Utah: Teresa Clark arrested, accused of killing her friend's 2 dogs and trying to help this friend kill herself

UTAH -- Police have arrested a Providence woman who is suspected of trying to encourage a friend to commit suicide inside a Logan hotel room.

Teresa Clark is also accused of killing the friend’s two dogs.

Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen said officers received a 911 call from Clark on June 25. She claimed that she had found her friend unresponsive inside a hotel room.

“Although this case had the initial appearance of being a suicide attempt, Logan City Police Department detectives have investigated and have evidence to believe that Teresa Clark may be responsible for providing the means and may have encouraged her friend to attempt suicide,” said Jensen.

The unresponsive woman, whose identity is not being released because of the circumstances, was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where she has recovered. Police are not releasing further details about the relationship between the two women.

Inside the hotel room, detectives also found two dogs that were deceased. It is believed that Clark is also responsible for their deaths.

Jensen said Clark has been booked into the Cache County Jail on two counts of attempted aggravated murder and two counts of animal cruelty. She is being held on $50,000 bail.

“So, two counts of animal cruelty is pretty simple, it was two dogs. Two counts of attempted aggravated murder is that the initial account is for her providing means and encouragement on the initial attempt. Upon the failed attempt, the conversation was had that it didn’t work, what are we going to do now, and she provided further means and further encouragement.”

Police are not providing further details pending completion of the investigation and prosecutors filing formal charges.

ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Teresa Clark
Gender: Female
Race: White
Arrest Age: 36
Date: 07/07/2017
Time: 9:30 PM
Arresting Agency: LCPD
Location: Iron County, Utah
Charges
#1 Attempted Aggravated Murder
#2 Attempted Aggravated Murder
#3 Torture of a Companion Animal

(Cache Valley Daily - July 17, 2017)

Maryland: Little girl attacked in the face by a Pit Bull at the Courtyard Inn Motel

MARYLAND -- On june 20,2017 my daughter miracle was attacked by a pit bull at courtyard inn motel in Chestertown, Maryland.

She has to get rabies shots in her face and thighs for a month,she is on antibiotics twice a day, and prescription motrin every six hours.

Miracle now sees a plastic surgeon, her primary doctor, a psychiatrist for ptsd, and the er doctor for her rabies shot day.

I live on a fixed income and need money to provide all of her care.Thank you for any and all help.

GoFundMe: Help for miracle
Created June 30, 2017
Katerra Harris  
  Emergencies
  CHESTERTOWN, MD

Texas: Rosenberg hotel room bust leads to drug, animal cruelty charges for Nathan Lara and Stephanie Harger

TEXAS -- A man and woman were arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges Sunday after officers discovered criminal activity at their Regency Inn hotel room in Rosenberg.

The Rosenberg Police Department said in a release that officers were on the scene May 21 at about 4:23 p.m. to conduct a property check.

In the room where Nathan Lara, 23, and Stephanie Harger, 23, were staying, police allege they found marijuana, synthetic marijuana and cocaine.

Harger told them the room was registered to her and acknowledged that she was in possession of the narcotics.

Also in the room was a female pit bull mix that "appeared to be in distress," police said.

Lara allegedly told police the dog, which has no food or water in the room, had access to the drugs. The dog also had minor injuries to its back and paws.
Lara was charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal.

Both suspects were taken to the Fort Bend County Jail. Lara also had three traffic-related warrants open on him, and his bond was set at $6,200.

Harger was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance 1-4 grams, possession of a controlled substance less than 2 ounces and possession of marijuana. She is in custody at Fort Bend County Jail, where her bail was set at $11,000.

The dog was taken to Rosenberg Animal Control.

 

(Houston Chronicle - May 23, 2017)

Connecticut: Woman gets $300,000 settlement from hotel after she was mauled by her friend's pit bull

CONNECTICUT -- A New London woman who was attacked and seriously injured by a pit bull staying at the pet-friendly Marriott Residence Inn on Route 27 in 2014 has reached a $300,000 settlement with the owner of the hotel, according to her attorney.

