Iron Horse kennel owner, already on probation, charged again with Animal Cruelty

WASHINGTON -- A woman on probation for violating dog kennel regulations in 2010 was arrested again last week on similar charges.

Wilma L. Turner, 63, runs the Iron Horse Kennel on Hauser Lake Road near Newman Lake. She was arrested Nov. 30 on charges of second-degree animal cruelty and for having unclean water containers and unsanitary kennels.

The latest arrest came after the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service received a complaint about a sick puppy that had been purchased from Turner. The puppy was emaciated, dehydrated and had giardia, an intestinal parasite found in unclean water, said SCRAPS director Nancy Hill.

Animal control officers who visited the kennel on Nov. 30 found muddy kennels, dirty water and dirty animals with matted fur, Hill said. “We observed that some of the kennels had unclean water with algae in the bowls,” she said.

In contrast to 2010, however, no animals were seized because they seemed to be reasonably healthy, Hill said. “Those sorts of things did not rise to the level that we felt we had to get a warrant and seize them for immediate medical treatment,” she said.

A report written by animal protection officer Francisca Rapier described the violations. Some kennels were in better conditions than others and some animals did have clean water, though the water containers themselves were dirty and had not been sanitized as required, Rapier wrote.

“Primary kennel run #7 was filthy with straw caked with feces and urine,” Rapier wrote. “The kennel was slick with feces ground into the cement floor.”

She said the overall condition of the kennels was “terrible” and the dogs were not being kept clean and dry. One of the pictures Rapier took showed two dogs in a small cage standing on what appeared to be a muddy concrete pad.

Turner disputes this. The kennels all have wood shavings over concrete, she said. “There was no mud,” she said. “You’re not allowed to have mud.”

Turner denied having any serious issues at her kennel. “There wasn’t that many problems,” she said. “The water had been changed twice that day.”

She said that she was recently in the hospital for two weeks with pneumonia and was diagnosed with breast cancer over the summer. In a brief phone conversation she defended the conditions at her kennel. “It had been raining for a week,” she said. “They knew that I was in the hospital for two weeks.”

Turner pled guilty to having more than 50 unfixed dogs over the age of 6 months and to one count of failure to meet the minimum care standards for dogs in 2011, Hill said. She was sentenced to 365 days in jail on each count, with 364 days of each sentence suspended. Her two-year probation stipulated that she have no further violations, Hill said.

In 2010, SCRAPS brought in a veterinarian to triage all the dogs on site and ultimately seized 39.

“There was, if I recall correctly, over 100 animals at the facility,” Hill said. “We took the ones the veterinarian had a concern over.”

As a part of the probation agreement, SCRAPS has been allowed to do frequent unannounced visits of Turner’s facility. Reports written by animal protection officers show that there have been repeated problems at the kennel since then. “We’ve been going out there quite a bit,” Hill said.

Documents show that since 2011 animal protection officers have noted dogs not receiving proper veterinary treatment, rodents in the dog food, having more than the 50 allowed dogs and unsanitary conditions causing a strong ammonia odor. At one point Turner was also ordered to take better care of several thin horses that had overgrown hooves. The repeated violations have resulted in a probation hearing scheduled for Wednesday in District Court, Hill said.

Hill said a decision was made to file formal criminal charges in the most recent instance because a complaint had been made. “We were dealing with the animal cruelty on the puppy,” she said.

SCRAPS first investigated Turner in 1990 when it received a complaint about an unlicensed kennel.

Hill, who was an animal protection officer at the time, handled the complaint. Turner became licensed and until recently had only had minor issues during the annual inspections required to renew her license. “I would say that over the years we’ve had corrections,” she said.

According to Rapier’s most recent report, Turner’s license expired in October.

(Spokesman - Dec 12, 2012)

11/28/12: Horse death prompts police charges

AUSTRALIA -- Police have charged a Nimbin man with animal cruelty offences following the death of a horse on his Thorburn St property in October.

On October 8, members of East Coast Horse Rescue attended the address to check on the welfare of two horses on the 14 hectare property.

One horse was allegedly found to be malnourished and dehydrated.

Another horse on the property was moved as it is alleged it's was severely emaciated and dehydrated.

The horse that was euthanized also had an extensive skin disease and was believed to be susceptible to terminal heart failure.

Following enquiries by Nimbin police the man was sent a court attendance notice to answer six counts of animal cruelty including, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal; being in charge of an animal and failing to provide suitable supervision; failing to provide veterinary treatment; and failing to provide proper and sufficient food and drink to an animal.

He is due to appear at Lismore Local Court in January 2013.

