Two years ago today I had a terrible and horrible day, I was attacked by a pit bull mix as I was walking my precious baby girl Brooklyn. RIP My ❤️🐾, Mami misses you terribly.
Showing posts with label november 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label november 2015. Show all posts
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Florida: Two years ago today, Maria and her beloved Maltese Brooklyn were attacked by a Pit Bull. Little Brooklyn didn't survive.
FLORIDA -- Maria Ocasio is feeling sad. Posted on Facebook November 3, 2017 · Tildenville, FL ·
Two years ago today I had a terrible and horrible day, I was attacked by a pit bull mix as I was walking my precious baby girl Brooklyn. RIP My ❤️🐾, Mami misses you terribly.
Two years ago today I had a terrible and horrible day, I was attacked by a pit bull mix as I was walking my precious baby girl Brooklyn. RIP My ❤️🐾, Mami misses you terribly.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Utah: Woman provides update on her niece who had been attacked by a pit bull one year ago
UTAH -- Some of you may remember that one year ago, my niece was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a pit bull.
I certainly remember the outpouring of love and support after sharing the news of it on my facebook page and I thought now might be a good time to provide an update.
It's exactly one year later and Gracie Miller is doing great. The incident has never slowed her down or diminished her grand spirit. Her physical scars continue to heal and her family continues to be grateful for her recovery and the love and support they've all experienced.
Thanks, everyone! And Go Gracie!
I certainly remember the outpouring of love and support after sharing the news of it on my facebook page and I thought now might be a good time to provide an update.
It's exactly one year later and Gracie Miller is doing great. The incident has never slowed her down or diminished her grand spirit. Her physical scars continue to heal and her family continues to be grateful for her recovery and the love and support they've all experienced.
Thanks, everyone! And Go Gracie!
Their GoFundMe page raised $8,800. Gracie's mom posted this on the page:
Kimberly Kaighn - As Gracie's mom I just want to say thank you for all of the love and support being shown from all around the United States the contacts made through the the fire fighting family and other avenues is amazing, we can't say thank you enough. These donations will go towards our little girl recovering and healing. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️
Earlier:
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Ohio: Woman and her Doberman attacked by a pit bull mix
*spoken by the dog
OHIO -- Me and my mom just lived through a nightmare. I got attacked by a pit bull mix. I'm okay except for a small puncture wound, but my mom's hands are very sore and swollen from beating the living shit out of him. When my mom was done with him, he was breathing very labored and had a bloody nose. The police were called and the dog was put into quarantine. My mom is my hero. She protects me and will hurt anything and anybody when it comes to me. Thank God it wasn't any worse. Now , if we can just get rid of this pepper spray taste. Yuck!
My mom has been home with me all day to keep an eye on me and my puncture wound. I was depressed and mopey, but I'm getting back to my old self. My mom took me to the park and an old dog named "Lady" barked at me. I shunned away from her in fear, which is what my mom was afraid of. Usually, I don't pay that any attention, but now I do.
OHIO -- Me and my mom just lived through a nightmare. I got attacked by a pit bull mix. I'm okay except for a small puncture wound, but my mom's hands are very sore and swollen from beating the living shit out of him. When my mom was done with him, he was breathing very labored and had a bloody nose. The police were called and the dog was put into quarantine. My mom is my hero. She protects me and will hurt anything and anybody when it comes to me. Thank God it wasn't any worse. Now , if we can just get rid of this pepper spray taste. Yuck!
My mom has been home with me all day to keep an eye on me and my puncture wound. I was depressed and mopey, but I'm getting back to my old self. My mom took me to the park and an old dog named "Lady" barked at me. I shunned away from her in fear, which is what my mom was afraid of. Usually, I don't pay that any attention, but now I do.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Texas: On one-year anniversary, woman recounts how police saved man attacked by two pit bulls
TEXAS -- Monique Mooring shared a memory — with Joseph Keith Mooring.
"1yr later tyj he still here"
One year ago...
Bryan Police Save Life of Man Attacked by Dogs
On November 3, 2015 at 5:00 a.m. Officers responded the 3700 block of Old Kurten Road for reports of an animal attack. The caller advised that a man was being attacked by two pit bull dogs.
Officers Maldonado and Laughlin responded to the call and observed the 54 year old man of Bryan lying on the ground. He had multiple lacerations to his body and face. Officers observed an arterial bleed on the man’s arm and applied a tourniquet as well as applying pressure bandages to other wounds. The man was transported to St. Joseph Hospital.
The Emergency Room Doctor stated that the actions of Officer Laughlin and Maldonado directly contributed to saving the victim’s life. If it was not for the tourniquet he would have succumbed to his injuries due to the extreme loss of blood.
All patrol vehicles are equipped with medical supplies including a tourniquet. All Officers are trained in emergency first aid to sustain patients until medical personnel arrive.
The dogs were taken into custody by Bryan Animal Center. At this time the investigation is being conducted by the Bryan Animal Center.
Jaslyn Kierra: Mooring Yes a year! Ain't God good??!!!!
Bertha Sims: Your two angels was there god is alway on time and a good god praise god
Monika W Sterling: God is so good!!! Im bout to be like Quintara Shantel Lister im bout to need me some tissue.
"1yr later tyj he still here"
One year ago...