Dan Horgan of New London said Tuesday that the lawsuit filed by his client Jo-Lynne Grillo, who suffered a permanent injury that left her with limited use of her right arm and disfigurement, had been slated to go to a jury trial on Feb. 27, but the two sides agreed to the settlement during a daylong mediation session in New London Superior Court on Monday.

How can a hotel be expected to know whether or not a dog is vicious? They can't have their desk staff deciding which dog can stay and which dog can't - they'll get sued for discrimination. I realize that her friend Kotyk has since died, but her estate is there and should be the one to pay - not the hotel. Her son chose to own this dog and let his mother watch it for him - why should he collect from her estate while the hotel is the one stuck paying the victim?

Now, Horgan said, he is talking to state Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, about possibly introducing a bill that would require pet-friendly hotels to do a background check on dogs allowed to stay with guests and possibly take further measures to prevent future attacks by large and potentially dangerous dogs.

Horgan said that “incredibly, the (Residence Inn) still has an unrestricted open door policy for pit bulls and other large dogs.”

New Haven attorney Joe Musco, who represents VIII-HIII-Whitehall Avenue LLC, the hotel ownership entity set up by the Waterford Hotel Group, which owns the property, did not return a phone message Tuesday.

Horgan said the settlement ends a “horrific ordeal” for Grillo.

According to an account by Horgan and Stonington police, Grillo went to the hotel to pick up a friend, Eileen Kotyk, for an afternoon of shopping. Staying with Kotyk and her husband, who were at the hotel after their home was damaged in a fire, were their golden retriever and their son’s pit bull named Bullet.

When Kotyk opened the door and left to get something, the dog attacked and repeatedly bit Grillo in the second-floor corridor.

Kotyk unsuccessfully tried to stop the dog by hitting it with a pan.

Finally a hotel desk clerk pulled Grillo into a room. The dog remained in the hallway.

A Stonington police officer who arrived was forced to shoot the large dog after he suffered minor bites to his hand and arm when he tried to help Kotyk get control of the dog after the attack. The dog initially survived the gunshot from the officer’s .45 caliber handgun.

The officer was then able to corral the dog in a stairwell away from other guests until Christina Donovan, a Groton Town Police animal control officer, arrived. She was able to guide the dog to the Stonington animal control truck with the use of a noose at the end of a long pole (catchpole).

The dog, which had blood dripping from its shoulder and abdomen after being struck with a bullet, whimpered as it refused to walk up the ramp into the truck. As police and Old Mystic firefighters tried to coax the dog into the van, one officer stood a few feet way, his gun drawn.

They were finally able to get the dog into the animal control truck by putting a blanket over it and lifting it up and into a cage in the truck. The dog was taken for veterinary treatment but later died.

Photos released by Horgan show Grillo with numerous bite marks to her arm as well as a blood-soaked rug and the dog standing over Grillo in the hallway. Grillo was taken by ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London.

Because of the severity of her injuries she was transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she underwent surgery.

Grillo eventually was able to return to her job as nurse at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. She has since retired after 38 years. Kotyk, who also was sued by Grillo, later died and was removed from the suit.

(The Day - Feb 7, 2017)

Earlier:

• Connecticut: Pit bull attack at hotel sends two to the hospital. Officer shoots dog to stop attack

Missouri: Family visits from NY and bring their dog named Auggie with them. At their hotel, Auggie gets mauled by a pit bull

MISSOURI -- Evelyn Varrelli posted on Facebook January 8, 2017

Mike and Margaret little ten pound dog Auggie was attacked by a pit bull at the hotel where they are staying while visiting here from New York this morning took him to emergency vet. but haven't had a update yet on his condition hopefully Mikes quick reaction to get the dog off of Auggy kept the episode from being so serious

PatriciaorPatrick Williams - Oh my goodness did they report it to the hotel management. I hope the dog will be ok. Keep us all posted

Evelyn Varrelli - the lady who owns the dog lives at the hotel begged them not to report it to the hotel but they are going to because next time it could be a person she had it staked out doors in this zero weather and when it lunged at Auggie it pulled out of it's collar haven't received any more info yet they had to put Auggie out so that's takes time to recover

Evelyn Varrelli - he doing fine thank goodness the pit got him in his back area not his throat chewed up pretty bad has to wear on of those medical hoods so he won't lick or chew the area

PatriciaorPatrick Williams - When are the kids headed home

Evelyn Varrelli - they will be her until I believe Saturday back to St.Louis Mike is on sabatacal spelt wrong but you know what I mean

 

 

United Kingdom: Royal Oak Hotel staff ‘beat kitten to death with rolling pin’ after it got trapped in their kitchen and peed

UNITED KINGDOM -- A hotel has been accused of shoving a cat in a plastic bag before beating it to death with a rolling pin after it got trapped in their kitchen.