(Northern Star - Nov 28, 2012)

11/29/12: Horse owner Janet Greene, 47, formally charged with animal cruelty

FLORIDA -- A Palm Beach County horse owner surrendered at the Palm Beach County Jail late Wednesday on 14 animal cruelty charges, three weeks after authorities seized skinny stallions and other breeds from a Loxahatchee property.

Janet E. Greene, 47, of Port St. Lucie, is charged with 13 counts of felony cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of unlawful abandonment or confinement of animal.

Greene had her first appearance before a judge Thursday and was initially held in custody pending a bail of $58,500, said Assistant State Attorney Sam Miller. Jail records on Thursday night showed she was still in jail, but her bail was reduced to $7,500.

"We're happy to see her being criminally charged," said Capt. Dave Walesky, operations manager for Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. "The horses were not being fed properly."

According to arrest records, Animal Care and Control officers on Aug. 25 received a complaint about numerous emaciated horses living on a property in the 3100 block of C Road in Loxahatchee.

Beginning Aug. 29, the officers began making frequent checks on the horses and issuing warnings to Greene, who did not own the land but was keeping the horses with a friend.

The arrest report states that on Sept. 13, an officer spotted horses with visible rib and hip bones, a lack of shelter for some of the animals and muddy paddocks.

Feed bills show that 16 horses were being fed a total of 51 pounds of hay per day, well below the recommended amount of 320 pounds of hay, according a statement from Animal Care and Control Sgt. Max Sharpe.

Finally, on Nov. 7, Animal Care and Control served a warrant and seized 14 of Greene's horses. The report indicates that two of the horses counted in the investigation, Pirate and Jordan, "had to be relieved of their suffering by being euthanized."

"Over this time period Mrs. Greene was offered help by means of food, adopting or even purchasing of the horses and she refused to provide these horses with human decency to be placed in new homes, adequate food and proper medical attention," Sharpe wrote.

After seizing the horses, veterinarians scored each on the Henneke scale, ranging from a 1 for emaciated to 5 being ideal weight. All but one horse was rated between a 1 and a 2.

But today the surviving horses are gaining weight and recovering, Walesky said, crediting financial support from donors who wanted to come to the horses' rescue.

"We're working with them on a feeding plan," he said. "We're happy with the progress we're making."

The next goal is to get a judge to award ownership of the horses to Animal Care and Control, and then put them up for adoption.

Greene is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 13, according to her court file. Each felony count carries a prison sentence of up to five years in prison, while the misdemeanor charge has a maximum sentence of up to one year.

(WPTV - Nov 29, 2012)

Earlier:

• 14 horses taken from Loxahatchee as owner faces animal cruelty charges

11/30/12: Two Horses Dead in Wyoming County Animal Neglect

WEST VIRGINIA -- 59 News first told you of animal abuse in Tazewell County a month ago.

Now another case, this time in Wyoming County, is even worse. Police are looking for a man named Donnie Ellis on animal cruelty charges. Two horses are dead due to not being properly fed in the Reedy Creek area.

59News reporter Jessie Gavin tells what makes this case so appalling.

Warning, some of these images may be disturbing.

We're told Donnie Ellis was offered a deal. Instead of paying rent for his home, all he had to do was feed and take care of four horses because the owner was unable to care for them. Now officers are looking at why they say he intentionally neglected to feed two of them for quite some time.

"In this particular case I would think it's just a fact of being cruel to the animals and just being lazy. Just didn't take the time to care for the horses," said Wyoming County Humane Officer Ray Farmer.

Farmer talks through how officers became aware of what was happening.

"Two officers that answered the complaint on Monday, they found two dead horses. One of them was in the barn and there was no food or water present, the other one was at an outside facility and it too didn't have access to food or water.

"From what I understand, the gentleman that was supposed to be caring for the horses, did have access to food and water, he just wasn't providing it to the horses. The one horse appeared to be deceased for several days, possibly longer than a month. The other one had probably just died within the last week," he said.

The other two horses under Ellis' care are being taken care of and are expected to live.

"His brother came and got the horses and took them to his facility. Those two horses at this time are getting proper care and that's something that we are going to follow up on to see that they are getting taken care of properly," he said

(WVNS - Nov 30, 2012)

11/30/12: Man admits to beating dog

FLORIDA -- A man admitted to beating his dog when police officers asked him why the animal was limping, according to an arrest report.

Andre Ayala, 20, was arrested Friday.

On Friday morning, a man told Coral Springs Police officers he had heard someone screaming and beating a dog for about 10 minutes near his apartment complex at 2920 Forest Hills Boulevard. A humane officer then told police a similar complaint was filed a few days earlier.

When officers arrived at Ayala's apartment, he walked up with his dog, a German Shepherd mix, according to an arrest report. The dog appeared to be injured and was walking with a limp.

