, agreed to pay fines totaling $600,000. The company also will spend more than $200,000 to install improved pricing accuracy equipment at all its California stores and more than $101,000 to cover the costs of the district attorneys'investigation.

``We are pleased to have resolved these matters on terms that are consistent with comprehensive policies and practices already utilized by Petco to serve the best interests of our customers and companion animals in our care,'' said Darragh Davis, a vice president and corporate counsel.

Over the next five years, Petco will conduct daily inspections of pets for sale at all of its California stores and ensure that the animals are kept in clean cages with adequate food and drink.
Customers who are overcharged in the future will receive discounts of up to $3 off the overpriced item, said San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

Petco, which reported $1.65 billion in sales for 12 months ending Jan. 31, has 670 stores in 44 states and Washington, D.C.

The company is still facing a boycott from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, over what the group alleges is the company's pattern of mistreating animals.

On the Net:
Petco: http://www.petco.com

President, North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary
www.NTRS.org
Executive Director
The Association of Sanctuaries
www.TAOSanctuaries.org

___________

___________________________

5/17/04




St. Petersburg, Florida - Five dogs are recovering from a vicious attack and animal officials say four will not be returned to their owner.

Bill Collins, neighbor:
No one really knows what happened but I hope they catch the people because they were nice dogs you know never harmed anyone.

Bill Collins lives next door to the St. Petersburg home where four Cocker Spaniels and a Miniature Pinscher were stabbed late Friday night. Police found the animals and rushed to get them emergency care. All five are in stable condition Sunday night. Collins believes the person who attacked the dogs also broke into the house and left a message.

Collins:
It said “5 down 2 to go” and also “pay back is a bitch” and “your next move” scrolled in lipstick in the mirrors.

Connie Brooks, Shelter Manager SPCA of Pinellas County:
This case is definitely a link between animal cruelty and human violence and that's what we need to recognize. We need to take a good look and try to find out who did this because someone out there is abusing animals as well as probably humans.

Animal officials say the man who owned the 4 Cocker Spaniels will not get them back because they had health problems. The Miniature Pinscher belonged to a neighbor.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=8242

Update: St. Petersburg man arrested in attack on own dogs

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/crime/story.jsp?floc=NW_1-T&oldflok=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20040520%2F1751448943.htm&sc=1110

------------------------------------------------------------------

Indianapolis Star, The

Callers reporting dogfights
Phone line gets 14 tips in 2 months

By John Tuohy
john.tuohy@indystar.com
May 17, 2004


A new hotline is helping in the battle against a national resurgence in organized dogfighting, police and animal control officers say.

"Callers are telling us where people live who they suspect are raising animals used in fights," said Sgt. Jerry Bippus, of the Indianapolis Animal Care and Control agency. "This helps us build evidence for a case."

Big money gambling and a growing popularity among gang members have made dogfighting one of the fastest growing underground activities in the country.

The secret scrums are in abandoned buildings or distant woods.
Investigators say that sometimes, the only clue that a fight took place is a bloody pit bull carcass in a roadside ditch.

Indianapolis police and Animal Control officers established a telephone hotline two months ago to report suspected dogfighting.

So far, 14 calls have come in -- four more than the city received all last year. The calls in 2003 led to six felony prosecutions for animal cruelty. Three felony charges already have been filed this year.

An estimated 40,000 people in the United States now own or breed pit bulls for organized fighting, twice the number six years ago, according to The Humane Society of the United States.

But infiltrating local dogfight rings has proven difficult because the participants are so close-knit. Police in Indianapolis have never broken up an organized match in progress.

"It's very secretive in nature," said Patrolman John Keene, of the Chicago Police Animal Abuse Control Team. Chicago formed the team in
1999 to zero in on dogfighting.

Indianapolis Animal Control officers see injured dogs every day that were obviously in fights. But under the law, the wounds alone aren't enough for a dogfighting conviction.

Police also need as evidence the tools used to train the dogs for fights, such as the sticks used to pull apart sparring dogs.

When police went to the 2000 block of Orchard Avenue on Oct. 30, 2003, in what would become one of the city's most recent fighting cases, officers reported they found a clear sign of training: 23 dogs hanging from trees by their jaws. The method is commonly used to strengthen their bites.

Behind the house, Bippus found a pit bull "white and brown male, very thin, with ribs showing, hips showing," Bippus wrote in a report. The dog had no food or water.

The dog "had several puncture marks to the face, legs and chest, old and new wounds."

Another pit bull was "extremely thin, ribs showing, puncture marks bleeding from the neck, the face." In the garage were "feces on the floor and a cage with five young puppies in it, possibly a week old or two weeks," Bippus wrote. "There was no water available for the mother."

The owner of the dogs was convicted on a dogfighting charge. The dogs were taken to the animal shelter and put up for adoption. Most were eventually put to sleep.

Dogfighting means big money -- some purses reach $40,000 -- so preparing dogs for battle is crucial.

Animals are starved to make them more aggressive. They exercise on treadmills and have canine "sparring partners" -- usually dogs stolen from the neighborhood -- and are given regular doses of steroids and vitamins.

Organizers stage fights in rings lined with plywood walls. The dogs are unchained and attack each other, biting and clawing. When one dog turns away from the fight, the round ends. After a short pause, they are sent back into the fray.

The fight ends when one of the dogs refuses to continue.

While money is the traditional motive for the dogfighting, gang members are in it mostly for entertainment and bragging rights, experts say.

"These kids strut up and down the street and the message is, 'My dog can whoop your dog,' " said Sandy Rowland, director of the Great Lakes Regional Office for the Humane Society.

Gang members barred from having handguns find owning a pit bull a legal form of intimidation, said Eric Sakach, the West Coast regional director of the Humane Society of the United States.

On Sept. 9, 2003, Marion County Animal Control officers and the Indianapolis police responded to a call of a dogfight in progress at Space Park, 1800 Brookside Ave., at about 6 p.m.

As a group of 15 youths scattered, the officers found an abandoned pit bull in the park and another on a leash with a 14-year-old boy.

The dog with the boy was an 8-month-old named Red, who weighed 32 pounds and had dozens of puncture wounds on his head, face and body.
Red's left lower lip was cut and he had blood on the right side of the face.

The other pit was a black and white 5-year-old. It had hundreds of puncture wounds in a ring around its entire neck, and wounds to the head, face, chest, back and legs.

Prosecutors convicted the juvenile on dogfighting charges and have a warrant for the arrest of the owner of the other dog.

The dogs were put up for adoption.

Marion County Animal Care and Control hopes its hotline helps crack down on dogfights. It has bought seven billboards advertising it.

"Sponsors are donating more signs every week," Bippus said. "My goal is to get an informant in one of these major rings."

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at (317) 444-6418.
Tip line
The Central Indiana Canine Crime Stoppers lets residents anonymously report suspected dog fighting activity:

Number: (317) 262-TIPS.

Rewards: A cash reward of up to $1,000 is available for information that leads to a felony arrest. Results: So far, 14 calls have come in -- four morethan the city received all of last year.