Bosses at the Royal Oak Hotel in Betwys-y-Coed, north Wales, admitted killing the kitten, but insisted in a now-deleted Facebook status that it was ‘humanely euthanized’.

However, they have refused to elaborate on how the animal met its end.

It has been claimed by many in the area that a young stray cat went into the kitchen and ate a bit of food. The cat reportedly became scared after getting trapped inside and peed in the kitchen.

After finding the cat and the urine, it is then alleged that the staff put the animal into a plastic bag, bludgeoned it to death with a rolling pin and smashed its body against the wall.

The RSPCA has confirmed it is investigating the hotel over the killing of the cat.

Glen Evans, head of the hotel, told local newspaper the Daily Post that he didn’t believe the staff had broken the law in killing the animal.

‘In hindsight of course I wish things were dealt with differently,’ he said. ‘But unless new information comes to light, the staff have not done anything unlawful.’

Claims that the cat met a horrific end were posted on the hotel’s Facebook page, which has since been deleted. However, their separate restaurant page is still live and has been flooded with one-star reviews.

One commenter, Jan King, wrote: ‘I am appalled to have read of the sub-human way that the poor kitten was bludgeoned to death by your staff. I hope the karma police are visiting you as I type, I also hope that you do get boycotted. I for one would never, ever want to stay around your sort. Disgusting.’

Another, Sooz McLean, added: ‘There is a reason that sweet, innocent, defenceless kitten was feral – the truth is it was either abandoned by someone or was born that way.

‘Just the same as any other normal living animal he/she needed food and unfortunately ended up at your business, looking for food and maybe a kind hand to help, care for and love him/her.

‘And what did you do – you battered that kitten to death inside a bag.’

In a statement on the Royal Oak’s now-deleted Facebook page, the hotel said: ‘It was with regret that the feral cat was humanely euthanized as lawfully provided for when dealing with any animal legally classified as vermin.

‘Having reflected upon their actions, the staff involved understand why such an incident will upset people as the destruction of any animal is regrettable no matter what the circumstances.’

A spokesman for RSPCA Cymru told Metro.co.uk: ‘We can confirm that we are investigating reports about the death of a cat in the Betws-Y-Coed area. This is an on-going investigation, and we cannot comment further at this time.

‘We urge any member of the public with information to contact our 24-hour Cruelty Line on 0300 1234 999.’

(Metro UK - Dec 8, 2016)

Connecticut: Alex Bareska charged with owning a vicious dog after his pit bull attacked another dog at a hotel

CONNECTICUT -- A Bristol man has been issued an infraction after his dog allegedly attacked another dog at a local hotel.

Alexander Bareska, 60, was cited for one count of owning or possessing a vicious dog.

Police on Wednesday said the incident occurred on Oct. 15 at the Residence Inn, 778 West St., around 4:26 p.m.

A guest at the hotel, police said, opened the door to one of the rooms, allowing Bareska’s dog to escape the room and attack another dog that was being walked by its owner in the hotel’s hallway.

 

 

A nearby witness was able to separate the animals.

Police said the dog that suffered a bite sustained injuries to its face and ear. It was treated at an area animal hospital and released.

(Central CT Communications - Oct 26, 2016)

Hawaii: Famiy's Yorkie named Sophie accidentally let out of hotel room, hit by car

HAWAII -- A Kaneohe family is mourning the loss of their pet dog, after what they call a traumatic stay at a local hotel.

They’re sharing their story in hopes of educating other pet owners.

The Allmond family’s insurance company put them up at pet-friendly hotel Best Western the Plaza off of Nimitz Highway, while their home goes through renovations.

