Kentucky: Sheriff responds personally to rescue kitten frozen to dock

KENTUCKY -- A Mercer County couple say they're grateful the sheriff helped them rescue a stray kitten that was frozen to their boat dock.

Roy and Lori Jasper said they noticed,  on their security cameras before they went to bed, the kitten walking around.

They said they debated what they could do to help it, but as cold as it was - and being 75 years old - they said they did not think they could safely get down the hill to the dock to catch it.

Eleven hours later, the kitten showed up again on their security camera, but they were sure he was now stuck to the metal steps of the boat dock.

"He had fell in the water and came up on the little piece of rock, just left of the steps and froze right there," said Roy Jasper.

Knowing the situation was now dire, they called the Mercer County Sheriff's Office for help.

They were surprised and grateful when Mercer County Sheriff Ernie Kelty himself responded to the call to save the little kitten.

 

 

"I poured the water on his front feet, and in a few seconds, they did come loose," said Mercer County Sheriff Ernie Kelty. The sheriff continued to cut free the kitten's fur that was also frozen.

"I'd say he was down there about 15 minutes breaking it loose," Roy Jasper said, "because its stomach was froze, paws was froze, everything."

"And then he put him under his shirt, and walked up here and gave him to me. Of course, Laurie took him in and wiped him down with towels. He was solid wet," said Roy Jasper.

Sheriff Kelty said that at first, the kitten had a bit of an attitude.

 "But I probably would have too. It seemed like, that he realized I was there to help," he said.

"I think it's just wonderful that [the Sheriff] dropped everything he did, to come down here and get one little old kitten," said Roy Jasper.

 

The stray kitten that was once stranded in the cold now has a new home with the Jasper family - and a heroic new name.

"We're naming him after the Sheriff. We're naming him Ernie," said Roy.

(Lex18 - Jan 3, 2018)

Ohio: Victor Vallejo Sr. facing Animal Cruelty charge after his Pit Bull was found dead on porch, curled up in a ball and "frozen solid"

OHIO -- The Toledo Area Humane Society is investigating the death of a dog in central Toledo that was found outside and “frozen solid.”

The female dog had died after curling up on the front porch of a house at 1057 King Street.

“I don’t know how long she was out there,” Megan Brown, a cruelty investigator with the humane society, said. “She was frozen solid.”

The recorded low temperature the night of Dec 28th in Toledo, Ohio was -8 °F.

Ms. Brown said an underweight male dog was inside the house. She saw him through a window and seized him that afternoon after obtaining a search warrant.

“He was visibly shivering,” Ms. Brown said, adding that his ribs and spine are prominent and the house was very cold.

Contacted by The Blade on Thursday afternoon, Victor Vallejo Sr., 40, said the dogs are his and added he was unaware of any issues. He said he last saw them two or three days ago and left them both inside.

The utilities to the house were recently shut off, he said.

“I wasn’t staying there, but I was going back and forth and feeding them. They had plenty of food and water,” he said. “I’ve been staying here and there at the moment. I kind of fell on some bad times.”

So he locked them inside an unheated house that, based on the looks of it, has 40-year old insulation and 40-year old single-pane windows - the kind you have to put plastic up in the winter to try to keep the cold out. Then he says he only goes by every "two or three days" to bring them food and water. So for "two or three days" at a time they're starving. 

Meanwhile, he looks well-fed and certainly doesn't look like he's been sleeping on the freezing streets.

CAN'T PAY HIS BILLS, WANTS TO BREED PIT BULLS
He said both are American bullies (aka Pit Bulls). The 3-year-old female was named Nanas, while the 4-year-old male is Haze. He said claims he loves his dogs, paid a lot of money for them, and intended to breed them.

Mr. Vallejo said he isn’t sure how Nanas got outside.

“I don’t know how they would have got out,” he said. “Everything was locked up tight.”

Ms. Brown said neither dog had any food or water, and Nanas was in the fenced front yard. There were blankets and a pillow on the porch, which had a roof, but no shelter from the bitter temperatures.

“She didn’t appear to be in poor health, but it’s hard to tell when she’s curled up and frozen,” Ms. Brown said.