 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With this conviction the jury brought to a close the infamous case of Emma Harter - reputed puppy miller from Antelope Valley CA.  While sending an elderly woman to jail would not accomplish anything positive for society preventing Harter from ever running a breeding kennel would serves as a message to all that society does not condone mass breeding of dogs being forced to live in inhumane conditions.

California woman convicted of cruelty toward 230 dogs
A 72-year-old woman collapsed in court today after a jury convicted her of animal cruelty toward more than 230 Chihuahuas and 60 birds she kept in squalor at her southern California home.

Emma Regina Harter, who was also convicted of lesser charges of battery on an animal control officer, unsanitary conditions and failure to isolate sick animals, was treated in the courtroom by paramedics and released, prosecutors said.

She was ordered to return to court on Friday, when she faces a possible sentence of five years in prison.

Authorities raided Harter's home, which was caked in layers of faecal matter and where Chihuahuas were living in the walls, in November and seized the animals.

Many of the diminutive dogs died due to illness after they were taken from Harter's home and others were found too dangerous for adoption.

But after the story became national news animal activists convinced a judge to spare about 150 of the animals from being put to death.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004...9199269041.htmlMORE: Animal-cruelty verdict too much for defendant Article Published: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 7:25:33 PM PST
By Karen Maeshiro

It was Tyke's death that brought about Action for Animals Network in 1994. This is very good news.

 

Mary

 

............................................................................................................

 

For the first time since elephants began entertaining people at American
circuses more than 200 years ago, the federal government has removed a
herd of circus animals from an owner accused of mistreating and
mishandling his animals.

Under a consent decree that took effect this week between the U.S.
Agriculture Department and John F. Cuneo Jr. and his Hawthorn Corp., 16
circus elephants will be removed from its Illinois facilities by August
and sent to other homes. The company also agreed to pay a $200,000 fine.

The removal will end a troubled history Cuneo has had with elephants. One
of his animals went on a rampage in 1994 in Honolulu, killing its trainer
and running through the streets before being shot and killed. Two other
animals got into a fight in Charlotte that ended with the animals crashing
into a church and demolishing a car. In 1996, two of Cuneo's animals died
of tuberculosis in the same week.

full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2956-2004Mar17.html

 

   "Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is -- whether its victim is human or animal --we cannot expect things to be much better in this world.. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature.  By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity."

 