Police said when they asked Ayala why his dog was limping, he answered, "Because I beat him."
Ayala reportedly told police he beat the dog because he was chewing his girlfriend's shoes.

According to the arrest report, Ayala told police he hit the dog with an open hand five or six times. The humane officer took the dog to Coral Springs Pet Resort and Medical Center.

(local10.com - Nov 30 2012)

11/28/12: Dogs rescued in Great Falls

MONTANA -- Animal welfare advocates helped rescue dozens of dogs from a home on the east end of Great Falls, but for some, the help came too late.

The investigation started seven weeks ago when a resident near Diana Drive told police her neighbor had more than 15 dogs on his property; when police investigated, they found 35 dogs.

 

Pet Paw-see volunteer Gloria Lamott says she helped rescue 19 of the dogs, and said the dogs' owner contacted her asking for her help, saying he was being investigated by Animal Control and was told to get rid of the animals.

She describes the dogs as unsocialized and poorly cared for with a putrid smell; she said, "They didn't know what it was like to be picked up, none of them knew what a leash was. They're not socialized and terribly, terribly unkept."

LaMott took the dogs to the F & L Pet Resort in Black Eagle where they were taken care of until other rescue agencies in Montana stepped in to help.

LaMott says Pet Paw-see cleaned out its entire dog budget for the year to take care of these dogs.

LaMott tells us seven of the dogs had to be euthanized.

She says people who had previously purchased a dog from the owner have reached out to her, saying their dogs were too sick to keep.

[In the video, they describe the dogs as Maltese and Schnauzers]

When we first spoke to police about the case, they told us they gave the dogs' owner an opportunity to get rid of the dogs, adding that the man was very cooperative and proactive through the process.

GFPD says the case is now with the city attorney's office.

(KRTV - Nov 28, 2012)

11/30/12: Owner of neglected Union County horses charged with neglect

IOWA -- A Union County man was charged with livestock neglect after an animal rescue group removed six horses from his property Thursday.

Kent Douglas Uitts faces six counts of the simple misdemeanor.

The horses were significantly neglected, left without food or water and kept on a less than one-acre property near the town of Lorimor, said Scott Wilson, cruelty investigator for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

No food or vegetation was found in the horses’ pen. There was only bale of straw, which provide no nutritional value, for the animals to eat. The only water trough was empty except for a few inches of ice, Wilson said.

One of the horses had a deep infected cut and was taken to Iowa State University for observation. The rest were taken to the rescue league’s Kruidenier Rescue Ranch in Des Moines and are expected to recover.

It’s unknown how long the horses went without food, water or veterinary care Wilson said. A passerby alerted authorities months ago about the horses’ condition, but until recently the neglect did not warrant law enforcement intervention, he said.

The rescue league has removed 24 horses in the past 12 months, according to executive director Tom Colvin.

The group is seeking donations for their horse rescue program so it can continue to assist authorities. Donations can be made at www.arl-iowa.org, RE: “Help for the Horses” or sent to 5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines, IA, 50313, Attn. “Help for the Horses.”

(Record-Herald and Indianola - Nov. 30, 2012)

11/28/12: Dog Nearly Ripped Apart In Attack At Clovis Park

CALIFORNIA -- A dog on a leash nearly rips apart another family's dog at a Clovis park.

In the chaos, the owner slipped away, leaving the family to deal with the emotional and financial aftermath on their own.

Now the family of the hurting dog is seeking to hold the other owner responsible.

"Molly," a 4-year-old Shih Tzu, had to undergo emergency surgery four days ago.

"They had to take out about an inch of skin on either side and just remove it," said Cody Joyce, pointing to Molly's 6-inch scar.

He says the attack was unprovoked.

It happened at Dry Creek park - a popular spot, where families take their kids and dogs to play.

Both dogs were on leashes when the pit bull mix ran up to Molly, bit into her, locked his jaw, and shook her like a rag doll.

"He finally released it when I put my fingers in the corner of his mouth and pulled back really hard. He didn't like that," said Cody.

His wife, and several others, watched in horror.

She says the owner was on his cell phone, but eventually pulled his dog back, then opened his wallet, and handed her money.

"He just handed me $100, and I told him this is nothing, there's a hole in my dog, she's going to bleed to death, this isn't going to do anything. And he was just like, ‘what do you want me do to?'" said Ashlynn Joyce.

Ashlynn says she told him to wait while she went to her car to grab her phone, to take down his name and number.

But when she got back he was gone.

The Joyces are grateful Molly survived, but the efforts to save her don't come cheap – the family has spent nearly $2,400 so far. They hope the owner of the pit bull will step up.

"In our opinion, you're responsible for all the costs, and I don't want to demonize the guy, because maybe the dog never did it before," said Cody.