Mr. Vallejo said Nanas had gotten loose in August. Records from the Lucas County Canine Care & Control show she was taken to the county shelter by a citizen Sept. 21 as a stray.

 

 

An initial medical evaluation there noted Nanas had fleas and swollen ears but seemed otherwise healthy. Mr. Vallejo reclaimed her the following day and purchased a 2017 license for her.

Mr. Vallejo said claims when he got her back, she had lost weight and was sick. He said he hadn’t yet been able to get her back to full health.

OK so that was in September... three months ago. He just admitted he never took her to the vet despite his allegation that she "had lost weight and was sick" the entire three months.

CITED TO COURT, DIDN'T BOTHER TO SHOW UP
Nanas was seen by a canine control officer Oct. 22 running loose on King Street, but Mr. Vallejo contained her while the officer was there. He was cited for a dog running at large and has a bench warrant from Toledo Municipal Court for failing to appear for a hearing on the citation.

Ms. Brown said other than being underweight, Haze appears OK.

“He looks to be pretty good,” Ms. Brown said. “He’s sweet. He was malnourished and dehydrated, but I think he’ll be fine.”

She said the humane society is pursuing possible animal cruelty charges in Toledo Municipal Court.

(Toledo Blade - Dec 28, 2017)

Ohio: Lekian Powell, 36, left his dog outside and it froze to death

OHIO -- A Springfield man charged with animal cruelty after his dog was found frozen to death pleaded not guilty in Clark County Municipal Court.

Lekian Kenyae Powell, 36, was arrested Dec. 27.

According to the police report, the defendant left the dog outside because it was “going to the bathroom in the house too often.”

Neighbors found the dog lying dead on the ground. Its paws frozen together and showed signs of starvation, according to witness statements in the report.

By the time police arrived, Powell had tried to hide the dead dog inside his car. Police also seized five puppies from Powell.

The penalty for conviction is a second degree misdemeanor and 90 days or a $750 fine. Powell was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Jan. 4.

(Dayton Daily News - Dec 29, 2016)

Canada: Leroy Marshall gets lifetime ban from owning animals

CANADA -- A Nova Scotia man has been banned for life from owning companion animals after pleading guilty to a charge under the Animal Protection Act.

In a press release, the Nova Scotia SPCA said Leroy Marshall of Welsford, Kings County pled guilty on Thursday to a charge of causing an animal to be in distress.

The NS SPCA said on Jan. 19, they received an anonymous complaint alleging multiple dogs were tethered outside with inadequate shelter on Marshall’s property.

Three dogs were removed from the property. All were found by the SPCA cruelty investigator to be emaciated, anemic, severely matted and in extremely poor condition.

One dog was discovered frozen to the ground by its chain and was unable to stand. All of the dogs required extensive veterinarian care over an extended period of time; but two eventually were successfully rehabilitated and adopted.

“One unfortunately, due to medical and behavioral issues, had to be put down. It was sad,” noted Chief Provincial Inspector, S/Cst. Jo-anne Landsburg.

Landsburg says, “The public has a moral obligation to report animal cruelty and all calls are confidential.”

The N.S. SPCA has a zero tolerance policy on animal cruelty and encourages those who witness acts of cruelty to report it confidentially by calling 1-888-702-7722.

(MetroNews Canada - Oct 28, 2016)

Michigan: Puppy found frozen to death, Roxann Grochoske to face animal cruelty charges

MICHIGAN -- A St. Joseph County woman is behind bars, accused of animal cruelty after her puppy was found frozen to death.

Animal Control tells Newschannel 3 that the puppy was just about six months old. The dog’s water bowl was frozen and by the time deputies responded, it was too late.

It’s one of the worst calls an Animal Control officer has to respond to, a call the deputies hope never happens again.

“The dog was tied up,” said Deputy Greg Musser, St. Joseph County Animal Control, “but it actually wrapped himself around the pole.”

“This is the upper echelon for these types of cases,’ said Deputy Joshua Shook, St. Joseph County Animal Control.

Deputies say they received several calls to 911 after neighbors saw a dog outside a home on M-60 in Park Township.

“It appeared that it had been outside for quite some time and they were concerned it had passed away as if the homeowner had simply forgotten about it,” said Deputy Shook.