Rachel Carson

Waynesboro couple banned from owning pets Pleaded guilty to animal cruelty; four pets destroyed   By MICHAEL L. OWENS News Virginian Thursday, April 8, 2004   A Waynesboro couple can never again own pets after allowing a collar to become embedded in a puppy’s neck. Nancy Rebecca Henderson, 39, and Otho Clarence Hite, 33, each were sentenced Monday to a month in jail after pleading guilty to four counts of animal cruelty. A Waynesboro General District Court judge also slapped both Henderson and Hite with a $400 fine and forbade them from ever owning another pet. Police in February confiscated three dogs and a cat from the couple’s home in the 400 block of North Bath Avenue after a neighbor complained the animals were not getting fed. The Augusta County SPCA had to destroy the 6-month-old puppy, named Hardhead, because a collar had fused into its neck. A state veterinarian decided that Hardhead and the two adult dogs accompanying him - Shaiborca and Sparky - had injuries too severe to treat. The cat, named Snowflake, also suffered severe injuries and proved too aggressive for an animal shelter to take, police said. An officer who confiscated the animals said they lived "on one big patch of ice in the backyard." Defense attorney Paul Titus, who represented Hite, said his client is remorseful over the incident. "My client is very sorry for what happened and never intended for it to happen," Titus said Wednesday.               •Man pleads guilty to offering Hurley a bribe •Pit bull trainer gets 2 years •Pomona man suspected of sexually molesting teen •Police seek driver in hit-and-run •Injured jail guards win lawsuit against county •3 men stabbed, beaten •Scam suspect goes on trial •Students charged in theft of chemicals from school lab •Indictments in County Court •DNA helps solve lesser crimes •High-tech DNA raises questions •Hit-and-run in Pearl River •Elmsford replenishing police ranks •Man on probation charged in car break-in •Woman gets prison for stabbing death •Yonkers man critical after shooting Pit bull trainer gets 2 years By JONATHAN BANDLER THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: April 3, 2004) WHITE PLAINS — A Yonkers man who trained pit bulls to fight in a basement where police found 17 of the dogs living in squalor was sentenced yesterday to two years in the Westchester County penitentiary. Despite prior convictions for drug activity and animal fighting, Dean Clymer was spared a state prison sentence because Westchester County Judge Kenneth Lange said he wanted to ensure that the 37-year-old defendant remained near the three children he supports. The judge said it was not to be lenient with Clymer, especially since he would likely be incarcerated for about the same amount of time as if he had gotten the maximum 1 1/2- to 4-year state prison sentence. "I don't for a minute believe ... you were not in the animal fighting business," the judge told Clymer, referring to the defendant's repeated denials in the case. Following a nonjury trial in November, Lange found Clymer and Jaron Bratton, 19, guilty of prohibition of animal fighting, a felony punishable by up to four years in state prison, and misdemeanor crimes of mistreating and not feeding the dogs that were kept in the basement that Clymer leased. The pair were acquitted of aggravated cruelty to animals, and Lange said yesterday that was because the pit bulls had not suffered the grievous and unconscionable acts for which that felony charge was reserved. "Although the evidence did establish some disgusting, heartless and very neglectful treatment of animals," Lange added. Police raided 101 Fernbrook St. on Jan. 14, 2003, after getting a tip that a dog-fighting ring was in the basement, and found 17 pit bulls. The basement was filthy, all the dogs were malnourished and some were injured. Three had to be euthanized immediately, and four others were eventually put to death because of their physical or psychological injuries from being used as bait in the training. Lange sentenced Bratton last week to a year in the county penitentiary and adjudicated him as a youthful offender. A third defendant, Kyle Ellison, who acknowledged that he was hired to walk the dogs, pleaded guilty before trial and was sentenced to probation. Clymer was also convicted of criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument, both at the basement and at his home. In addition to a one-year sentence for the animal-treatment convictions, Lange gave Clymer a one-year term to run consecutively for the syringe at his home, saying his past convictions meant he knew such possession was illegal. Assistant District Attorney Julia Cornachio requested the maximum state prison sentence. "He still doesn't take what he did that seriously," she said. "He needs to be punished for his crimes." Clymer continuously denied that he had done anything wrong with the pit bulls, or was training them to fight, despite his guilty plea in New Jersey last year to similar charges. He apologized yesterday to his community and family and asked Lange for leniency. His lawyer, Barry Warhit, requested a sentence shorter than the maximum. Clymer had also faced a fine of up to $25,000, but Lange declined to impose one, saying his children would unfairly suffer if Clymer had to pay a fine. Warhit represented Clymer only for the sentencing. Clymer had gone to trial with Donald Roth as his lawyer, even though Roth was under indictment on federal witness tampering and obstruction of justice charges. Roth and his investigator were convicted in February and face up to five years in federal prison when sentenced in June. HEADLINE: Nation's Most Notorious Pet 'B Dealer' Charged!; Over 1,000 Federal Violations of the Animal Welfare Act Could Amount in $4 Million Fine for Christian Minister, C.C. Baird; 'The FBI of Animal Rights,' Last Chance for Animals' Investigation of Baird Prompts USDA's Charges DATELINE: LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 2 BODY: This week, the "FBI of Animal Rights," Last Chance for Animals' (LCA) 15-year investigation on "B Dealer," and Church of Christ Minster, C.C. Baird, resulted in the USDA's 108-page list of over 1000 animal cruelty charges against, C.C. Baird, owner of Martin Creek Kennels in Williford, Arkansas. The charges, which include alleged violations of random source regulations and naming of more than 52 "bunchers" Baird employed to steal companion pets that he sold to research laboratories are graphic and disturbing. Details of the charges will be revealed by Last Chance for Animals founder, Chris DeRose in a press conference in Little Rock Arkansas on Saturday, April 17th at the Capital Hotel, 111 West Markham Street at 11 a.m. The charges against Baird are a monumental victory for LCA. Their 15-year investigation on the B Dealer prompted the US Attorney and 5 other federal organizations, including the USDA, to investigate Baird last fall. On September 26, 2003, 6 Federal organizations and the Arkansas State Police descended upon Baird's Sharp County Martin Creek Kennels property and confiscated 125 of his 750 Animals. The US Attorney's criminal indictment of Baird and his connection to stealing thousands of pets in Arkansas and neighboring states is pending. Some of the charges that the USDA inspectors listed include: * "Dogs suffering from fresh puncture wounds and lacerations." * "Dog skeletons and carcasses, still bearing their ID tags ... on (Baird's) property." * "Waste cover(ing) the floor of the (dog's) enclosure, preventing the animals from walking without stepping in urine, feces and food debris." * "Among the dozens of live rats and mice in all areas of the room, one rat became stuck in a wall, and was killed and eaten on the spot (by the dogs) in pen number ---. Live, whole rats do not constitute wholesome, palatable food for dogs." Coincidentally, Senator Daniel Akaka's (HI) re-introduction of the "Pet Safety and Protection Act" is scheduled to be brought to the senatorial floor in the coming week. "These charges against Baird help to show the importance of creating laws that will protect companion pets from being sold to research laboratories," said Chris Derose. "Our investigation showed that Baird has been stealing thousands of pets for many years. Not only could he be fined over $4 million dollars for the abominable manner in which he treated them while they awaited their fate on a researcher's slab, but he also stands to lose his B Dealer license. Currently his B Dealer license legally allows him to collect random source animals to sell to research labs. If Senator Akaka's bill passes, this will make B Dealer licenses extinct. " The USDA's charges against Baird are ironic, as the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (A.P.H.I.S.) is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A.P.H.I.S. issues B Dealer licenses and self-governed themselves on this issue. Founded in 1984 by Chris DeRose, Last Chance for Animals (www.lcanimal.org) is the "FBI of Animal Rights," a national, nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to ending animal exploitation and suffering. SOURCE Last Chance for Animals CONTACT: Alyson Dutch of Brown & Dutch PR Inc., +1-310-456-7151, for Last Chance for Animals URL: http://www.prnewswire.com LOAD-DATE: April 3, 2004 Dear Boxer Friends,   Our group (Cape May County Animal Shelter Alliance) is hoping that you will forward this message to boxer lovers on your list and that you will write a polite letter in support of appropriate justice for a pure bred boxer allowed to die of starvation and perhaps freezing while tied outside to a tree this bitter cold winter.  