 

“There’s no words to describe it. Outraged is not even, a possible word to use. It’s just horrible, horrible horrible. Never thought this was the way my dog was gonna die,” said Iliana Allmond.

Iliana and Jonathan Allmond, along with their dogs Sophie and Pepper, stayed at the hotel by the Honolulu Airport.

They say while both were away on Wednesday, an employee accidentally let Sophie out of the room. She ran away.

Iliana says management told her the bad news.

The Allmonds spent all day and night searching for Sophie, but didn’t find her until Thursday morning. Sophie was found on the ground, on a street less than a mile away from Best Western the Plaza.

“She was just lying on the ground. She’s gone,” said Iliana, choking back tears.

“While she was here, she brought us a lot of joy. We’ll just have to remember the good times,” said Jonathan.

Best Western’s General Manager Jim Heather sent KHON2 a statement:

“Best Western The Plaza Hotel warmly welcomes guests who are traveling with their pets, recognizing that pets are an important part of many families. We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred yesterday; we extend our sympathies to the Allmand family.

"We have a specific pet policy intended to prevent such incidents, however, we are looking back at all aspects of this unfortunate accident to see both if there is anything that we could have done to prevent this situation from occurring as well as if we need to make any changes to prevent a future incident.”

The hotel says every guest signs a “pet policy” agreement, where pets must be in a kennel when no one is in the room.

A representative says, the Allmonds signed the agreement – but the Allmonds say they don’t remember doing so, and that it was not verbally discussed upon check-in.

The Allmonds checked out of the hotel Thursday, and are staying at different accommodations.

Hotel industry officials say to always check the fine print on pet policy agreements.

(KHON - July 8, 2016)

Illinois: One-eyed Pug finds 'furever' hotel home at Park Hyatt Chicago

ILLINOIS -- It's safe to say that the ruff times are over for one middle-aged pug who was recently adopted by the manager of a local hotel.

Parker, a 5-year-old pug who happens to be missing an eye, can't seem to shake the overwhelming amount of pupparazi that has visited in the past 3-1/2 weeks of her new residency at the Park Hyatt Chicago.

The dog was identified to Walter Brindell, the hotel's manager, as an animal who may have a hard time finding a traditional home, and that's when he knew she would be the perfect fit.

 

"For me, its really about family and purpose. And this dog has been an unbelievable addition, more than I imagined," Brindell told TODAY. "That's really what I wanted to bring into this hotel."

Brindell, who has had dogs for as long as he can remember, also sits on the Paws' development board, a nonprofit organization that cares for injured animals, and aids in adoption.

Paws has played a critical role in nursing Parker back to health. In November, she joined the program after spending time at a rural shelter in Tennessee. The dog's medical needs were "extensive," according to Paws Chicago founder Paula Fasseas.

"She was found with painful, oozing skin tags, an irreparably damaged eye and a delicate respiratory pattern," Fasseas told TODAY in an email.

The team was able to remove all skin tags and also performed a more invasive surgery which alleviated breathing concerns.

"In addition to her basic vaccinations, microchip and spay surgery, our veterinary team performed major dental surgery to remove rotten, infected teeth, an ultrasound, blood work and treatment for urinary tract infection," she added.

It's likely that Parker would have been euthanized because of her intense medical needs had she ended up at a different shelter.

The pug lived in two different foster homes before landing at the hotel, her now permanent home.

"It was love at first sight," Brindell said. "When she came out, it was just complete pleasure. We were looking for a dog that was not high energy and a dog that was going to be very child- and pet-friendly."

And they've come to find she's incredibly friendly. Parker's presence has immensely changed the hotel vibe.

The pooch is part employee, part schmoozer. Dressed in a Burberry bandanna, she greets guests at the front door like a hotel employee, or jumps up on the couch next to guests sitting in the lobby. She follows employees to staff meetings, rides the elevator to the NoMI Garden on the seventh floor rooftop and escorts guests to their rooms.

"She's just been this warmth that brings this residential home feeling into the hotel, and that's the message I'm getting back from so many of the guests," added Brindell.

That alone has been so beneficial to the staff. And they've all taken part in caring for her. Brindell says there are more than enough volunteers who have offered to walk, feed and medicate the dog.