The family moved to Clovis a month ago.

Cody says the move and now Molly's veterinary bills, it's lot for a young family.

And the veterinary bills could continue to pile up, if Molly's cut doesn't heal properly, she might have to have another surgery.

The Joyces did not file a police report, so the owner of the pit bull mix will not face any charges or fines.

But they did file a report with Clovis Animal Control services.

Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call animal control at 559-324-2450.

(KMPH - Nov 28, 2012)

City Dragged Into Dog Case

MICHIGAN -- A social media frenzy of e-mails and blogs by animal activists trying to save four dogs from being euthanized has targeted the City of Monroe and its mayor even though neither had anything to do with the case.

Someone posted his contact information and the mayor said he has spent much time this week trying to explain that the incident was not in the city’s jurisdiction and that he is not involved in any capacity.

“It’s irresponsible,” Mayor Clark said. “They are targeting the City of Monroe with inaccurate information. People around the county and world are reading that stuff and it’s just irresponsible.”

Some of the e-mails include the following statements to the mayor:

“You need to know that even in Los Angeles, and undoubtedly all over the world, people know about this despicable decision. You should be ashamed.”

“What Monroe has done to this family makes me so ashamed to be called a Michigander…I will never visit Monroe again and I will be telling all my friends and family about this barbaric act.”

“Will people look at you as the Michigan pet murderer? Be human, not the heartless monster I imagine you to be.”

Mayor Clark said many who responded to the case clearly were misinformed about the events. He said he researched the details of the case so he could properly respond to the vitriolic e-mails and phone calls.

Some people wrote that the girl was a burglar and that she was inside the house when she was merely bitten by one dog. Others had the wrong judge involved and believed the dog’s puppies were euthanized. None was true, according to officials familiar with the case and legal court documents.

The victim in the case, a Jefferson High School junior, was outside the house in the front yard when she was attacked by the four boxers that ran through an open door, court records showed. She told

The Evening News that she was bitten more than 200 times all over her body and had to endure five surgeries. She spent 10 days in the hospital. Many scars, emotionally and physically, are permanent, she said.

Additionally the puppies have not been euthanized. Monroe County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Joseph A. Costello said the puppies have been released to a rescue mission to be adopted.

The dogs’ owner, Tim Iocoangeli, was not home when the attack occurred in April. He said the boxers are not vicious and were simply protecting their litter and property.

He feels the dogs should not be put down.

In addition to the social media, an on-line petition has been circulating in an attempt to save the dogs. More than 7,500 people, including some from Russia, Australia and Venezuela, purportedly signed the petition.

Lawyers fighting to save the dogs have until Tuesday to file legal action if they are attempting to pursue the case.

(Monroe News - Dec 1, 2012)

Earlier:

• Four Dogs Facing Death In Attack On Teen

Firefighter enters not guilty plea in animal cruelty case

NEW JERSEY -- The firefighter cited by authorities for animal cruelty for letting his dog become emaciated with sores all over his body while tied in the backyard has pleaded not guilty to the charges in court.

Alexander Centeno, of East Commerce Street, appeared in Bridgeton Municipal Court on Thursday and told the judge he would release the Great Dane if the charges were dropped.

“You know what I said to that!” responded Cumberland County SPCA Executive Director Bev Greco.

“No way.”

A trial date of Dec. 13, at 2 p.m., has been set.

Acting on a tip from the Bridgeton animal control officer, on Nov. 20, Cumberland County SPCA cruelty agents seized the emaciated Great Dane from a property at 568 E. Commerce St.

Centeno, was charged with failure to maintain proper sustenance, which included failure to provide proper veterinary care.

Photo taken March 2012 shows
Alex Centeno at an awards
banquet for Cumberland
County Firefighters and EMTs.

The dog, believed to be 4 years old, has a history with the SPCA.

“We were called out about this same dog eight months ago,” said SPCA cruelty agent Diane Luellan-Lilla at the time. “The owner was cited for violations, but complied and the case was closed."

The dog is recovering.

Since Nov. 20, Centeno is being charged $10 a day room and board for the dog plus a veterinarian’s examination and medication expenses.

Those charges added up to $190 when Luellan-Lilla first contacted Centeno by phone the day after the seizure.

She told Centeno the monetary charges would cease as soon as he came to the shelter and signed papers to release the dog.

He declined and announced he was retaining a lawyer.

Centeno was not home the day of the seizure and no one answered the door, but other dogs were inside.

They are believed to be owned by Centeno’s wife.

At least $90 in additional charges have accrued.

(nj.com - Nov 30, 2012)

Earlier:

• Malnourished dog rescued in Cumberland County

Malnourished horses rescued from Fillmore County farm

MINNESOTA -- Officials removed 55 horses, ponies, mules and donkeys from a Fillmore County farm this week, in what an official says may be the largest equine confiscation in an animal cruelty case in Minnesota.

