Missouri: Stuck 8 days in a Taney County pipe, Jack the Labrador catches a break

MISSOURI -- No one's sure why Jack crawled into a Taney County culvert.

But the hefty pooch somehow got himself stuck about eight feet into the 15-foot underground pipe — and may have been there for as many as eight days before his owners found him.

With no way to get Jack out, his owners called for help.

The cavalry — a Central Taney County Fire Rescue crew — was quick to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Volunteer firefighter Jeff Romines photographed Jack's ordeal, which involved one fire truck, one service truck, a backhoe and six human rescuers.

Romines, the department's training officer, said Jack's owners said the dog had been missing for more than a week.

When the owner went to check the mail, he heard whimpering and called for help.

"Jack's a pretty good-sized Labrador, and he's a little chubby," Romines said. "One end of the culvert was blocked, so when he tried to turn around, he got stuck."

Romines said the dog's hind legs had fallen asleep, exacerbating the problem.

Jack was lucky in another way, too. Taney County had some significant rain while Jack was in the pipe.

"He's lucky the ditch didn't fill up while he was in there," he said.

According to the fire department, Jack was lodged so far into the pipe that firefighters had to dig out part of the homeowner's driveway to access the pipe.

Then they used a special saw to cut through the metal culvert, made a bigger hole with the Jaws of Life, and pulled the weakened pup to safety.

Jack was so weak that rescuers had to help him out of the hole.

After some water and a brief rest, Jack was taken home to rest on his favorite bed. Firefighters said it appears Jack will be fine.

Assisting with Jack's rescue were Taney County Animal Control and Taney County Road & Bridge, which responded with a backhoe.

(Springfield News-Leader - May 2, 2018)

Pennsylvania: Kyler Kroecker, 20, tortured and beat his roommate's cat with a heavy plastic baseball bat, say police

PENNSYLVANIA -- A man has been charged with cruelty to animals after allegedly torturing a cat.

Huntingdon Borough Police Department officers arrested Kyler L. Kroecker on Tuesday, more than a month after the incident.

Kroecker, 20, had been living at a residence off 19th Street in the borough and was told repeatedly to leave the family’s cat alone.

What started as a nuisance — Kroecker would do things like urinate with the cat — allegedly turned into physically harming the pet.

Kroecker was told three times on Dec. 18 to not bother the cat, according to an affidavit. The third time he was told to leave the cat alone he had been alone with it in a bedroom.

He left the room, the family checked on the cat and discovered it laying in a pool of blood, police said.

The family confronted Kroeker who denied doing anything to the cat, but said the cat “pissed me off” after it sprayed him, according to an affidavit.

The cat was taken to Faithful Friends Veterinary Clinic and then to Metzger Animal Hospital for treatment, though its status is unknown.

Police responded to the scene after being notified of an animal cruelty incident by a veterinarian at Faithful Friends Veterinary Clinic.

The veterinarian told police the cat’s injuries were so severe that he initially thought it must have been hit by a vehicle. The cat had two puncture wounds to the back of its throat and an eyeball protruding from its socket.

The family showed officers a heavy plastic bat in the room where the cat had been found. The head of the bat had cat fur lodged in it. 

The family also told police that each time Kroecker had been told to leave the cat alone that day he had the plastic bat with him.

Kroecker told police he did not know anything about the incident and declined to answer any questions.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. March 14.

(Centre Daily - February 1, 2018)

New Hampshire: Firefighters rescue cat frozen in ice on pond

NEWTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Firefighters have come to the aid of a cat that was frozen in the ice on a New Hampshire pond.

Sean Kane, a firefighter and EMT in Newton, New Hampshire, tells The Boston Globe the cat's two back paws and tail were frozen in the ice Thursday morning. It also had a chunk of ice on its back. Wind chills were in the single digits.

Firefighters think the brown and gray long-haired cat lay down and ended up freezing into the pond. They poured warm water on the cat, wrapped it in towels and used a heating pad.

There was no ID on the cat, and firefighters posted a photo on Facebook.

The animal now is being cared for by the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

(WJTV - Jan 25, 2018)

Massachusetts: Cambridge firefighters rescue dog from Charles River

MASSACHUSETTS -- Cambridge firefighters rescued a dog that had fallen through the ice on the Charles River late Saturday afternoon, the department said on Twitter.

The dog fell into the frigid waters near the Eliot Bridge around 3:50 p.m., the department said.

 

 

The sandy-colored dog’s head was above water, as firefighter Sean Williams slid toward it on a rescue board, photos posted on Twitter show.

The firefighter and dog were pulled to shore by a rescue crew. One person shouted, “Come on! Good girl,” and other words of encouragement, according to a video posted on the department’s Facebook page.

Safely ashore, Williams and the dog were greeted with applause.

(Boston Globe - January 21, 2018)

Tennessee: Doberman has to be tased to stop attack on firefighter and bystander

TENNESSEE -- A Shelbyville firefighter was injured Friday morning when a Doberman Pinscher belonging to a neighbor attacked at least two people at a house fire on Jarrell Street.

The firefighter was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center for treatment, sources said. City Manager Shanna Boyette would not release the firefighter’s name, citing HIPAA health privacy regulations.

She did say at least one other person at the scene was treated for cuts inflicted by the dog.

A city police officer used a taser to bring the dog under control, bystanders said.

The dog has caused problems in the neighborhood for some time, according to comments on social media.

Police were unavailable for comment Saturday,

Heavy smoke

Smoke was pouring from the home on the 300 block of Jarrell Street when firefighters arrived about 10:30 a.m.