"She's just this wonderful little pug. I don't know what her life was like before, but it's going to be much better moving forward," he said.

(Today.com - June 3, 2016)

Pit bull kills Chihuahua at Tualatin motel

OREGON -- Dan Dassing had the distinct displeasure of watching his family pet Chihuahua torn to pieces by a pit bull last week while the smaller dog was still inside the family's motel room.

Dassing said he had the door cracked open, and the pit bull lunged through the door when he heard the Chihuahua bark, even though the pit bull's owner had him on a retractable leash.

"The pit bull just reached right inside the door and grabbed our Chihuahua and just lock-jawed onto it," Dassing said.

  

 

The attack is the fourth in the past month involving a pit bull, and three out of the four dogs attacked later died. But Brian Behrens, who works with Born Again Pit Bull Rescue, said it's not fair to blame the breed for the attacks.

"Being aware of the stories that have happened, there was a setup for failure from the beginning," Behrens said. "You just have to be diligent and careful no matter what kind of dog you have."

Numbers generated by several studies suggest pit bulls are the deadliest and most likely breed to bite. But many of those studies are disputed because of imprecise method logy or incomplete data. The last listed report by the Centers for Disease Control found pit bull terriers responsible for 66 human deaths between 1979 and 1998.

Rottweilers were a distant second, causing 39 reported deaths. More recent studies have relied on media reports of pit bull attacks rather than hard data, but also found pit bulls to be disproportionately responsible for reported attacks.

But Behrens finds the rhetoric about pit bulls misleading. He said owners allowing dogs to run off-leash, failing to pay proper attention when they are leashed, or failing to secure their pets are the most common reasons pit bulls find themselves in a position to harm another dog.

"A lot of what happens, I think in these situations, is strictly a matter of you have to be responsible," Behrens said.

Washington County Animal Control is investigating the latest attack. Officers could not locate the dog or the owner.

(KPTV.com - Oct 14, 2014)

Hotel housekeeper attacked by pit bull

COLORADO --  Police say a housekeeper was attacked by a pit bull after entering an unattended room at a hotel Sunday afternoon.

Ramona Smith-Tucker, who works at the La Quinta Inn at 7077 S. Clinton St., had knocked on the hotel door to clean at 2 p.m.

When nobody answered, she went inside. She told police that a pit bull immediately began attacking her.

She says the owner of the dog came running from the elevator when he heard her being attacked.

"I jumped up on my [housekeeping] cart, and I flipped my cart over," Smith-Tucker said.

She was taken to the hospital and received at least eight stitches.

Sgt. Steve Nelson with Greenwood Village PD says the dog is a pit bull and was quarantined while the investigation continues.

Pit bulls are allowed in Greenwood Village and are allowed at the hotel.

(9news - Sept 1, 2014)

Connecticut: Pit bull attack at hotel sends two to the hospital. Officer shoots dog to stop attack

CONNECTICUT -- A pit bull attack Sunday in Mystic sent two people to the hospital. Stonington Police said the attack happened around 3 p.m.

According to police, a woman was attacked by a pit bull in the hallway of Residence Inn Marriott in Mystic.

The caretaker tried to calm the dog down but couldn’t, and that’s when an officer stepped in.

“When that happened and the dog grabbed, the officer discharged a round into the dog,” said Stonington Police Captain Jerry Desmond. “The dog was transported by a local ACO (Animal Control Officer) to see if we can save the dog as well.”

Desmond believes the officer was bit on the arm. The officer was taken to the hospital, along with the injured woman.

Guests said the victim may have been a friend of the dog’s owner.

Some guests who were staying near the hallway where the attack took place were not allowed back inside their room for hours while police cleaned up the scene, according to a guest who wanted to remain anonymous. He described the scene as chaotic, saying the dog was on the loose.

“I was raised with nine kids in the house, so it was basically like being in the basement and us playing tag upstairs with them trying to get a hold of the dog.”

Residence Inn declined to comment on the situation but said dogs are allowed inside. Its website does not provide any further details on the size and weight of the animals allowed.

The condition of the injured officer, woman and dog is unknown at this time. Stonington Police continue to investigate.

(FoxCT - Jan 12, 2014)