By Friday, four of the horses had been euthanized because of their extremely poor health conditions.

Several more animals may also have to be euthanized as the health of the remaining horses is determined, said senior Animal Humane Society Agent Keith Streff, who described this as the largest equine investigation that he's worked on in 25 years.

Authorities found the animals suffering from untreated wounds, severe emaciation and other health issues as well as numerous carcasses in various states of decomposition, after an anonymous complaint about the property.

"It was an ongoing investigation, but it got to the point where we had to take action," said Capt. John DeGeorge of the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office, which has had prior contact with the animals' owner.

The animals' owner has not been taken into custody or charged. The Animal Humane Society and Fillmore County Sheriff's Office are expected to complete their investigations and turn their findings over to the Fillmore County Attorney by late next week to determine what, if any, criminal charges will be issued.



A young but very underweight Hackeny pony
stands in a pen at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds.

Rescuing animals
Between 70 and 80 animals were on the property at the start of the investigation, but the owner was able to maneuver some off the property before authorities began confiscating them, Streff said.

"They were eating each others' tail hair to survive," said Candy Phillips of Truhaven Ranch in Winsted, Minn., one of the horse rescue organizations called on to transport, treat, care for and place the animals.

"It was a small acreage and they had eaten everything down to the dirt," she said. "They even ate the roots."

The 12 animals in the most acute condition were taken to the University of Minnesota Large Animal Hospital in St. Paul for treatment and forensic examination, where four were euthanized. The rest were taken to the Fillmore County Fairgrounds for temporary shelter before being transported to various ranches and agencies.

Although the owner is the one being investigated, Phillips said the problems with the animals often started before he took custody of them.

A horse showing numerous bite marks from competing with
others for food waits in a pen with another horse
at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds.

Many of the animals were ones that nobody wanted at auction and were left in the kill pen, Phillips said, explaining that the individual thought he could get them sold.

Although he took the animals with the best intentions, Phillips said, "That does not make it right."

Even so, there are more people to blame than the owner, she said. The people who bred or originally purchased the animals should have been responsible for them, she said.

Owner's background
Anna Nelson, of Wykoff, a longtime family friend of the owner, described him as a good horseman who used to trade horses with her grandfather. He's also an elderly man who got caught up over his head because of some extenuating circumstances, she said.

First he had an outbreak of "the strangles" go through his herd, which causes swelling of the glands in the neck making it so the horses don't eat and lose weight quickly, she said.

Then, during the first cold snap this fall, he was injured in an accident and was hospitalized for 10 days because of the injuries, she said.

It was while he was in the hospital that someone reported that the horses weren't being taken care of, she said.

Among the animals taken into custody, were two mini mules whose pot bellies were not caused by food, but more likely parasites, Phillips said. Another mule had to have its halter cut off since it had become embedded into its neck and head and infected.

Maggie Haugstad, a sophomore at Lanesboro High School,
stands with a malnourished Arabian that was rescued this
week from a Fillmore County property.
She hopes to adopt the horse.

Many of the animals have ring worm and rain rot, a skin disease from being left outside without shelter, she said.

All are underfed, including a draft horse that was at least 400 pounds underweight. Among the most emaciated was a Hackeny pony, a type of show pony known for its high steps.

"Her knees still pop level when she walks," Phillips said. "Even as bad as she is she still has pride."

(Post Bulletin - Nov 30, 2012)

Iowa: Woman says repairman beat her small Poodle mix; prosecutors refuse to file animal cruelty charges

IOWA -- A woman is struggling to make her case that a workman beat her dog.

Peggy Babcock told KETV-TV that she kenneled her dog, Jack, before she left the house Nov. 1.

She later received a phone call from the repairman her landlord had hired saying that the job was done, but she had to come home.

“He says, 'Ma’am, I have to apologize. I’m really worried about your dog,’” Babcock said.

Babcock said the man told her the 22-pound poodle mix attacked him, so he hit the it with a stake.

Jack was bloodied and beaten when Babcock returned home.

“He left him there to die,” Babcock said.

Babcock filed a report with the Omaha Police Department, but authorities said charging the workman with animal cruelty charges would be nearly impossible to prosecute.

Mark Langan with the Nebraska Humane Society said there wasn't enough probable cause for a felony or misdemeanor animal cruelty charge because the workman said it was self-defense.

“The only witness to that incident is the suspect himself, who indicates he was defending himself. It would have been tough for us to go to court and prove otherwise,” Langan said.

Omaha police are seeking a destruction of property offense, but the County Attorney's Office has yet to sign off on it.