Bryan Police Save Life of Man Attacked by Dogs
On November 3, 2015 at 5:00 a.m. Officers responded the 3700 block of Old Kurten Road for reports of an animal attack. The caller advised that a man was being attacked by two pit bull dogs.
Officers Maldonado and Laughlin responded to the call and observed the 54 year old man of Bryan lying on the ground. He had multiple lacerations to his body and face. Officers observed an arterial bleed on the man’s arm and applied a tourniquet as well as applying pressure bandages to other wounds. The man was transported to St. Joseph Hospital.
The Emergency Room Doctor stated that the actions of Officer Laughlin and Maldonado directly contributed to saving the victim’s life. If it was not for the tourniquet he would have succumbed to his injuries due to the extreme loss of blood.
All patrol vehicles are equipped with medical supplies including a tourniquet. All Officers are trained in emergency first aid to sustain patients until medical personnel arrive.
The dogs were taken into custody by Bryan Animal Center. At this time the investigation is being conducted by the Bryan Animal Center.
Jaslyn Kierra: Mooring Yes a year! Ain't God good??!!!!
Bertha Sims: Your two angels was there god is alway on time and a good god praise god
Monika W Sterling: God is so good!!! Im bout to be like Quintara Shantel Lister im bout to need me some tissue.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Sheriff disputes abuse allegations as dog owner prepares to sue county
TENNESSEE -- Sheriff Sonny Weatherford responded Tuesday to a television report alleging abuse at the county animal control shelter.
In the story, which ran on Fox 17 in Nashville, Jason and Julie Corlew said they had a $600 vet bill after their Great Dane was "laying in his feces and urine for 10 days" and "ate the hair off his elbows."
As a result, the Corlew's claimed, the animal suffered urine scalds, blistered feet, a blood infection, and a 40-pound weight loss.
Jason Corlew said Wednesday he is suing the county for vet bills and costs.
Weatherford said he had nothing to hide and let the TV crew in to the facility to inspect it.
"We allowed them in and let them look at everything," Weatherford said. "They're saying the flush system doesn't work and it does - it works exactly like it was designed.
"And they were saying the floors aren't sloped, and that part is correct - when they built the building, somehow that got cut out. I didn't have anything to do with the architect or the building...but when I saw that we had a problem, I took it back in front of the county commission, I told them it was going to cost something like $45,000 to have the floors ground and sloped, and the commission didn't approve it."
Since he couldn't get the funding, Weatherford said, they've had to deal with the issue on their own.
"I have inmates over there all day long that walk through periodically and clean floors," he said.
Weatherford said this was the second stay in the pound for the Corlew's dog - both visits due to biting a child.
"This is the second time he's bit the same child...she's three-years-old," he said. "I've got a picture of it - she had to have plastic surgery. He bit her through her eyelid, all the way down her cheek, and back toward her ear. She was taken to Vanderbilt and had to have that surgery."
Weatherford said the dog did not lose all that weight because of neglect while at the shelter.
"When we took the dog, he didn't want to eat," he said. "He was grieving because he wasn't in his home and he wasn't around anybody that he knew," he said. "He was in a kennel to himself - he was in quarantine due to biting the girl, so we couldn't have any human contact with him except for the cleaning and being fed, and there are no animals anywhere around him, either.
"We called and told them we wanted the food that they had been feeding him," he added. "He did start eating some...but he didn't lose 40 pounds while he was there."
Another side to the story
In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Jason Corlew responded to some of the statements made by Weatherford.
Corlew said the first bite incident occurred around 18 months ago and it was believed the little girl may have unintentionally awoken and startled the dog. That incident did not require any medical attention. Corlew said a deputy from the sheriff's office did come to his home to investigate, but released the dog into Corlew's care.
The second biting incident, which happened this past August Corlew said, involved the same child, and it was believed the dog was again asleep and the biting was unintentional. He said the incident did required medical attention with stitches and plastic surgery to the child's cheek.
Corlew, who is being represented by Hendersonville attorney Roland Mumford, is suing the county; claiming his dog was not properly cared for. Corlew claims he repeatedly phoned Sumner County Animal Control to check on the Great Dane named Chief, and each time he was able to reach someone, was told the dog was fine. He said it was when he went to pick up the dog after the mandatory 10-day waiting period that he noticed problems.
"Sgt. (Sean) Ryan told me he would go get him and he walked out with him and I saw the condition of the dog - I see sores all over the dog, dried feces, urine that had burned him and his joints were huge and swelling. His feet had so much feces caked in them, all his paws skin was burning off.
"The vet examined the dog and said it was one of the worst cases of animal neglect she had ever seen; saying that where he had (lain) there for so long, the joints had filled with fluid. He also had a blood infection and was very emaciated - they are guessing he lost 40 pounds."
He said he just wants to know why his dog was not property cared for.
"The issue we are having is that we trusted our dog, which is a member of our family, to them to give him adequate care and it wasn't done - the dog was basically starved for 10 days," Corlew said. "They could have either taken him to the vet or have us come pick him up. They never called me once and I called numerous times and was always told the dog was fine. There just needs to be a lot of changes - I don't want his to happen to anybody else's dog."
Mumford said he plans to file the suit on Thursday. Both he and Corlew said the suit would likely ask for $1,000 or less, and was for the most part, to cast a light on Sumner County Animal Control to help give a voice to other people.