 

When they responded, deputies found a six-month old pit bull frozen to death at the home. Animal Control also seized another pitbull from the home, both dogs were unlicensed. The dogs’ owner was arrested on animal cruelty charges.

“She seemed pretty upset about what happened,” said Deputy Shook. “I do believe that she put the dog out with good intentions, but simply fell asleep and forgot about it.”

Deputies say with snow falling and temperatures dropping, it’s important to treat your pets as you would your children.

“You definitely wouldn’t send your child to a bus stop in these sub-zero temperatures,” said Deputy Musser. “We would definitely recommend that you limit the time of your pet being outside. Make sure they have adequate shelter if they are going to be outside.”

Animal Control is also encouraging neighbors to speak up.

“If you expect anyone is abusing their animals, or one that’s been left outside, because this is one of our worst calls,” said Deputy Musser.

The Sheriff’s Office is also putting up signs to encourage people to speak up and also to send a warning to pet owners.

Roxann Grochoske was taken to the county jail, where bond was set at $2,000.

(WWMT - Jan 11, 2016)

Accused of letting her dog starve/freeze to death in her foreclosed home, Kimberly Fidlin takes plea deal

WISCONSIN -- A 40-year-old Cascade woman, accused of letting her dog starve/freeze to death has reached a plea deal in the case against her.

In court on Thursday, May 21st, Kimberly Fidlin pleaded no contest to a felony charge of intentionally abandoning an animal, and misdemeanor charges of intentionally failing to provide food for an animal, and intentionally providing improper animal shelter (temperatures).

Fidlin is accused of leaving her dog, a Beagle named "Lucky", behind when her home was foreclosed upon.

A Sheboygan County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a home on Lake Street in the Village of Cascade on January 21st, 2014 after an employee of a company involved in maintaining foreclosed homes entered the home and found a deceased dog.

A criminal complaint in the case says that individual who entered the home was checking it due to the harsh winter, and noticed a pipe had burst inside the home, causing excessive water damage.

It was determined that the last owner of the home was Fidlin, and Fidlin’s belongings were found in the home. The complaint says it did not appear there was any packing or removal of any items from the home — including family photos and food in the refrigerator.

There was a significant amount of dog feces on the floor — as if one or more dogs had been left there unattended for several weeks.

The deceased dog was found to be frozen to a dog bed in the corner of the living room. The complaint says the dog was found to be emaciated — as if it had been starving prior to death.

Investigators learned all of the utilities, including the heat and electricity had been turned off for several weeks.

Investigators were informed by Water Utility officials that the homeowner had two dogs, but the other dog was not located at the home.

Two bags of dog food were found inside the home — but because they were placed in rooms with closed doors, the dog would have had no access to the food. The only water access for the dog would have been in the toilet — but all toilet seat lids were closed, according to the complaint.

Investigators observed four empty dog bowls inside the home, which appeared to be food and water bowls for the two dogs.

There was a water leak due to a frozen broken pipe that had sprayed long enough to carve a hole in the wall — and it is possible one or more of the dogs had used this as a water source for a period of time.

The dog was taken to a veterinary clinic for a necropsy, where it was observed the dog’s nails had grown extensively in a complete circle, and had started to dig back into the pad of the dog’s feet — something that a veterinarian said would have taken several months.

The dog’s teeth were found to be in poor condition.

A report from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at UW-Madison says a necropsy showed the dog’s fat reserves were depleted, and the dog had severe emaciation.

The dog’s body was reasonably preserved, suggesting that freezing occurred within one to several days of the dog’s death.

The condition of the teeth and nails attest to a lack of basic care.

Officials spoke with Fidlin at her boyfriend’s residence in the Village of Cascade in January of 2014.

She told officials she had last been to the property about a month ago, when she had found her dog, Lucky — an eight or nine-year-old Beagle mix dead.

She said her other dog, Bano ran away sometime in October after getting out of his collar.

Fidlin said she had become overextended financially around September of 2012. She said even after she moved out of the home, she would come over to the house regularly to give the dogs food and water.

This statement was not corroborated by neighbors.