Our plea to our membership to write letters follows as well as the Atlantic City Press Article concerning the tragedy.    Please take a few moments to write politely asking that justice be served in this case and to forward this plea to anyone you know who might write also.   Many thanks, Madelyn   The hearing concerning "Joe", the boxer starved/frozen to death in Burleigh, New Jersey, earlier this year, will take place at noon Wednesday, April 28th in the Middle Township Municipal Court, Mechanic and Boyd Streets, Cape May Court House. If you cannot attend, please write polite letters asking for justice for “Joe”.   Judge Peter Tourison                           33 Mechanic Street                             Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 mtcourt@middletownship.com                                  Prosecutor Mary Bittner 33 Mechanic Street Cape May Court House, NJ08210 mtcourt@middletownship.com                                                               http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/cape/030404MTDOGMARCH4.cfm New court date for woman charged in dog starving By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713 MIDDLE TOWNSHIP - After a judge issued a warrant and many animal advocates left court Wednesday, the woman charged with leaving a dead dog tethered to a tree entered Municipal Court - twice - and had her court appearance postponed. Michelle Wilson, of Burleigh, walked into court an hour and a half after her 9 a.m. court date. Municipal Judge Peter Tourison had already issued a bench warrant for her and set a $1,000 bail for failing to appear. But as she was ready to answer the charges of a disorderly persons offense for failing to provide a dog with proper sustenance and shelter, Wilson disapproved of the presence of a television news camera and walked out, saying, "I'm not talking in front of news cameras. You can arrest me if you want." She re-entered the courtroom several minutes later and told the judge she wanted an attorney. Tourison rescinded the warrant and postponed the hearing until March 31at noon; he advised Wilson to get an attorney right away. Leaving the courtroom, Wilson declined comment. Wilson faces four counts of failing to provide proper housing and sustenance for the dog - all are disorderly persons offenses. She pleaded innocent on two counts Feb. 11, but she did not appear in court Feb. 23 for the other two counts. Wilson had said the boxer that Middle Township Animal Control Officer Bill Candell found dead on her property in January belonged to an acquaintance. Animal advocates have swarmed over the case and attended each of Wilson's scheduled court appearances in February and March. After Tourison issued the bench warrant, almost one-quarter of the people - all wearing stickers with pictures of a boxer - left court. Cape May County Animal Shelter Alliance President Linda Gentille said the case highlights a need for legislation to limit the time a dog can be chained and to include stricter requirements for shelter. "I think this dog didn't have to die for nothing," she said. Gentille petitioned Middle Township officials Monday to enact legislation, and she will address other municipalities this month, she said. Although the dog died of starvation and not from the cold, Gentille said, "Dogs that are chained are usually the most neglected." New Jersey law outlines grounds and penalties for animal-cruelty convictions. Failing to provide an animal with proper food, drink, shelter or protection from the weather are all grounds for a disorderly persons offense. Penalties for convictions can range from $250 to $1,000 in fines, a maximum six-month imprisonment, and as many as 30 days of community service. Intentionally torturing or tormenting animals carry stiffer penalties. Daniel Paden, a caseworker with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, said that, if found guilty, Wilson should not be allowed to own or harbor animals. "The law does allow for that to be determined and to be enforced," Paden said. PETA, a national organization, involves itself with cases based on public response, he said. Paden wrote a letter this week to Middle Township Prosecutor Mary Bittner and asked her to seek jail time and a psychological evaluation for the accused. Candell said he observed the male boxer behind Wilson's house and without shelter in late November. He warned her to get shelter for the animal, but in December he found the dog outside and issued a summons, he said. In late January, an anonymous caller informed Candell that the dog was outside and dead, tied to a cedar tree with an aircraft cable, he said. To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press: BIanieri@pressofac.com     Everyone - Please answer "Did the punishment fit the crime?" at the link  http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/1955/MI/US/1.  Hopefully, you will all choose "FAR TOO LENIENT". From:     "Adela/Total Animal Liberation" <yks30ver60x@rcn.com> Date:     4/13/04 1:33PM Subject:     Fw: Boxer The Cat - Did the Punishment Fit The Crime?  CLICK on FIRST OPTION!!! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Four Paws Trail" <fourpawstrail@provide.net> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 1:44 AM Subject: Boxer The Cat - Did the Punishment Fit The Crime? Everyone - Please answer "Did the punishment fit the crime?" at the link:     http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/1955/MI/US/1.     Hopefully, you will all choose "FAR TOO LENIENT".    Dave Nulph of Michigan clobbered a beloved cat to death and got nine days > in jail, 18 months probation and $2700 in fines! This wasn't the first > animal he killed - it was the THIRD.  The other two were dogs. > >Please let your opinion be known and pass this on to others who may wish to express their opinions, too. > > Tina > > ---------- > FOUR PAWS  TRAIL > Visit our web site: www.fourpawstrail.com > Come and join us on one of our lists - Blow killed Gizmo, autopsy finds By CHRISTIAN BOTTORFF Staff Writer But exam could not rule out dog was hit by car A ''severe blow to the brain stem area'' was the likely cause of death for Gizmo, a 16-year-old Yorkshire terrier reportedly kicked to death, according to an examination by state veterinarians. The exam, results of which were released yesterday, seems to bolster an account by the dog's owner, who said he saw a man kick his dog like a football last week. ''There was nothing that definitively defined the source of the injury,'' said Dr. Ron Wilson, director of the C.E. Kord Diagnostic Laboratory at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville, where the exam was conducted. ''But certainly there was nothing that disputed the story that was offered … by the owner.'' However, the exam cannot rule out that the dog was hit by a car, Wilson said. At least one person, the suspect's grandfather, has said the charges against Chad Daniel Crawford, 23, are false and that the dog could have been hit by a car. The dog's owners, Jelani Lewis, 29, and Jessica McKenzie, 27, paid for the exam. Attempts to reach them were unsuccessful yesterday. But in a voice mail to The Tennessean, Lewis said he felt the exam results backed up his account. Although the exam cannot rule out a car accident, Gizmo's tiny frame, which weighed just over 2 pounds, showed no signs that it was crushed by a car tire, Wilson said. ''Had we seen that, it would make unlikely the case that the animal had been kicked,'' he said. ''There was no evidence of crushing.'' The autopsy, performed by state veterinary pathologist Lani Vincent, found that the back of Gizmo's skull was crushed and that he had blood in his lungs, along with a blood clot in his liver. It also showed the dog was well fed, had been groomed ''recently'' before death and had suffered no injuries or bruising besides what occurred in the incident leading to his death. On Monday, Gizmo was cremated at Nashville's Faithful Friends Pet Memorial Services. Gizmo's ashes are now in a cage in his owners' living room, Lewis said in a voice-mail message yesterday. Gizmo's death gained international attention after Lewis' report that he watched in horror as one of three men held the dog low to the ground, while another man ran forward, kicking it like a football. The dog smacked onto the parking-lot pavement and then his body rolled underneath a parked car, the report said. After Lewis caught Crawford, police arrested him and charged him with cruelty to animals and felony vandalism, assessed because of the dog's value. A man who was with Crawford told police that Crawford committed the act, according to police records. Attempts to reach Crawford have been unsuccessful. Yesterday he told WSMV-Channel 4 that he was innocent and that witnesses will come forward to corroborate his account. In another development, Metro's animal control director said yesterday that Gizmo's owner wasn't necessarily breaking the law by letting the Yorkie outside without a leash. ''If he was in a parking lot or if he was in a grassy area adjacent to the apartment, that could be part of his property where he is living,'' Judy Ladebauche said. State laws do not specify that pets have to be on a leash, Ladebauche said. Instead, owners must have the animals under their control. And apartment and condominium properties set their own rules and guidelines for how pets are allowed to roam. Christian Bottorff can be reached at 726-8904 or cbottorff@tennessean.com.   