"There is a lot of principal at play here," Mumford said.
(Gallatin News - Nov 11, 2015)
In the story, which ran on Fox 17 in Nashville, Jason and Julie Corlew said they had a $600 vet bill after their Great Dane was "laying in his feces and urine for 10 days" and "ate the hair off his elbows."
As a result, the Corlew's claimed, the animal suffered urine scalds, blistered feet, a blood infection, and a 40-pound weight loss.
Jason Corlew said Wednesday he is suing the county for vet bills and costs.
Weatherford said he had nothing to hide and let the TV crew in to the facility to inspect it.
"We allowed them in and let them look at everything," Weatherford said. "They're saying the flush system doesn't work and it does - it works exactly like it was designed.
"And they were saying the floors aren't sloped, and that part is correct - when they built the building, somehow that got cut out. I didn't have anything to do with the architect or the building...but when I saw that we had a problem, I took it back in front of the county commission, I told them it was going to cost something like $45,000 to have the floors ground and sloped, and the commission didn't approve it."
Since he couldn't get the funding, Weatherford said, they've had to deal with the issue on their own.
"I have inmates over there all day long that walk through periodically and clean floors," he said.
Weatherford said this was the second stay in the pound for the Corlew's dog - both visits due to biting a child.
"This is the second time he's bit the same child...she's three-years-old," he said. "I've got a picture of it - she had to have plastic surgery. He bit her through her eyelid, all the way down her cheek, and back toward her ear. She was taken to Vanderbilt and had to have that surgery."
Weatherford said the dog did not lose all that weight because of neglect while at the shelter.
"When we took the dog, he didn't want to eat," he said. "He was grieving because he wasn't in his home and he wasn't around anybody that he knew," he said. "He was in a kennel to himself - he was in quarantine due to biting the girl, so we couldn't have any human contact with him except for the cleaning and being fed, and there are no animals anywhere around him, either.
"We called and told them we wanted the food that they had been feeding him," he added. "He did start eating some...but he didn't lose 40 pounds while he was there."
Another side to the story
In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Jason Corlew responded to some of the statements made by Weatherford.
Corlew said the first bite incident occurred around 18 months ago and it was believed the little girl may have unintentionally awoken and startled the dog. That incident did not require any medical attention. Corlew said a deputy from the sheriff's office did come to his home to investigate, but released the dog into Corlew's care.
The second biting incident, which happened this past August Corlew said, involved the same child, and it was believed the dog was again asleep and the biting was unintentional. He said the incident did required medical attention with stitches and plastic surgery to the child's cheek.
Corlew, who is being represented by Hendersonville attorney Roland Mumford, is suing the county; claiming his dog was not properly cared for. Corlew claims he repeatedly phoned Sumner County Animal Control to check on the Great Dane named Chief, and each time he was able to reach someone, was told the dog was fine. He said it was when he went to pick up the dog after the mandatory 10-day waiting period that he noticed problems.
"Sgt. (Sean) Ryan told me he would go get him and he walked out with him and I saw the condition of the dog - I see sores all over the dog, dried feces, urine that had burned him and his joints were huge and swelling. His feet had so much feces caked in them, all his paws skin was burning off.
"The vet examined the dog and said it was one of the worst cases of animal neglect she had ever seen; saying that where he had (lain) there for so long, the joints had filled with fluid. He also had a blood infection and was very emaciated - they are guessing he lost 40 pounds."
He said he just wants to know why his dog was not property cared for.
"The issue we are having is that we trusted our dog, which is a member of our family, to them to give him adequate care and it wasn't done - the dog was basically starved for 10 days," Corlew said. "They could have either taken him to the vet or have us come pick him up. They never called me once and I called numerous times and was always told the dog was fine. There just needs to be a lot of changes - I don't want his to happen to anybody else's dog."
Mumford said he plans to file the suit on Thursday. Both he and Corlew said the suit would likely ask for $1,000 or less, and was for the most part, to cast a light on Sumner County Animal Control to help give a voice to other people.
"There is a lot of principal at play here," Mumford said.
(Gallatin News - Nov 11, 2015)
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Jeremiah William Shroyer, 31, arrested for animal cruelty in Illinois
ILLINOIS -- Meet Jeremiah William Shroyer…
On November 3rd, 2015 Mr. Shroyer was arrested on the Class B Misdemeanor of Violation of Owner Duties / Animal Cruelty.
Mr. Shroyer is not new to the Sangamon County Jail by any means. Mr. Shroyer has been booked into the Sangamon County Jail 8 times over the last 10 years on various charges.
In 2012 Mr. Shroyer was convicted of Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest.
In 2005 Mr. Shroyer was convicted of Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property.
Apparently, he likes being arrested and having his booking photo taken:
On November 3rd, 2015 Mr. Shroyer was arrested on the Class B Misdemeanor of Violation of Owner Duties / Animal Cruelty.
Mr. Shroyer is not new to the Sangamon County Jail by any means. Mr. Shroyer has been booked into the Sangamon County Jail 8 times over the last 10 years on various charges.
In 2012 Mr. Shroyer was convicted of Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest.
In 2005 Mr. Shroyer was convicted of Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property.
