Coroner tells parents they're not to blame for Rottweiler death

UNITED KINGDOM -- The parents of a baby girl mauled to death by their two rottweiler dogs were yesterday told by a coroner they were NOT to blame for the tragedy.

Amy and Lee Burchell wept as an inquest heard how they found five-month-old Cadey-Lee Deacon brutally savaged.

The horrified mum had clasped the bloodied tot to her, screaming: “She’s dead, she’s dead.”

The couple had left her asleep in her Moses basket in their living quarters above a pub.

The dogs were kept on the roof and were not [normally] allowed inside unsupervised.

But the couple were busy moving out that day, a fire door was left open and the dogs, Bruno and Bess, got in.

Detective Inspector David Richardson told the Leicester inquest: “There was no evidence to suggest the care of Cadey-Lee fell below an acceptable standard.

"Because of unusual events, the door was left open – with tragic consequences.”

Leicester Coroner Martin Symington recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He told the couple, both 26: “I believe it was a tragic accident – an unexpected attack in the hurly-burly of packing.”

Lee, Cadey-Lee’s stepdad, was manager of the Rocket pub in Leicester when she was savaged in 2006.

Amy said in a police statement: “Lee said, ‘The baby’s not in the bedroom’. The Moses basket was knocked over and there was blood on the floor.

“I could see her body on the terrace and a dog lying next to her. She was covered in blood.”

She added the dogs were family pets and had seemed to like Cadey-Lee.

(The Sun - April 30, 2008)

Wyoming: Michael Rodgers, 30, charged with animal cruelty

Full Name: Michael Justin Rodgers
Gender: Male
City: Granger, Wyoming 82934
Height: 6'02"
Hair Color: BROWN
Arrest Age: 30
Arrest Date: 04/18/2008
Arrest Time: 8:46 PM
Arresting Agency: SCSO
Arrest Location: Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Charges
#1 BATTERY
#2 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

New Zealand: Martine Genet found guilty of animal cruelty, banned from owning animals for 10 years

NEW ZEALAND -- More cases of animal cruelty are being reported to police.

Many come from the Auckland SPCA where chief executive Bob Kerridge says staff are taking a no-nonsense stance with offenders.

"In the past 12 months we’ve adopted a zero tolerance approach. Before we might have issued warnings but now we tend to take people to court."

The SPCA previously focused on educating offenders. But Mr Kerridge says prosecution helps reinforce the message that animal abuse will not be tolerated.

"Reporting high-profile cases when they occur and when we take them to court creates a much greater awareness of what’s going on."

The most recent prosecution saw Martine Genet found guilty on five counts of failing to alleviate pain and suffering for the five kittens in her care.

She was sentenced to a month in jail on March 18 and disqualified from owning animals for 10 years.

(Western leader - April 9, 2008)

Police find 22 dead cats on Sylvia Simmons' property

GEORGIA -- A 57-year-old Snellville woman was jailed on animal cruelty charges after police discovered 22 dead cats and impounded dozens of other cats and dogs roaming around her property.
 Officers went to the home at 2673 Hewatt Road about noon Wednesday to investigate neighbors' complaints of a foul odor coming from the residence. Sylvia Simmons allegedly refused to allow them on the property, so investigators obtained a search warrant, said Detective D. Applebee of the Gwinnett County Police Department.  Upon gaining access to the house, officers were greeted with a grisly scene, Applebee said.   They found 19 cat carcasses and the skeletal remains of at least three others scattered about. Nineteen dogs and 25 cats - some indoors, some outside - roamed the property. Simmons also apparently had four flying squirrels and a chipmunk. A dead raccoon in a plastic bag was also found inside a freezer on the back porch.  Investigators also found paperwork showing Simmons had recently adopted about 15 feral cats from a rescue agency.   "Some of the Animal Control officers observed animals feeding on other dead cats," Applebee said. "A lot of them appeared emaciated. The veterinarian on scene was a forensic veterinarian, and she said it appears the cause of death for the cats was starvation or dehydration."  All the live animals were impounded by Animal Control, and some required veterinary attention because of alleged malnutrition and neglect.  On Thursday, the unpainted wooden house sat quietly off a secluded dirt driveway on Hewatt Road. A metal gate warned "no trespassing" and views of the house were largely obstructed by dense foliage.  Authorities said Simmons lived there with her son, who was frequently out of town because he runs a tree service business, and another man who rented an upstairs room. An unidentified man who showed up at the house and unlocked the front gate with a key on Thursday afternoon said he was a friend of the family. He claimed to be unaware of Simmons' arrest or the animals being kept on the property.  When questioned by police Wednesday, Simmons reportedly denied that there were any dead animals.  "She said, 'I'm taking care of the animals - they're all healthy, they're all good,'" Applebee said. She has since signed over ownership of most of the pets to Animal Control.  Simmons' next-door neighbor, Leang Lim, who moved to Snellville a year ago from Cambodia, said she rarely saw her.   "Nobody (goes) in the house. She closes the gate," Lim said as she peered curiously over the fence. "Yesterday police came with a lot of cars. I don't know what (happened)."  Lim had never noticed a bad odor coming from next door or an abundance of animals.  Applebee said police had been in contact with Simmons several times previously about her pets.

About three years ago, neighbors complained about foul smells and Simmons agreed to step up her cleaning efforts.

(Gwinnett Daily Post - April 7, 2006)