No flames were visible, but acting fire chief Matt Doak said the home suffered “extensive damage.”

The occupants were away, but firefighters removed a dog from the home. That dog — which was not the one that attacked bystanders — emerged with no signs of distress and was placed in the care of neighbors.

The fire is “under investigation” and no cause or origin had been determined as of Saturday, Doak said. Real estate records show the house is rental property owned by Warren and Dena Landers of Shelbyville.

(Shelbyville Times - January 14, 2018)

Ohio: Kevin Sullivan is accused of setting a cat on fire with lighter fluid; the cat suffered and burned until an officer shot it

OHIO -- Bond has been set at $50,000 for a Middletown man accused of setting a cat on fire.

Kevin Lee Sullivan, 32, was arraigned Friday in Middletown Municipal Court on a felony charge of animal cruelty for the alleged September incident on Howard Avenue.

Judge Melynda Cook Howard set the stiff bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Dec. 8. Standard bond for such a fifth-degree felony is $5,000.

Middletown Police and Butler County Deputy Dog Warden Jamie Hearlihy were dispatched Sept. 18 to Howard Avenue near Arlington Avenue, where the fire department had put out the cat that was on fire and being burned alive.

 

 

A police officer shot the cat to put it out of its misery and end its suffering, according to a police report.

Samples taken from the cat and the blanket used to smother the fire indicated that lighter fluid was used, according to court records.

There were no burn marks on the pads of the cat’s feet so the cat did not run through lighter fluid,” Hearlihy wrote in the complaint.

 

This woman, who tried to save the cat, said flames

were "this high" off its back as it was burning alive

Police said Sullivan initially lied to them about his involvement, but an investigation by Middletown police and the dog warden’s office led back to him as a suspect.

“This is absolutely disturbing, and this guy definitely needs to be off the streets,” Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said in October when a warrant was issued for Sullivan’s arrest. “I have a room for him here in my jail, where he needs to be. I don’t understand people who harm or torture a defenseless animal. It is a very cowardly thing to do.”

 

ARREST INFORMATION:
Full Name: Kevin Lee Sullivan
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 205 lbs
Hair Color: BLACK
Eye Color: BROWN
Birthdate: 05/16/1985
Arrest Age: 32
Date:12/09/2017
Time: 2:15 AM
Location: Butler County, Ohio
Arrest Location: PIMA COUNTY JAIL, Butler, OH
Total Bond: $50,000
Charge:
#1 CRUELTY TO A COMPANION ANIMAL (FELONY)
BOND: $50,000
NOTES: UNSENTENCED, CASH ONLY BOND

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(Hamilton Journal News - Dec 1, 2017)

Earlier:

• Ohio: "The cat was screaming and the whole thing was on fire"
• Ohio: Court date set for Kevin Sullivan, accused of burning a cat to death

Maryland: Firefighter rescues Golden Retriever stuck in icy culvert

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND --  The dog was shaking, tired, and covered in ice.

“Honestly, I would love to see him get back to his owner,” said Firefighter Jesse McCullough.

The Prince George’s County Fire Fighter and his team at Company 30 were called out to rescue the dog, who was stuck in a culvert.

  

 

“It was just icy concrete, so you just are not going to be able to climb out easily,” said McCullough.

The Prince George’s County firefighter picked up the frozen pooch and carried him to safety.

“I basically had him resting on my knee and then coming up the beams of the ladder, just taking a rung stepping up. You know, your legs can lift a lot more than your arms ever can,” said McCullough.

Company 30 put the dog in the back of the fire truck and cranked up the heat. When they got back to the fire station, the firefighters laid out a bed, food and water.

 

The Golden Retriever did not have a collar or a working microchip, so McCullough is hoping the dog’s owner is reading this story.

If not, McCullough is not ruling out adopting the dog, which Company 30 appropriately named “River.”

“It’s an option. I have to talk to my wife and three-year old,” laughed McCullough.

WJLA VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WJLA - Dec 15, 2017)

Michigan: Deputies and firefighters rescue horse from frozen pond

MICHIGAN -- Deputies with the Macomb County Sheriff's Office in Michigan rescued a horse from a frozen pond.

The owners of a horse in Michigan are grateful that the deputies with the Macomb County Sheriff's Office in Michigan were able to rescue their horse after it fell through the ice into a pond.

 

 

 

 

The deputies responded to a call from a local resident in Ray Township on Wednesday, saying their horse had fallen through the ice on a pond and could not escape the freezing water.

When they arrived at the scene, the deputies attempted to use ropes to guide the horse out of the icy pond but were unable to do it. The horse couldn't get its legs above the ice.

The local fire department also got involved and the first responders worked to break up the ice around the horse and were able to free the horse from the ice.

The horse was checked out by a veterinarian and according to the sheriff's office, it was not injured.

An officer fell into the pond during the rescue. He too was uninjured.

   

  

 

 

 

 

 

*  *  *  *  *  *

Macomb County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook December 14 at 4:49pm ·

On 12/13/17, at approximately 9:30am, Macomb County Sheriff Deputies were called to a residence in Ray Township for a horse that had fallen into an ice covered pond.

Deputies responded and attempted to guide the horse out with ropes only to find that the horse could not get its legs above the ice. The Ray Township Fire Department also responded. Police and fire worked together to break up the ice and guide the horse out.

During the rescue, a deputy fell through the ice trying to attach a rope to the horse’s bridle. He was quickly pulled from the pond and continued to help the horse.

The owners were grateful and horse was checked out by its veterinarian. Both the horse and the deputy were uninjured.

MACOMB COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE BODYCAM VIDEO:

(WJLA - December 15, 2017)