Apparently, he likes being arrested and having his booking photo taken:
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Police suspect retaliation motivated shooter of pet cows in Richmond
MAINE -- Richmond police Chief Scott MacMaster said Monday that police have interviewed several people and are following up on multiple leads in an effort to find the person or persons who shot and killed two 13-year-old pet Holstein cattle Friday afternoon on Savage Road.
While the department has not identified any suspects, he said, “We’re convinced it’s someone who knows the area, and who may have been local at one point.”
Daria Goggins said Sunday that she had owned the siblings, a male named Theodore and a female named Isadora, as pets for about 10 years. Goggins recently moved to the property, where she had a modular home installed this past summer. The Holsteins were relocated from Pownal to Richmond in early June.
Goggins, whose home is about 600 feet from the pasture, said she found the cows’ bodies around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The cows were each shot once, very deliberately, MacMaster said. Although he would not release information on the type of gun used in the shootings, he said the assailants “knew the most effective way to shoot the animal.”
One of the cows died instantly, the chief said, and the other “may have suffered a little.”
Police also learned that the gate that contained the cows had been tampered with to prevent it from latching, and they believe the perpetrator brought the cows out of their own 4-acre fenced pasture toward a stone wall that marks Goggins’ property line to try to make the shooting look like a hunting accident.
Goggins said Sunday she thinks she knows who shot her cows.
“The complainant made statements that it might be retaliatory because of some issues between contractors and neighbors with having her house built on the property,” MacMaster said.
If and when charges are filed, they will include cruelty to animals and/or criminal mischief — the latter a charge that could be elevated to a felony depending on whether the damage exceeds $2,000.
“It’s hard to put a numerical value on a pet,” he said. “If they were being raised as beef critters, you’d only look at the dollar amount. I think if you look at what they would sell for for meat and what she has invested in them, it’s well over $2,000.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact officer James Donnell at 737-8518 or by email at jdonnell@richmondmaine.com.
(Bangor Daily News - Nov 23, 2015)
While the department has not identified any suspects, he said, “We’re convinced it’s someone who knows the area, and who may have been local at one point.”
Daria Goggins said Sunday that she had owned the siblings, a male named Theodore and a female named Isadora, as pets for about 10 years. Goggins recently moved to the property, where she had a modular home installed this past summer. The Holsteins were relocated from Pownal to Richmond in early June.
 |
| Isadora (left) and Theodore, two Holstein cattle owned as pets by Richmond resident Daria Goggins, were shot and killed Friday on Goggins' property. Goggins and police believe the killing was intentional. |
The cows were each shot once, very deliberately, MacMaster said. Although he would not release information on the type of gun used in the shootings, he said the assailants “knew the most effective way to shoot the animal.”
One of the cows died instantly, the chief said, and the other “may have suffered a little.”
Police also learned that the gate that contained the cows had been tampered with to prevent it from latching, and they believe the perpetrator brought the cows out of their own 4-acre fenced pasture toward a stone wall that marks Goggins’ property line to try to make the shooting look like a hunting accident.
Goggins said Sunday she thinks she knows who shot her cows.
“The complainant made statements that it might be retaliatory because of some issues between contractors and neighbors with having her house built on the property,” MacMaster said.
If and when charges are filed, they will include cruelty to animals and/or criminal mischief — the latter a charge that could be elevated to a felony depending on whether the damage exceeds $2,000.
“It’s hard to put a numerical value on a pet,” he said. “If they were being raised as beef critters, you’d only look at the dollar amount. I think if you look at what they would sell for for meat and what she has invested in them, it’s well over $2,000.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact officer James Donnell at 737-8518 or by email at jdonnell@richmondmaine.com.
(Bangor Daily News - Nov 23, 2015)
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Alberta SPCA investigation results in 41 dogs surrendered by breeder
CANADA -- The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society has a lot more furry friends to find homes for, after a breeder handed over 41 dogs.
A recent investigation by the Alberta SPCA, at a rural property in southern Alberta, led to the surrendering and to the animals coming into AARCS’ care.
And that care was direly needed.
“It is heartbreaking to see any animal in this condition, especially this many from one place.
“We are very happy that the Alberta SPCA was able to step in and that we were able provide these animals with a second chance at a life they deserve as beloved family pets.
“We hope that the public realizes that when they purchase a dog at a pet store or online with little or no information of where that puppy came from, that they are supporting backyard breeding operations such as this (and) one must take the time to think about the parents of that ‘puppy in the window,’ or cute puppy pictures online.”
The dogs, which are mostly small breed with one border collie and range from puppy-aged to 11-year-old, won’t be up for adoption for a while yet.
AARCS said via release Thursday more than $20,000 will be needed to get the medical and dental attention they need.
They received some pampering, through donated baths and grooming from Muttley Crue Organics.
(Calgary Sun - Nov 19, 2015)
A recent investigation by the Alberta SPCA, at a rural property in southern Alberta, led to the surrendering and to the animals coming into AARCS’ care.
And that care was direly needed.
“The dogs were all severely matted, and smelled heavily of urine — any of them have rotten teeth, eye infections, hernias and severe ear infections,” AARCS executive director Deanna Thompson said.
“It is heartbreaking to see any animal in this condition, especially this many from one place.