One of the wonderful woman that helped rescue the 51/2 month old puppy from Cypress park went this evening to rescue this poor, starving emaciated dog.  She was tied up to a tree with no food and water.  She is skin and bones.  She was beaten by her owner and left to die.  I do not know how people do these things.  This dog needs immediate medical attention and a safe place to recover. The description that I have at this time is a blonde, female terrier mix. She has a sweet disposition, but is very frightened.  Please, once again, We are asking for your help for this poor defenseless dog. _________________________________________________________________________________-     Hillsborough County Animal Services (HCAS) has charged Plant City High School agricultural sciences teacher Jane Bender with two counts of cruelty to animals for admittedly dismembering several day-old rabbits with a shovel in front of her horrified high school students. The Veterinary Assisting Curriculum Framework for Bender's class, as stipulated by the state of Florida, mandates that the course provide a clear demonstration of "basic first aid for companion animals" and demonstrate the application of "scientific and technological principles to the veterinary sciences and companion animal industry." Bender did not display adherence to either of these principles when she raised a shovel to decapitate animals who were in obvious need of medical attention. Teaching students to care for animals fosters respect and sensitivity. Demonstrating violence toward animals is not only illegal, but also teaches a dangerous lesson that desensitizes students to the suffering of others, and such training has no rightful place in our public school system. Although students were asked to participate in this gruesome "lesson," they used good judgment and refused to assist Bender. However, in stark contrast to the HCAS decision to charge Bender with cruelty to animals for allegedly committing this grisly act in front of her students, the school district of Hillsborough County has publicly stated that Bender broke no rules and has even claimed that suffocating and dismembering animals is an acceptable "part of farming." Bender has hired an attorney to defend herself, but animals and the students in Florida's classrooms still need your help! Please ask the Florida Department of Education to revoke Bender's teaching credentials and to implement a statewide program of veterinary care for animals used in classrooms and on campuses in Florida. Let officials know that you don't want your tax money used to pay the salary of any teacher who condones and demonstrates violent behavior in the classroom: F. Philip Handy, Chair State Board of Education Winter Park Capital Company P.O. Box 3090 Winter Park, FL 32790 407-644-9700 fphandyman@aol.com _____________ 1) The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that on Monday, April 12, Steven David Jackson, the man who bludgeoned Chiquilin the Pomeranian puppy to death with a golf club (see HUMANElines Issue 287 ), was sentenced to a full year in jail for his conviction of felony animal cruelty. Judge Art Danner also ordered Jackson to undergo anger management counseling, pay restitution to the dog's family, and complete three years of probation. 2) Just a few months earlier, a Colorado jury found Randy Randels guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty for his role in the death of Misha the dog. Misha was killed when Randels dragged her for miles tied to the bumper of his car. Randels will be sentenced for his crime on Wednesday, July 9, at which time he faces a maximum three- month prison sentence and a $1000 fine. Letters to the judge, requesting stern sentencing, can be sent to: The Honorable Edward Casias Summit Combined Court P.O. Box 185 Breckenridge, CO 80424 Fax: (970) 453-1134 Mosby's killer fined for cruelty   By MICHAEL L. OWENS The News Virginian Thursday, April 22, 2004   A Deerfield man will have to pay a $1,500 fine for shooting to death Staunton’s beloved unofficial canine mascot, the tri-colored malamute Mosby. A judge Wednesday upheld a February jury’s guilty verdict against James C. Coleman, 67, despite his lawyer’s attempt to overturn the decision. It marked Virginia’s first felony animal-cruelty conviction under a law passed in 1999. Today, Coleman will appear in Augusta County General District Court on a separate charge of assaulting a News Leader reporter who was taking his photograph during a break in the February trial. Defense attorney William W. Helsley of Harrisonburg argued unsuccessfully Wednesday that Coleman is guilty of a lesser misdemeanor charge of maiming or killing an animal, instead of the felony cruelty to animals. Coleman could have received a stiffer, five-year prison sentence from the jury, as well as a $2,500 fine. "I myself had wished the man had gone to jail," Carole Adams, the dog’s owner, said outside the courtroom Wednesday. "Yeah, I’m still upset. Her husband, John, also remained angry. "I wish Sheriff [Randy] Fisher had come with a U-Haul to take away his guns," he said. "The main thing is they should get the guns away from him." As a felon, Coleman automatically has to dispense with his extensive gun collection and can no longer sell them. The Adamses last saw Mosby on Aug. 7 when it and a bluetick hound named "Doc" ran from their Deerfield home to go skunk hunting. Mosby never returned. The malamute met his fate that night when it and Doc cornered a skunk between Coleman’s house and a heating and air conditioning unit. Coleman, a retired machinist, testified at his trial to grabbing a single-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, thinking Mosby was a coyote. He shot the dog in the face. John Adams found Mosby’s carcass in a trash bag with the skunk, at a dump site a ¼-mile from Coleman’s home. Before the grisly discovery, Coleman had told Adams that he had never seen Mosby. Adams assaulted Coleman in the Deerfield post office weeks later, after Coleman had been arrested. A judge in December took Adams’ misdemeanor assault-and-battery charge under advisement and will dismiss it if Adams obeys all laws through June. Contact Michael L. Owens at mowens@newsvirginian.com.                                                                     Virginia's First FELONY Animal Cruelty Conviction!!!: http://www.newsvirginian.com/servlet/Satellite?c=MGArticle&cid=1031775020930&pagename=WNV/MGArticle/WNV_BasicArticle&path=!news!localnews Marina Pisano San Antonio Express-News It was a nasty scene of cruelty played out on a spring day. Teenage boys savagely stomping two tiny kittens as if they were pieces of trash. A man passing by chased off the boys, but not before they had killed one of the animals. He scooped up the other one and rushed to the Animal Defense League. Three-week-old Mona Lisa, as rescuers named her, lived but suffered severe injuries that left her unable to move her mangled back legs. More Coverage Reasons a child may be abusing animals Such acts of cruelty have risen dramatically, and research is showing they should raise alarms for parents and society. "Unfortunately, we see a lot of animal abuse," says Gayle Jones, Animal Defense League foster care coordinator, who cared for Mona Lisa before her adoption last August. "We've seen severe blows, head trauma, paint poured all over them, burns. We're like a MASH unit. We go that extra mile and don't give up on them." San Antonio animal cruelty investigator Eddie Wright says his office received 5,920 animal cruelty calls in fiscal 2003, up from 3,629 in 2002. Calls specifically involving youth abusing animals are not separated out, but he estimates those account for 10 percent of calls. The Humane Society of the United States says there are no national statistics on animal cruelty or on children hurting pets, strays and other animals. But its recently released 2003 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases is a snapshot of some incidents reported around the country. Of the 1,373 cases involving 1,682 perpetrators, 57 percent were intentional cruelty and 43 percent were extreme neglect. Adult and teen males commit most animal cruelty, and pets are the most common victims, dogs more frequently than cats. Researcher Kathleen Heide calls such acts a "red flag," a possible sign of serious behavioral and mental health problems that, without intervention, can lead to adult violence against people. "Healthy happy kids don't torture little vulnerable animals," says Heide, a psychotherapist and professor of criminology at the University of South Florida at Tampa. "At minimum, this behavior tells us either the child has observed this and thinks it's OK, or there's something going on in the child — pain, rage or a need to demonstrate effectiveness and power." Law enforcement and mental health professionals long have linked animal cruelty and violent crime in clinical and anecdotal reports. But Heide looked at adult male Florida prison inmates, 