Jack is left without an eye, but he will be fine.

Babcock said she won't be fine until the hired workman is held accountable.

“He's evil, and I think he needs to go to jail. I think he needs to be charged,” Babcock said.

(KCCI - Nov 29, 2012)

11/29/12: More Information Emerges in Warren Animal Abuse Case

OHIO -- Mocha the dog is doing well at the Animal Welfare League following her ordeal at the Hamilton Street home where five dogs and four cats were found dead inside on Wednesday.

The dog cannot be adopted out until the investigation is complete.

"What we have to do now is get all of our information put it in a report, get it to the prosecutor's office and hopefully we can get some criminal charges filed," said Animal Welfare League shelter director Debbie Agostinelli.

One problem is locating the couple accused of the act, Tiffany Charlton and Mike Kelley. They were not at the house on Thursday, but there was evidence that someone had been there overnight.

Tiffany Charlton's father, Randall, lives in the house right next door to her. He said the two have been estranged for awhile and wants nothing to do with her.

Her father and a neighbor said besides dogs, Charlton has many children, none of which were living in the home at the time.

"They have homes. A few are with Children's Services. The other ones are with their father and it's not like the kids are being neglected like the dogs," said neighbor Megan Hartford.

Details on Charlton's children could not be confirmed by CSB, and a look into her criminal background turned up nothing. Hartford said Charlton was fighting to get her kids back, but this case doesn't help.

"There is going to be repercussions for this. She really dug herself in a hole and is not going to get out," Hartford said.

Kelley's name turned up several misdemeanor charges, including theft, assault and breaking and entering.

(Fox Youngstown - Nov 29, 2012)

Calif. animal control officer killed in eviction

CALIFORNIA -- An unarmed animal control officer was shot and killed in Sacramento County on Wednesday while trying to retrieve pets from a home whose owner was evicted the previous day.

The officer had gone to the home to rescue dogs and cats authorities thought had been left behind, a day after Joseph Francis Corey was served an eviction notice and a sheriff's deputy changed the locks.

The officer — Roy Curtis Marcum, 45, of Elk Grove — and a bank employee knocked on the door when Corey fired a shotgun through the door, striking the officer in the torso, Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Ramos said.

Corey, 65, was arrested early Thursday and faces murder charges after a SWAT team managed to get in his garage following a 17-hour standoff.

"What made him take the actions Wednesday that he didn't take Tuesday when officers had contact with him, who knows?" Ramos told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The bank official suffered minor injuries but was not hit by gunfire.

Public records show that Corey, a one-time contractor, owned the home from 2006 until a bank put it in foreclosure in 2011. He filed for bankruptcy protection in 2005 and again earlier this year, according to the Sacramento Bee.

His only income came from disability payments of less than $2,000 a month, according to bankruptcy filings. Among his few possessions he listed in 2005 were a Ruger .22-caliber rifle and six Catahoulas, a breed of dog. Corey had complained to officers on Tuesday that he had nowhere to take the animals.

After shooting the officer, Corey refused to leave the two-story house about 20 miles south of Sacramento, police said, and officers from across the county responded and surrounded the home.

They used tear gas to try to force him out, and eventually, a SWAT team made it onto the garage and arrested him around 5 a.m. Thursday.

He was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure and expected to be book into jail later in the day, Ramos said.

Marcum had been an animal control officer for 14 years, David Dickinson, the county's director of animal control told KCRA-TV. Dickinson said Marcum had helped out numerous times removing animals in homes following eviction notices before he was killed.

In Sacramento County, animal control officers are not sworn officers, so they are not armed.

(AP - Nov 29, 2012)

11/26/12: Seven Great Danes Seized from Minneapolis Home

MINNESOTA -- Authorities in Minneapolis have uncovered a hoarding case involving a breed of dog known for its mammoth size, and now they are on a mission to find good homes for the animals.

Seven Great Danes were living in "filthy conditions and ... had very little socialization and care" in a home, said city spokesman Matt Lindstrom.

The dogs' owner surrendered them to the city's Animal Care and Control, which placed two puppies in new homes and began handing over the other five -- all adults -- to a rescue organization in two stages starting Monday.

"They are wonderful dogs, but they are big dogs," said Ann Heinrich, whose Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota and Wisconsin took in three of the dogs Monday and will return for the other two Wednesday.

Danes are considered the world's tallest breed, standing more than 3 feet tall from paw to shoulder and weighing at least 100 pounds by adulthood. It's the size of the five dogs that requires Heinrich to make two trips for the handoff.

Even though the dogs' owner cooperated with Animal Control, "this case is still under investigation for possible animal cruelty" charges, Lindstrom said.