“We are very happy that the Alberta SPCA was able to step in and that we were able provide these animals with a second chance at a life they deserve as beloved family pets.
The dogs, which are mostly small breed with one border collie and range from puppy-aged to 11-year-old, won’t be up for adoption for a while yet.
AARCS said via release Thursday more than $20,000 will be needed to get the medical and dental attention they need.
They received some pampering, through donated baths and grooming from Muttley Crue Organics.
(Calgary Sun - Nov 19, 2015)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Three pit bulls attack woman and Yorkie in Cape Coral
FLORIDA -- Mary Benbynek and her daughter’s Yorkie, Snickers, were attacked by three pit bulls while out on a walk Friday evening.
It happened in the 4000 block of SE 3rd Avenue in Cape Coral.
Benbynek says she was walking Snickers, who was sniffing out all of the mailboxes, when two pit bulls started charging from across the street.
“They immediately knocked me down and kept going so they were dragging me on my back for a whole, I would say, a house length,” Benbynek explained.
She says that’s when a third pit bull got a hold of Snickers.
“Picked him up, just mauled him, shook him.”
She started screaming for help. She says that’s when her neighbors rushed out of their house and pulled the dogs away.
“I just told her to get up and take the dog and run,” Sue Dupont said. “And then screamed for the neighbors to come out and get their dogs.”
Benbynek jumped in her car and took Snickers to the vet, but they said there was nothing they could do for him. The veterinarian told her he had a dislocated hip, bite marks, and a hernia in his stomach.
The next day, Benbynek says one of the pit bull owners apologized and offered to pay the vet bill.
“But he was going to keep them and he was going to put a chain on the fence and hope it never happens again,” Benbynek said.
WINK News stopped by the pit owners’ house. They declined to comment.
Benbynek, and the rest of the neighborhood tells us, they just want to feel safe while walking down their street.
“Other neighbors next door have pets, there’s cats that run around in the neighborhood, I’m just not comfortable having those killers living across the street,” Dupont said.
Benbynek says she filed a report with the Cape Coral Police Department who said Animal Control will be investigating. WINK News is waiting to hear back from Animal Control about details on the case.
(Wink News - Nov 29, 2015)
It happened in the 4000 block of SE 3rd Avenue in Cape Coral.
Benbynek says she was walking Snickers, who was sniffing out all of the mailboxes, when two pit bulls started charging from across the street.
“They immediately knocked me down and kept going so they were dragging me on my back for a whole, I would say, a house length,” Benbynek explained.
She says that’s when a third pit bull got a hold of Snickers.
“Picked him up, just mauled him, shook him.”
She started screaming for help. She says that’s when her neighbors rushed out of their house and pulled the dogs away.
“I just told her to get up and take the dog and run,” Sue Dupont said. “And then screamed for the neighbors to come out and get their dogs.”
Benbynek jumped in her car and took Snickers to the vet, but they said there was nothing they could do for him. The veterinarian told her he had a dislocated hip, bite marks, and a hernia in his stomach.
The next day, Benbynek says one of the pit bull owners apologized and offered to pay the vet bill.
“But he was going to keep them and he was going to put a chain on the fence and hope it never happens again,” Benbynek said.
WINK News stopped by the pit owners’ house. They declined to comment.
 |
| The owner of the pit bull |
Benbynek, and the rest of the neighborhood tells us, they just want to feel safe while walking down their street.
“Other neighbors next door have pets, there’s cats that run around in the neighborhood, I’m just not comfortable having those killers living across the street,” Dupont said.
Benbynek says she filed a report with the Cape Coral Police Department who said Animal Control will be investigating. WINK News is waiting to hear back from Animal Control about details on the case.
(Wink News - Nov 29, 2015)
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Elderly man, 71, suffers severe head and facial injuries after being attacked by his own dog
MICHIGAN -- A dog attacked a Jackson man early Saturday, causing severe head and facial injuries.
The man tried to remove something from the mouth of his dog, an 18 month-old male pit bull mix named Maverick, and the dog attacked him, Jackson police Sgt. Adam Williams said.
Emergency personnel were called at 8:36 a.m. Nov. 28 to the man's home in the 100 block of Bates Street.
The man went to Allegiance Health for treatment. He was then transferred to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor for surgery, Williams said.
The dog was taken to the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Dangerous, impounded animals are not released for adoption, according to the county animal control and protection ordinance, and the dog was expected to be euthanized.
Williams said the owner or owners of the animal no longer wanted the dog in their home.
(MLive.com - Nov 30, 2015)
The man tried to remove something from the mouth of his dog, an 18 month-old male pit bull mix named Maverick, and the dog attacked him, Jackson police Sgt. Adam Williams said.
Emergency personnel were called at 8:36 a.m. Nov. 28 to the man's home in the 100 block of Bates Street.
The man went to Allegiance Health for treatment. He was then transferred to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor for surgery, Williams said.
The dog was taken to the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Dangerous, impounded animals are not released for adoption, according to the county animal control and protection ordinance, and the dog was expected to be euthanized.
Williams said the owner or owners of the animal no longer wanted the dog in their home.
(MLive.com - Nov 30, 2015)
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Kevin James McClenithan, 46, plead no contest in puppy shooting case
FLORIDA -- A man charged with animal cruelty and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with the May 1 shooting of his neighbor’s Labrador retriever puppy has pleaded no contest to both charges.