45 violent offenders and a control group of 45 nonviolent offenders, and analyzed, quantitatively and qualitatively, their involvement in extreme animal cruelty as children and teens. Heide found violent offenders were significantly more likely to have abused pets and stray animals in childhood than nonviolent offenders. They showed a tendency to abuse farm and wild animals as well. The research appears in her new book "Animal Cruelty: Pathway to Violence Against People" (Rowman & Littlefield, paper, $24.95), co-authored with animal welfare expert Linda Merz-Perez. The sample of violent men included serious, chronic offenders. One- third had committed murder, another third sexual assault. The acts of childhood animal cruelty included mutilating, burning and killing animals or having sex with animals. One gruesome example cited a boy who glued a cat to the road and watched as it was run over by a car. "This wasn't kids being kids," Heide says. Why do they do this? Heide looked at three explanations and found examples of each in the violent sample. One is the rage-anger displacement theory. The person is angry about something that happened to him, abuse for example, and transfers the anger onto a pet, the most vulnerable member of the family, or onto other animals in aggressive and cruel acts. In a second type, the person takes sadistic pleasure in hurting others. Third, Heide says, "is the sexually polymorphous theory. For these individuals to experience sexual excitement and release, it has to be paired with acts of destruction or cruelty." Frank R. Ascione, a leading expert on youth and animal cruelty, says the psychiatric community finally understands this is violence, not destruction of property. In fact, animal abuse can be an early symptom of conduct disorder, a psychiatric diagnosis involving antisocial or delinquent behavior, such as bullying, stealing and forcing sex on someone. Abuse can show up early. "There's research showing a 24-month-old can display cruel behavior (with an animal) beyond the typical exploratory behavior of a child," says Ascione, who has a new book on children and animals coming out in the fall. In a small number of cases, attacks on animals may be related to a psychotic state in the child or violence in the child's life. A recent awareness campaign by the Humane Society focused on the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty. Heide's study revealed a high incidence of physical and psychological childhood abuse among both violent and nonviolent offenders. "But what seemed to make the difference among those who were abused as children but didn't go on to hurt others was that, along the way, they developed more empathy and a sense of reflection," she says. The violent offenders either showed no feelings of remorse or actually got a thrill out of it. In some cases, Heide says, the kind of violence they inflicted on people was similar to what they did to animals. One inmate with a childhood history of hitting stray animals with stones and bricks was convicted of sexual battery on a 65-year-old, severely beating the victim's face. Ascione says the link between hurting animals and school shootings can't always be documented, but one study of 11 young shooters found about half had an alleged history of animal abuse. Research shows fire-setting and animal abuse frequently co-occur, and psychopaths and serial killers often have a history of abusing animals. But Ascione says these individuals are rare extremes and don't help us understand the great majority of animal cruelty cases. Neither, he adds, do bizarre and rare acts of ritual mutilation or satanic cult animal killings. Though concerned, Heide doesn't want to alarm parents. If a preschooler pinches a puppy, it doesn't mean he or she has conduct disorder or will grow up to be a serial killer. But lessons of empathy and compassion are important, she says, and parents should start early teaching youngsters that animals feel pain. If parents see deliberate cruelty or a pattern of hurting animals, they should consult a counselor or therapist. Heide recounts the story of a boy who received a rifle from his grandfather and proceeded to "try it out" by shooting a neighbor's pig. The grandfather broke the rifle and made the boy apologize and help tend the animals on the neighbor's farm for a year as compensation. "Over that time, the boy came to love working with the pigs, and he had remorse and came to realize he could never hurt an animal again. Children can learn." Happily, Mona Lisa, now a year old, is playful, curious and thriving despite abuse-related urinary problems and crippling leg injuries. "She can't move her back legs, but she scoots her body along the floor and even climbs up on the furniture," says Linda Barcus, who adopted her. Last week, a veterinarian amputated the left hind leg because of an infection, but the cat is expected to move around as well as ever. The teens who stomped Mona Lisa were never apprehended, and if Heide is right, they are headed straight toward further violent behavior. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- mpisano@express-news.net House approves bill to outlaw hog-dog rodeos Times-Picayune House approves bill to outlaw hog-dog rodeos Opponents say these events are a way of life Wednesday, April 28, 2004 By Robert Travis Scott Capital bureau BATON ROUGE -- Hogs won a major round Tuesday in a legislative fight over a bill that would penalize participants in rodeo-type spectator events where dogs bite wild pigs to wrestle them to the ground. After a boisterous hourlong House debate in which one lawmaker wore a hog nose and scores of others squealed and clucked animal noises, supporters of House Bill 1244 by Rep. Warren Triche, D-Thibodaux, fought off several challenges by opponents attempting to derail the measure and won approval by a vote of 75-25. Animal rights activists and neighbors of some "hog-dog rodeo" events in rural areas have sought to prohibit the practice, but event sponsors and some rural lawmakers say the bill is an attack on their way of life. "I want some of you city folks to listen," said Rep. Troy Hebert, D- Jeanerette, an opponent of the bill. "This is about the country versus the urban areas." People in some rural areas use pit bulls and other dogs to help capture wild hogs, a nuisance to farmers. The hog-dog rodeos are an extension of that practice and help train the dogs, supporters say. In the rodeos, spectators watch as a dog inside a fenced area confronts a hog released from a pen. The dog bites the hog on its head or snout, holding on and twisting the hog to the ground. The dog's keepers then pry its jaws off the hog. The action usually lasts less than a minute. Triche called the events a "twisted activity" providing fertile ground for illegal gambling and painting Louisiana as a "hillbilly heaven." The first attempt to kill the bill was a proposal to send it to the House Agriculture Committee, a panel likely to disapprove the measure. That maneuver lost 34-63. The bill already passed the House Criminal Justice Committee. It now goes to the Senate. The bill's opponents then used a three-pronged argument. Hebert criticized the bill as an attack on rural culture. "I think someone is threatening a way of life, a tradition I grew up with," Hebert said. He questioned why hog-dog rodeos are singled out when humans hurt animals is many acceptable ways, such as whipping race horses. He said lawmakers should hear the sound of "boiled crawfish hollering." Rep. Taylor Townsend, D-Natchitoches, argued that animal cruelty already is prohibited. It is up to local sheriffs to enforce the law, he said. Rep. Charlie DeWitt, D-Lecompte, tried to kill the hog-dog bill by offering an amendment that also would ban cockfighting, which is legal in Louisiana. DeWitt proposed the amendment by arguing that, if Louisiana wants to clean up its image, it should get rid of all forms of events unkind to animals. The bill's supporters said DeWitt's amendment was simply an artifice to kill the bill. Bills to ban cockfighting have failed repeatedly in the Legislature, and the burden of DeWitt's amendment likely would have brought down the whole measure. . . . . . . . Robert Travis Scott can be reached at rscott@timespicayune.com or (225) 342-4197. ______________________________________________________________ (Photo of Rep. Triche wearing a pig snout can be seen at http://2theadvocate.com/stories/042804/leg_hogdog001.shtml) www.theadvocate.com Legislators kill cockfighting ban, send hog-dog fight bill to Senate The Advocate By SCOTT DYER sdyer@theadvocate.com Capitol news bureau The feathers flew on the House floor Tuesday when opponents battling a proposed ban on commercial hog-dog fights tried to kill the bill by adding a provision to make cockfighting illegal. "If a dog grabbing a hog by the ear is cruel, then strapping spurs on chickens so they can fight each other is definitely cruel," said Rep. Charlie DeWitt, D-Lecompte, who sponsored the cockfighting amendment. And DeWitt warned his fellow legislators that voting against his cockfighting amendment might come back to haunt them if they seek re- election. "You'll look up one day and your opponent will be there with a dead chicken in one hand and your picture in the other," DeWitt said. But the House easily defeated DeWitt's amendment, then voted 75-25 in favor of House Bill 1244 by Rep. Warren Triche, to outlaw hog-dog fights. The legislation, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, was prompted by media reports of a hog-dog rodeo in East Feliciana Parish in which dogs chase and bite the ears of hogs to win. Triche debated his bill wearing a plastic pig snout. "I am trying to add a little humor here, but this is a very serious bill," Triche said. Triche said DeWitt was pushing the cockfighting ban in an attempt to kill his bill. "When somebody wants to kill a bill and they don't have enough votes, they look for something else to put on the bill to get them the extra votes they need," Triche said. In this case, Triche said, DeWitt was trying to woo the support of Acadiana lawmakers, who largely view cockfighting as part of their culture. During the debate, Triche showed a video of a violent hog- dog fight in Alabama that was secretly taped by animal-rights activists. In arguing against Triche's bill, Rep. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, mocked the video and joked that lawmakers could listen to an audio of crawfish beinging boiled alive on another channel. "If we pass this bill, where are we going to stop?" Hebert asked. Triche noted that four Southern states, including Texas and Florida, have outlawed spectator events that pit dogs against hogs in a fight to the death. Triche said hogs turn out to be the losers in most of the fights because their tusks have been removed. However, Triche emphasized that his bill would continue to allow hog hunting, hog herding and hog trials at events such as "Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials" in Winnfield. During the debate, DeWitt noted that hogs are not always the losers in hog-dog fights. DeWitt noted that hogs are called "rippers" in some circles because they have razor-sharp teeth that can rip a dog open. "Have you every seen a ripper?" DeWitt asked Rep. Shirley Bowler, R- Harahan, at one point during the debate. "The only rippers that I've seen have been here in the House chamber," Bowler said. Rep. Taylor Townsend, D-Natchitoches, said Louisiana already has a law that makes it crime to be cruel to animals, but district attorneys aren't prosecuting it. "Some DAs are like Vienna Sausage when it comes to a backbone," Triche said. Triche's bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. Rep. Karen Carter, D-New Orleans, has filed a separate bill to outlaw cockfighting, but it is awaiting a hearing by a House committee. Photo Caption Advocate staff photo by Arthur D. Lauck State Rep. Warren Triche, D-Thibodeaux, dons a toy hog snout Tuesday while debating his bill to ban commercial fights between hogs and dogs. The bill passed the full House and now goes to the Senate. ____________________________________________________ Contact: Dorothy Rogers | (661) 236-8004 or Periel - laseuss@sbcglobal.net EMERGENCY! IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED! PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR LIST ESPECIALLY TO RESCUE GROUPS! A devastating scene was discovered after the FBI arrest of the notorious Ivan George Callais, Jr. Near Pyramid Lake/Gorman area off of I-5 in a rural area, 160 dogs including about 50 puppies and numerous cats as well as several farm animals were found on his property in the most atrocious conditions imaginable. No Food, No Water, No Shelter. No Electricity. Dead animals were discovered stuffed into an old broken freezer. Absolute devastation. Dogs left in kennel runs with no doors had to be lassoed with ropes and hoisted out from their feces-filled runs. No running water. Water had to be hand-carried in buckets by volunteers. L.A. County Animal Control is heavily involved. The officers in charge are Sgt. Real and Capt. Jamie Perez. The dogs, cats and farm animals found on this property are in dire need of immediate rescue and will be released free of charge to bonafide rescue groups. If not taken by rescues, these animals will be taken by animal control and most likely put down. Even though they have been living in these terrible conditions, most of these animals are very very friendly and sweet!! Volunteers are needed at the scene. (BRING A DIGITAL CAMERA IF YOU HAVE ONE!! WE WILL NEED PICS OF THESE ANIMALS) Fosters are desperately needed. Transport help will be needed once a response is generated. Funds are needed to cover boarding for dogs already taken to boarding. Dorothy Rogers from the Best Friends network is helping coordinate. Call Dorothy on her cell phone at: 661 236-8004 DIRECTIONS TO THE SITE: Take 5 North past Pyramid Lake Exit Quail Lake Rd. Go Right Follow curve under Hwy 138 1st Street on right is Cocpo Turn Right on Cocpo Follow it 2 miles The road narrows to a single lane Continue down this road until you see a sign reading "TOW" Go 50 more yards There is a Green Gate leading to the kennels __________________________________________________________ BEAGLE RECOVERING FROM BEATING TRUCK DRIVER ALLEGEDLY THREW, KICKED ANIMAL IN VIEW OF POLICEMAN.(City Desk/Local) Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO); 4/27/2004; Gutierrez, Hector   Byline: Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News Vinnie the beagle was recovering from his injuries Monday, and his owner remained under suspicion of slamming the dog to the ground and kicking it several times. The 2-year-old dog had been taken to Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital on Saturday by a police officer. On Monday, Vinnie was well enough to be sent to Table Mountain Animal Center, a shelter in Jefferson County. Marianne Mallonee, animal hospital administrator, didn't know the extent of the dog's injuries but said veterinarians were looking at the possibility the beagle suffered a punctured eardrum. "When the dog left, he was doing absolutely wonderfully," Mallonee said. "He was running around as happy as can be." It was a much different story on Saturday, according to Westminster police officer Scott Thompson. Thompson, who rescued the frightened dog after witnessing the attack, wrote in his report that the beagle's feet were covered in blood, its left eye was swollen shut and its right front leg was bent and appeared to be fractured. Thompson said he was on patrol in the Oakhurst Park neighborhood about 7:30 p.m. when he saw a black Freightliner tractor in a parking lot in the 9200 block of Ammons Street. Thompson said he saw the driver, William D. Essex, 30, step out of the cab carrying an object in his hand. Thompson said he couldn't immediately tell what it was. Essex allegedly began to "violently swing the object in his hand over his head and smash it into the ground two times," Thompson wrote. "Essex then began to kick the object repeatedly." The officer said Essex placed the object inside his cab and opened a toolbox that was under the driver's door. "Essex removed the object and began to force it into the open toolbox. As he forced the object into the toolbox, I realized the object was actually a small beagle dog," Thompson wrote. When Thompson asked why the dog had been hit, Essex cursed and said the dog had defecated in his truck, according to the report. Essex talked to News 4 from the Jefferson County Jail. During the interview he cried. "I felt so bad because he was my buddy, you know . . . he was my dog," Essex said. Essex, who lives in Clifton, near Grand Junction, was arrested on suspicion of felony aggravated cruelty to animals. He was being held on a $5,000 bond. The district attorney will decide by Wednesday what, if any, charges to bring. CAPTION(S): Photo Dustie Wiesner, a veterinary technician, holds Vinnie, a 2-year-old beagle, at the Table Mountain Animal Center on Monday. The dog's owner, William D. Essex, 30, of Clifton, is suspected of viciously beating the animal. A Westminster police officer witnessed the beating and arrested Essex on suspicion of felony aggravated cruelty to animals. DENNIS SCHROEDER / ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS ______________________ Mayor: Gunfire Cheap, Humane Way To Deal With Strays   POSTED: 9:50 pm CDT May 6, 2004 UPDATED: 10:32 am CDT May 7, 2004   IBERIA, Mo. -- A small Missouri town has a tough answer to the question of stray dogs.   Video Watch KMBC's Report Law enforcement in Iberia, Mo., shoots them in the head.   Missouri law allows law enforcement officers to euthanize some stray animals, KMBC's Lara Moritz reported.   "According to state statute, if an animal is vicious, we can take and dispose of it in any means available. And so, the means available is, we use a .22 (caliber) rifle," Iberia Mayor Bob Crawford said.   Crawford upholds the policy of shooting dogs whether they are vicious or not, Moritz reported. He recently posted a letter stating that the stray dog problem will be handled by the way he sees fit.   Crawford said he believes shooting an animal is "more humane" than other methods of euthanasia because the animal "doesn't know what hit him."   Sharon Smith, who makes her living grooming animals, has saved dogs from being shot in Iberia.   "He was going to be shot -- that's what the officer said -- he was going to shoot him because he had nowhere to take him," Smith said. "I worry about the dogs, the pets that I groom. What if they got loose and got picked up and got shot? It would be horrible."   