Photos taken two weeks ago and released by the city show a thoroughly trashed living room and filth surrounding a kiddie swimming pool made into a dog's bed.

In light of this case, Animal Care and Control officials said in a statement that a residence with a large number of animals is "not a healthy environment for the people or the pets."

Heinrich said some owners don't realize the expense of keeping a Dane well fed and in good health.
Also, some people welcome a Great Dane to their home only to find out later that "they can't take living outside," Heinrich said. "They are strictly house dogs. They have no hair for the wintertime to keep them warm."

The five being taken in this week brings Heinrich's total to 15 awaiting placement by her organization in Siren, Wis.

Some of them are in foster homes as they await adoption. The others live with Heinrich, who has been involved with caring for Great Danes for 40 years, the past five running the rescue organization.

"Some of the dogs will live out their lives with me," she said. "We've got one dog we've had for over a year waiting for adoption."

(Star Tribune - Nov 26, 2012)

Toddler bit by pitbull in Bradenton home, second pit bull shot after it lunges at deputy

FLORIDA -- When law enforcement responded to a Bradenton home where a 3-year-old boy’s face was bitten by a pit bull Thursday afternoon, officials ran into uncooperative residents, according to a Manatee County Sheriffs' Office release.

A deputy ended up shooting a dog at the residence.

The deputy responded to a home on the 3300 block of 13 th St. East with Animal Control.

The toddler had sustained injuries from a pit bull inside the home and he needed medical attention, but the occupants in the home refused to answer the door.

The deputy began to walk to walk to the back of the residence when she was confronted by another dog.

The second dog, also a pit bull, lunged at the deputy, so she shot the dog with her firearm, the release states.

The dog was struck in its right front paw and was taken to a local vet by its owners to get treated.

Animal control impounded the dog that bit the child. The child was treated at Manatee Memorial and released.

(abcactionnews.com - Nov 30, 2012)

Four Dogs Facing Death In Attack On Teen

MICHIGAN -- Four dogs are on death row for attacking a Newport teenager who was knocked down and bitten more than 100 times in the front yard of a Detroit Beach home where the dogs lived.

A court battle ensued in the months since the incident and two Monroe County judges have ruled that the four boxers are dangerous and need to be euthanized.

One of the dogs which mauled the teenager

Unless a restraining order is filed and approved by Tuesday, the dogs will be put down.

But the dogs’ owner, Timothy D. Iocoangeli, who also is facing criminal charges in the case, said although he feels terrible that the girl suffered trauma and injuries from the attack, his pets should not be blamed. Mr. Iocoangeli, 48, said the dogs simply were protecting his property and their litter of pups that were inside the home on Lakeview Dr.

“They’re not dangerous dogs,” Mr. Iocoangeli said. “I’m so sorry the girl got hurt. I feel terrible. She’s just a kid. But those dogs didn’t do anything wrong. They were protecting their property. My dogs are not vicious dogs.”

Monroe County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Brown said the girl, a Jefferson High School student who was 15 at the time, required three surgeries since the mauling in April and has suffered emotional trauma as well. He said she suffered more than 100 bites all over her body.

“It was a brutal attack,” Mr. Brown said. “She’s lucky she survived. She’s clearly traumatized.”

The girl’s name is being withheld because she is a minor and her mother declined to comment. But Mr. Brown said the girl was not trespassing — she was invited to the house — and was not inside the home when the four dogs burst through the door and pounced.

The attack was so vicious that, according to police reports and witnesses, neighbors tried to get the dogs off the girl by throwing bricks at them. Additionally the victim’s friend who was with her that day tried to shield her by lying on top of her as the dogs continued biting.

“It was terrifying,” said one witness, who asked not to be identified. “She had four dogs on top of her and there was nothing she could do. The girl was screaming. It was awful. I was very shaken up.”

Mr. Brown charged Mr. Iocoangeli with four felony counts of owning a dangerous dog that caused serious injury.

First District Judge Mark S. Braunlich also ruled that the dogs are dangerous and need to be euthanized. The ruling was appealed to 38th Circuit Court where Judge Michael W. LaBeau last month upheld the ruling to have the dogs destroyed.

One of the issues argued in court was whether the two teenagers were given permission to enter the home. The victim and her friend were at the residence with Mr. Iocoangeli’s son and a fourth teen. All four were friends and were socializing outside the house, court records show.

Two of the teens left and the other two stayed behind. The boy allegedly decided to go inside the house to get a drink and use the restroom. According to court testimony, he told the victim to stay outside “since the dogs were mean.”

When the teenaged boy opened the door the four dogs burst through the opening and attacked the girl who was standing in the front yard, court documents said. The boy who opened the door and tried to shield his friend from the dogs has since died in a car accident.