Kevin James McClenithan entered his plea in a Nov. 3 pretrial hearing before Circuit Judge David Walsh, who sentenced him to five years in state prison, followed by two years of probation, 7th Judicial Circuit representative Ludmilla Lelis said.
McClenithan also pleaded no contest to an unrelated domestic battery charge, and was sentenced to time served.
(YourObserver.com - Nov 4, 2015)
Earlier:
Kevin James McClenithan entered his plea in a Nov. 3 pretrial hearing before Circuit Judge David Walsh, who sentenced him to five years in state prison, followed by two years of probation, 7th Judicial Circuit representative Ludmilla Lelis said.
McClenithan also pleaded no contest to an unrelated domestic battery charge, and was sentenced to time served.
(YourObserver.com - Nov 4, 2015)
Earlier:
California: Josiah Fowler, 25, Sentenced To 16 Months For Hitting Boyfriend, Killing Dog
CALIFORNIA -- A San Mateo man was sentenced Tuesday to 16 months of incarceration for hitting his boyfriend and killing their dog earlier this year, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
Josiah Fowler, 25, was eligible for probation but was uncooperative with the probation department, so San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Leland Davis sentenced him to 16 months in prison, the maximum sentence allowable according to a plea agreement Fowler reached in September, Wagstaffe said.
On September 24, Fowler pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and felony animal cruelty, prosecutors said.
His boyfriend, a 24-year-old man, had dated Fowler since January and the two lived together in San Mateo. On September 14, Fowler’s boyfriend checked himself in to a hospital to get away from months of domestic violence incidents, prosecutors said.
He also told investigators that Fowler had beaten their small terrier, eventually throwing it down a flight of stairs and killing it.
Fowler had brought the dog with him when he moved from Los Angeles, according to prosecutors, but buried it in a cemetery next to his boyfriend’s parents’ graves.
A plea agreement reduced Fowler’s domestic violence charge to a misdemeanor and the court agreed to sentence him to no more than 16 months in prison.
In court today, it was revealed he had not provided the probation department with the information they needed and in light of that, he received the maximum sentence, Wagstaffe said.
He has nearly four months’ credit for time served and will serve the sentence in county jail because of the state’s realignment policy.
(CBS Local - Nov 10, 2015)
Josiah Fowler, 25, was eligible for probation but was uncooperative with the probation department, so San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Leland Davis sentenced him to 16 months in prison, the maximum sentence allowable according to a plea agreement Fowler reached in September, Wagstaffe said.
On September 24, Fowler pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and felony animal cruelty, prosecutors said.
His boyfriend, a 24-year-old man, had dated Fowler since January and the two lived together in San Mateo. On September 14, Fowler’s boyfriend checked himself in to a hospital to get away from months of domestic violence incidents, prosecutors said.
He also told investigators that Fowler had beaten their small terrier, eventually throwing it down a flight of stairs and killing it.
Fowler had brought the dog with him when he moved from Los Angeles, according to prosecutors, but buried it in a cemetery next to his boyfriend’s parents’ graves.
A plea agreement reduced Fowler’s domestic violence charge to a misdemeanor and the court agreed to sentence him to no more than 16 months in prison.
In court today, it was revealed he had not provided the probation department with the information they needed and in light of that, he received the maximum sentence, Wagstaffe said.
He has nearly four months’ credit for time served and will serve the sentence in county jail because of the state’s realignment policy.
(CBS Local - Nov 10, 2015)
Palm Beach County Fire Captain Who Stabbed Raccoon to Death Escapes Prosecution
FLORIDA -- Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Andrew Giamberini will not be prosecuted for stabbing a raccoon that wandered on the grounds of the agency’s training facility earlier this year.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detectives asked the office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg to file animal cruelty charges against Giamberini, who at the time was teaching recruits, but prosecutor Judith Arco declined. She explained in a memo that PBSO’s work on the case was insufficent to prosecute the case.
According to the PBSO report we obtained exclusively, Giamberini was having lunch at a table outdoors with other instructors when he spotted a raccoon in the bushes.
Giamberini, 54, then produced a knife that he threw at the raccoon.
“After seeing that the racoon was injured and suffering, Giamberini killed it to prevent it from suffering further,” the PBSO report reads.
Oh yes, what a compassionate person. He didn't want the raccoon to suffer so what did he do? Stab it to death? This guy is a psycho and I guarantee he has probably abused women/children/animals in the past. No sane person does something disgusting and creepy like this.
Several of the witnesses at Giamberini’s table claimed that they didn’t see the incident. One reported seeing “a raccoon with a knife in it” but didn’t make anything of it.
PBCFR Spokesman Capt. Albert Borroto said at the time that Giamberini was fired from teaching at the academy, a contracted job, but retained his job as firefighter.
It wasn’t Giamberini’s first brush with the law.
According to state records, Giamberini was turned down for a state certification as fire safety inspector in April because, in 1993, he pleaded no contest to a criminal charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. He was sentenced to probation.
While his plea didn’t disqualify Giamberini from becoming a firefighter in 1996, it did disqualify him from investigating fires.
(Gossip Extra - Nov 9, 2015)
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detectives asked the office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg to file animal cruelty charges against Giamberini, who at the time was teaching recruits, but prosecutor Judith Arco declined. She explained in a memo that PBSO’s work on the case was insufficent to prosecute the case.