After a dog is picked up, officers take it to a vacant lot in the middle of town to shoot it. The lot is directly behind Kim Downing's business on Main Street. She says she can hear the gunshots, and she's against the policy.   But other residents support the way Iberia deals with stray animals.   "I think it's helped -- you don't see any dogs running the street now," resident Larry Martin said. "The city police, they're just doing the best they can. If they was out here shooting dogs just, shooting dogs for the fun of it, it'd be a different story."   The mayor says the Iberia city budget is so small, it's not possible to build an animal shelter. And there is no dog licensing in the city, which could help to fund a shelter, Moritz reported. And not having a shelter makes it difficult for the city to tell the difference between a stray dog and a pet. Copyright 2004 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. May 25, 2004, Tuesday HEADLINE: Law enforcement busts dog fight and drug network DATELINE: OKLAHOMA CITY Law enforcement officers seized 128 pit bulls and 13-thousand dollars in cash, and arrested 14 people Tuesday in connection with illegal dog fights and drug sales. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the District 22 Drug Task Force and the Oklahoma Vet Board served eight search warrants and 22 arrest warrants in Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Creek, Osage and Hughes counties. Those arrested were Wetumka residents Camille Gann, Aaron Johnson, Kenneth Roughface, Linda Johnson and Jessie Bunyard; Matthew Sanford of Holdenville; Mike Sanders of Gage; Spencer residents Lee Broom, Bobby Taylor and Geri Huff (Taylor); Steve Standifer and Ruby Standifer, both of Macomb; Julius Griffin of Osage and Creek counties, and Glenpool resident Billie Rae Noon. Those arrested face numerous racketeering charges, according to a statement from the narcotics bureau. Many of the dogs will be euthanized because they were trained to fight and kill, said Narcotics Bureau spokesman Mark Woodward. Undercover officers had been investigating the dog fight and drug distribution network since January 2003. During the investigation, officers allege they bought almost seven pounds of marijuana on six occasions from dog fighters. Drug use and dog fights regularly happened in front of small children, officials said. On Tuesday, officers seized several marijuana plants, a half-pound of processed marijuana, a gram of methamphetamine, eight guns and dog fight and training video evidence. The Humane Society of the United States praised the bust. __________________ www.channeloklahoma.com Bixby Officer Fired For Making Obscene Gesture Officer Was Attending Canine Aggression Class After Shooting Family's Dog POSTED: 4:15 pm CDT June 30, 2004 UPDATED: 4:37 pm CDT June 30, 2004 BIXBY, Okla. -- The Bixby police officer who shot a family's tethered golden retriever during a reported burglary was fired Wednesday for making an obscene gesture to television news crews. Officer Cory Forister denied intentionally making the gesture, but he was fired for conduct unbecoming an officer, Bixby Police Chief Anthony Stephens said. Forister made the gesture Tuesday during a class on assessing canine aggression, which Bixby officers were required to attend after Forister shot 6-year-old Fluppy on June 5. Fluppy had to be euthanized. A photograph on KOTV's Web site shows Forister with his head resting in his hands, his middle finger extended. The station and KJRH-TV and KTUL-TV aired video of Forister making the gesture. "After reviewing the media broadcasts, I felt he made an obscene gesture intentionally," Stephens said. "That was conduct unbecoming an officer. It's not how we conduct ourselves in public." Forister's phone number was not listed, and he could not be located to comment. Stephens said the instructor of the class, which is conducted by the Humane Society of the United States, pulled Forister out of the classroom to discuss the gesture. The instructor then notified Stephens. The police department has apologized to John and Cathy Benzinger for the shooting. The Benzingers have said the loss of Fluppy was very hard on them and their three children. Forister was responding to the burglar alarm at the Benzinger's Bixby home about noon on June 5 when the dog barked and charged him. The dog was tethered to the back fence by a 43-foot line. Forister backed up and told the dog to stop before firing three shots, police say. Stephens subsequently determined that Forister had not exhausted all other less violent ways of handling the dog before firing. Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.   Pike man faces 121 counts of animal cruelty BY DENA POTTER EDITOR   GRAPEVINE — Bones of decomposed dogs, ones that had been tossed into the creek after dying and dead dogs still smoking from being burned were just some of the sights animal control workers saw Wednesday when they busted up a dog breeding operation at Grapevine. Randal Good, 55, of Grapevine Road, Phyllis, was arrested and charged with 121 counts of second-degree animal cruelty. Good is a former deputy judge-executive and ran on the Democratic ticket in 2002 for judge-executive. Good was escorted from his home uncuffed and lodged in the Pike County Detention Center until posting a $500 bail yesterday morning. An arrest warrant obtained by Animal Control Officer Jennifer Ramey lists “horrible conditions,” including feces two to three inches deep in cages that were too small or had too many dogs in them, a dead dog covered with a tub and underweight animals. Ramey got the warrant after responding to a complaint of a golden retriever sitting in a cage for three days next to the road where Good lives, court documents show. Forty-five dogs and one cat were carried up the hill from Good’s outside storage facilities and loaded into animal shelter vans and volunteers’ vehicles. Yesterday, 75 animals remained at Good’s home. Pike County Animal Shelter Director Rodney Keene said the shelter would confiscate the others as soon as workers could find room for them. Only the worst ones were taken Wednesday evening, including 16 breeds of dog. Four are in a veterinarian’s care and one was euthanized. Keene said more probably will have to be put down. “We’re still trying to get a handle on it,” Keene said. Animal shelter members made four trips — the first on March 16, followed by one on April 28, May 3 and then Wednesday — before obtaining the arrest warrant and a search and seizure warrant for Good. On April 28, six animals were handed over. Keene said Good had made improvements, including cleaning the animal area and reducing the number of dogs and cats, on each visit. “We were trying to work with him,” Keene said. “At neither time when we went out before did we find dead animals or the shape it was in this time.” Humane society member Donna Stratton said Keene should have moved quicker. “They should have gotten them all then. They knew they were in bad shape,” Stratton said. But Keene said the shelter just didn’t have the room. “We had the same problem we have now, no place to put 120 animals,” Keene said. The humane society has been trying to get a new shelter for more than a year due to the current facility’s inadequate space and out-of-the-way location behind a sewage treatment plant. Keene said even though the shelter was overcrowded even before the rescued animals came, he would not euthanize the dogs because of space constraints. More than 20 dogs are being held at a local kennel, and a local animal rescue has a few, Keene said, but the shelter is desperate for foster caregivers. The dogs can’t be adopted yet because they are evidence, but people can take them in temporarily, Keene said. Good bred and sold a variety of dog breeds, keeping dogs and cats in three separate facilities at his home. One small, white building served as a puppy room. Another shed housed 20 cages with several dogs in each one. A small, brown building by the creek is where most of the badly injured dogs were kept. Many of the dogs rescued Wednesday were suffering from raw spots, worms, other sores and one had a broken leg. Most of the dogs also were covered in feces. Deanna McNutt, one shelter employee, said the sight was one of the worst she had seen. McNutt said the smell of burning dogs was “horrible.” Neighbors said the smell was unbearable. One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said those who took the animals “should be given medals.” According to a Pike County ordinance, a person can’t have more animals than he or she can take care of in a single day. Animal owners also must provide running water, adequate food, space, health care and grooming. Keene advised others who know of animal abuse to call the Pike County Animal Shelter at 432-6293. “If they’re abusing an animal and are caught they will be prosecuted,” Keene said. Good is scheduled to be arraigned at 10 a.m. July 14 in Pike District Court. Editor Dena Potter can be reached via e-mail at dpotter@news-expressky.com. To help: To foster an abused animal or report abuse or neglect, call the Pike County Animal Shelter at 432-6293 or visit the shelter at 399 Pound Puppy Dr. off Thompson Road. To donate to the Pike County Humane Society to help feed the animals, send donations to P.O. Box 2245, Pikeville, Ky. 41502.     come read about Animal Cruelty Awareness Week & How to  Prosecute Animal Cruelty