Fidlin acknowledged the utilities were not on, and said she knew the water would likely freeze shortly after she gave it to the dogs. She told officials Lucky (the dog found deceased) was sick, and said she could not afford veterinary care. She says she was forced to switch the dog’s food from a high-quality diet to a low-quality generic diet.

Fidlin told officials Lucky would eat, but wouldn’t gain weight — according to the complaint.

Fidlin said both of her dogs had a condition in which they frequently defecated, and said she had initially worked to clean up the feces, but said eventually, it overwhelmed her, so she stopped.

The complaint indicates Fidlin did not consider alternatives for getting Lucky care — such as via the Humane Society.

(Fox6 Now - May 21, 2015)

Massachusetts: Kitten Found With Paws Frozen to Fence Will Be Up For Adoption at MSPCA

MASSACHUSETTS -- The warmer weather came just in time for a kitten who was found with his front paws frozen to a metal fence in Dorchester last weekend.

Dubbed “Ralphie” by the employees of the MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center, after the classic film A Christmas Story, in which a boy got his tongue stuck to a pole (though it wasn’t Ralphie who did that, the sentiment is still there), the 6- or 7-week-old kitten was found Saturday evening.

A local man heard the kitten’s cries and used warm water to free his feet before taking him to Angell in Jamaica Plain.

Dr. Meagan Rock delivered emergency care, which included warming the kitten with blankets and heated water bottles, and administered pain medicine for his blistered paws.

Rock will be fostering Ralphie at her home until he makes a complete recovery. Then he will be brought back to the MSPCA to be neutered, immunized, and placed for adoption.

Rob Halpin, an MSPCA spokesman, told Boston.com that will happen in the next week or so.

“He’s little, and he’s adorable,” he said. “He’ll likely go into a new home very quickly.”

Ralphie’s paws are blistered, but Halpin said they will heal.

Halpin said that, though the area has been fortunate to see a significant decrease of homeless cats and dogs, this situation has happened before.

“We’ve seen dogs and cats with their faces, lips, and more commonly their paws stuck to fences or polls in the bitter cold,” he said. “But it appears Boston is on the other side of that weather.”

Halpin said that Ralphie is a friendly kitten but was clearly a stray. Anyone interested in adopting Ralphie or another animal in need can email adoption@mspca.org for more information.

(Boston.com - March 12, 2015)

Rescued dog found in Ecorse was frozen to ground

MICHIGAN -- The temperature was five degrees with a wind chill of -10 in Ecorse, Mich. at 10 a.m. Tuesday when animal control discovered a 10-year-old chow mix named Elsa was frozen to the ground.

"It took about a half an hour to get her unfrozen from the ground," says Patricia Trevino of the River Rouge Animal Shelter. "They had to pour warm water on her. Her two legs were frozen. The side of her face and her side, she was literally laying [sic] frozen to the ground."

No one knows how long the dog was left in that condition. She was found with her leash wrapped around her, preventing her from getting to food, water or shelter.

"The dog was incoherent, was not responsive. She didn't start crying until the water was poured on her," Trevino says.

FOX 2 is told a Good Samaritan saw the dog and called animal control, who rushed Elsa to Healthy Paws Medical Center in Westland.

"Her feet are literally bleeding tonight when she walks because they were frozen," Trevino says. "They were a block of ice. The toes were frozen together."

The treatment may be extensive, including frost bite to the ears and feet. The veterinarian at the medical center was too overwhelmed to speak with FOX 2 on camera.

"We are hoping she will make it," Trevino says. "She is not out of the woods by any means, and she may lose a leg or two."

As for the dog's owners, sources close to the criminal investigation say they were cited and will appear in court. Sources say another dog was found outside in good health.

 

Trevino says regardless of the investigation, the story of Elsa should serve as a warning that it is too cold for animals to be left outdoors.

"If you are the owner of the animal, you are obligated to be humane to the animal and provide adequate shelter," she says.

Donations are being taken over the phone at Healthy Paws in Westland.

"It's going to pay her bill so she can be treated and stay here as long as she needs to stay until she recovers," Trevino says.

If you are interested in making a donation, you can reach Healthy Paws at (734)-326-PAWS (7297).

(MyFox Detroit - Feb 17, 2015)