According to the PBSO report we obtained exclusively, Giamberini was having lunch at a table outdoors with other instructors when he spotted a raccoon in the bushes.
Giamberini, 54, then produced a knife that he threw at the raccoon.
“After seeing that the racoon was injured and suffering, Giamberini killed it to prevent it from suffering further,” the PBSO report reads.
Oh yes, what a compassionate person. He didn't want the raccoon to suffer so what did he do? Stab it to death? This guy is a psycho and I guarantee he has probably abused women/children/animals in the past. No sane person does something disgusting and creepy like this.
Several of the witnesses at Giamberini’s table claimed that they didn’t see the incident. One reported seeing “a raccoon with a knife in it” but didn’t make anything of it.
PBCFR Spokesman Capt. Albert Borroto said at the time that Giamberini was fired from teaching at the academy, a contracted job, but retained his job as firefighter.
It wasn’t Giamberini’s first brush with the law.
According to state records, Giamberini was turned down for a state certification as fire safety inspector in April because, in 1993, he pleaded no contest to a criminal charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. He was sentenced to probation.
While his plea didn’t disqualify Giamberini from becoming a firefighter in 1996, it did disqualify him from investigating fires.
(Gossip Extra - Nov 9, 2015)
Cheyenna Propst, 31, pleads no contest to animal cruelty
OHIO -- Cheyenna Propst, 31, of 509 Scott St., cruelty to animal, guilty, 30 days jail with 30 days suspended for restitution and 20 hours community service by Jan. 22, 2016, fined $75.
What is the point of saying someone was given 30 days in jail when the judge then says "It's suspended"??? Just tell them there is no punishment and they can be on their way...
(Springfield News Sun - Nov. 6, 2015)
What is the point of saying someone was given 30 days in jail when the judge then says "It's suspended"??? Just tell them there is no punishment and they can be on their way...
(Springfield News Sun - Nov. 6, 2015)
SRJC students help identify animal abuser, Coast Guard Petty Officer Ronald McKnight
CALIFORNIA -- Through attentiveness and hard work, three Santa Rosa Junior College students identified a maltreated dog and traced her to her abusive owner, whose hearing is Dec. 7.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Ronald McKnight, 37, of Santa Rosa, pled no-contest July 9 to a felony animal abuse charge for the neglect and abuse of his 4-month-old lab.
Starting in fall 2014 and unfolding over the course of several months, veterinarians, kennel workers, animal patrol officers and three SRJC students helped save the puppy, named Daphne at the time, and bring the abuser to trial.
Daniel Famini, SRJC Vet Tech Program coordinator and veterinarian at Sonoma County Animal Services, said, “We do get dogs that are thrown away all the time at the shelter. Animal abuse is very common. What is rare is that we know enough information to be able to have the DA prosecute.”
According to District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s August 2014 press release, McKnight told his dog walker that Daphne fell down a set of stairs and injured her leg. The dog walker testified that Daphne’s hind leg appeared dislocated and twisted outward.
Almost two weeks later, the dog walker took Daphne to Santa Rosa Veterinary Hospital where doctors determined the leg was broken and needed surgery. The dog walker paid $3,000 in medical expenses when McKnight said he could not afford it.
Nearly a week after McKnight claimed he gave Daphne to a shelter, animal control found her in a creek ravine off Nuns Canyon Road near Glen Ellen after someone reported hearing a whimpering dog amongst a pile of garbage, according to the DA’s press release. McKnight admitted to abandoning the dog but lied about the location, saying he left her near Travis Air Force Base off Highway 80 when the dog was found more than 40 miles away.
Animal control brought the shell-shocked and emaciated puppy into SCAS. Her hind leg was covered in a rotting, creek-soaked bandage and a non-functional splint, causing greater pain and instability to the leg as well as dermatitis and a skin infection.
Famini said x-rays of Daphne’s leg revealed two additional fractures to the formerly repaired break. McKnight subjected the puppy to such poor conditions after the initial surgery that it broke a second time and the third break occurred after he dumped her in the creek.
“Because of the multiple fractures and the way the bone had callused, the leg was never going to work for the dog again, and so I had to amputate the leg,” Famini said.
In October of 2014, Famini brought x-rays of Daphne’s broken leg into his imagery and laboratory procedures class, Animal Health 151. The dog had just come into SCAS and was unidentified at the time.
Darien Smith, veterinary assistant and retired chief petty officer of the U.S. Navy for 20 years, was one of the students attending Famini’s class when he showed the puppy’s radiographs.
At the time, Smith worked as a kennel assistant at SRVH. Smith said she recalled a puppy they admitted having a badly healed fractured femur repaired and one of the veterinary assistants told her about the procedure, which involved a unique cross-pin technique.
“It was very interesting, with crossed pins placed in the femur,” Smith said. “I had never seen anything like that, and it made a lasting impression on me.”
When Famini showed the x-rays of Daphne’s leg in class, Smith recognized the placement of the pins and said the timing, type of injury, age and breed all matched the puppy that came into the hospital months before.
Famini brought the dog to SRVH where they confirmed Daphne’s x-rays matched the dog Smith heard about and they discerned through past medical records that the dog’s original owner induced the injuries and didn’t do anything about it.