Mr. Iocoangeli wasn’t home during the incident but he said his life changed dramatically since that day. In addition to being arrested, he lost his job, his house and was forced to sell his pickup truck to try to save his dogs that are named Brooklyn, Buddha, Sheena and Sweeny.

“I love my dogs,” he said from his uncle’s home in Monroe where he now stays. “My dogs are my life. They’re my family.”

The dogs and the puppies were taken away and Mr. Iocoangeli said he has not seen them since. They are being held in Animal Control facilities until the order to euthanize is made official. Until then Mr. Iocoangeli said he will continue to fight to save his dogs and plans to go to trial in the criminal case because he believes the dogs acted as they did strictly for protection.

“I lost everything but I am going to fight this,” he said. “If that door wasn’t opened this would never have happened. My dogs deserve to live.”

(Monroe News - Nov 29, 2012)

Earlier:

• Two recovering after dog mauling in Frenchtown Township

Starved dog found at vet clinic's doorstep

NEW YORK -- A veterinary clinic allegedly did not open its doors for a starving dog, and an alert Rural-Metro ambulance crew came to its aid.

Two Rural-Metro paramedics, assigned to the corner of Kensington and Fillmore Avenues, found an emaciated pit bull, lying on the frigid pavement on Wednesday. The dog was so weak, she couldn't even raise her head.

EMT Norine Hoch said, "As my partner was pulling into the driveway, all of a sudden, she started going, 'Oh my God! Oh my God!' It was, like, 32 degrees outside, and she was skin and bones. If we [had gotten there] seconds later, she would probably would have been frozen to death."

The dog was lying in the parking lot of the Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital. Which is why Hoch says, she's shocked at what happened when they knocked on the hospital door.

"A gentleman came to the door, and he said, 'I know she's there. I called the SPCA. They're on their way.' And slammed the door in our face."

Hoch and her partner wrapped the pit bull in blankets and applied heat packs. Their supervisor drove her in a fly car to the SPCA shelter in Tonawanda.

Field supervisor Michael Arquette said, "It was very heartbreaking to see just how thin, weak, and how cold she was to the touch. They were very saddened, but very happy to see us bring the puppy in, instead of just leaving it there."

This is not the first time Dr. Hector Anderson's clinic has been accused of refusing help for a sick animal abandoned on its doorstep.

In 2009, "Kenny," a malnourished cocker spaniel, lay outside the hospital for over 24 hours before anyone even called the SPCA. Kenny had to be put to sleep three days later, and the SPCA filed a complaint against Dr. Anderson.

When we went to the hospital looking for answers Thursday night, an employee told News 4 the clinic is closed on Wednesdays. She said the man who answered the door is a custodian, who's not authorized to handle animals.

Because of this latest incident, the SPCA Serving Erie County is again investigating the Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital. In fact, the paramedics are going to give statements to investigators Friday morning.

The SPCA says the puppy is very touch-and-go. Vets are still keeping her warm with hot water bottles. They think she's very young, but she is so severely starved, vets say it's impossible to determine her age.

Doctors are doing tests, to see if her internal organs are still functioning. They say it is impossible to tell, at this point, if she'll survive.

(WIVB - Nov 29, 2012)

Kittens Found in Poland Were Beaten To Death

OHIO -- The three kittens found dead on the side of the road in Poland died from blunt force trauma to the head and chest, according to veterinarians who performed an autopsy on the kittens.

Mahoning County humane agents originally thought the kittens were run over, then placed on the side of the road. That still could be the case, but Animal Charity Humane Society veterinarians said they were beaten to death first.

Mahoning County humane agents are still investigating.

Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, Poland police officers were called to Coit Road on a report of dead kittens found on the side of the road.

A witness told police that she found the kittens dead, lying in a straight line in the roadway. She said it appeared as if the animals were intentionally placed there. The witness said she put the dead kittens on top of a trash bag and moved them to the side of the road.

The kittens had tire tracks on their bodies, and it was apparent that they had been run over.

(WYTV - Nov 30, 2012)

Toddler Recovers After Pit Bull Attack

TENNESSEE -- A Memphis toddler who survived a vicious attack by a neighbor’s pit bull is now home with his family.

Little Angelo Garcia is celebrating his 3rd birthday.

In June, Angelo snuck into his neighbor’s backyard on Carrington while his family was putting away groceries.

His neighbors pit bull, named Cannibal, ripped part of the toddler’s face off.

The attack was so bad, neighbors could see the toddler’s bones.

Angelo’s father says his little boy has had 18 surgeries and is now in speech therapy.

The dog was put down shortly after the attack.

The owners have since moved out of the neighborhood.

(WREG - Nov 30, 2012)

Earlier:

• Owners Of Pit Bull That Attacked Toddler Speak