According to Famini, a few weeks after the initial surgery McKnight refused to talk to the clinic about follow-up care and claimed he gave the dog to a shelter, when in reality he threw her in a creek. Famini said they believe he did so with the intention or idea she would die there.
Smith said if McKnight had taken Daphne to SCAS early on, she would have had a good chance for recovery and adoption.
“The previous owner had plenty of options for finding someone to take the puppy if he felt unable to take care of her,” Smith said. “Instead, he chose to throw an injured, helpless, baby animal into a garbage dump, regardless of the suffering it would cause her.”
Stormie Prosser was another student in Famini’s class when he showed the radiographs. That’s when she made the connection between the abused animal and McKnight.
“I was immediately appalled and my brain was trying to connect the pieces,” she said. “It wasn’t until another classmate, who was working at the hospital the dog was seen at, said something about the man that made it click.”
Prosser worked at Countryside Rescue in Santa Rosa at the time when McKnight told her he had to give Daphne back to the rescue. She made the connection when a classmate mentioned his military status and she realized the dog matched McKnight’s dog’s description.
McKnight adopted another puppy from Countryside Rescue less than a week after he threw Daphne into the creek. Prosser said once she realized McKnight was the same man who abused Daphne, the kennel put a hold on the adoption and officials confiscated the dog from him.
“This was no accident. He thought this all out and lied intentionally because he knew what he did was wrong,” Prosser said. “There is a special place in hell for those who hurt and let animals suffer.”
Famini brought Daphne into his nursing class, Animal Health 120, to show students an example of nursing and recovery in pre/post-surgery. Student Shelby Reed recognized Daphne in person because McKnight brought the dog into Banfield Pet Hospital where Reed worked after he broke the dog’s leg the first time.
Doctors at Banfield took x-rays and recommended care for the dog but McKnight refused to treat her and defaulted on his bill for the consultation, which was sent to collections. Veterinarians didn’t administer initial care to the dog until McKnight’s dog walker took her to SRVH.
Famini said he commonly uses medical records from shelters in class since they are public domain, but this was the first time it led to solving an animal abuse case. “This only happened because the students were sharp enough to recognize one of many patients they see every week, or one surgery out of all the ones that come through,” he said.
The DA’s press release noted the SRJC students’ involvement in the case when they recognized the dog and traced her to McKnight, leading to his arrest.
Until his sentencing date, Judge Julie Conger instructed McKnight to complete 300 hours of community service, concentrating his service hours in various animal shelters to demonstrate his remorse. Famini said the decision to have McKnight volunteer at animal shelters was “inherently problematic and wrong-headed.”
Over the objection of the DA’s office, Judge Conger said she might reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor, much to Famini and Ravitch’s dismay.
“I can’t understand what the reasoning would be,” Famini said. “The previous judge [Judge Peter Ottenweller] said this was clear abuse.”
In the DA’s press release, Ravitch stated, “The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office takes issues of animal abuse very seriously. When someone takes care and control of an animal it is their obligation to reasonably care for that animal. This defendant fell far short of that standard. The delay in sentencing and consideration of a reduced charge are not supported by the gravity of the offense.”
Famini created an online petition to persuade Judge Conger not to reduce the charges. He also thinks part of McKnight’s sentencing should include a prohibition on ever being allowed to own animals again. The petition letter discusses the medical perspective of the case, depicting the suffering Daphne had to endure for months due to McKnight’s abuse and neglect.
Prosser said she supports Famini’s petition to maintain a felony conviction. “I hope that his crime will be recognized as animal cruelty, which is now a federal crime and felony, and not brushed off.”
Smith also said she supports Famini’s position about maintaining a felony conviction.
“That puppy was a loving, living animal that didn’t deserve to be treated like a piece of garbage. Who can say how much she suffered before she was rescued, and she could have died,” Smith said. “I think that a person who has no concern for the life and suffering of another living creature is very dangerous.”
Famini’s petition currently has just more than 3,000 supporters and needs 5,000 signatures to reach its goal.
(The Oak Leaf - Nov 16, 2015)
Earlier:
Coast Guard Petty Officer Ronald McKnight, 37, of Santa Rosa, pled no-contest July 9 to a felony animal abuse charge for the neglect and abuse of his 4-month-old lab.
Starting in fall 2014 and unfolding over the course of several months, veterinarians, kennel workers, animal patrol officers and three SRJC students helped save the puppy, named Daphne at the time, and bring the abuser to trial.
Daniel Famini, SRJC Vet Tech Program coordinator and veterinarian at Sonoma County Animal Services, said, “We do get dogs that are thrown away all the time at the shelter. Animal abuse is very common. What is rare is that we know enough information to be able to have the DA prosecute.”
According to District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s August 2014 press release, McKnight told his dog walker that Daphne fell down a set of stairs and injured her leg. The dog walker testified that Daphne’s hind leg appeared dislocated and twisted outward.
Almost two weeks later, the dog walker took Daphne to Santa Rosa Veterinary Hospital where doctors determined the leg was broken and needed surgery. The dog walker paid $3,000 in medical expenses when McKnight said he could not afford it.
Nearly a week after McKnight claimed he gave Daphne to a shelter, animal control found her in a creek ravine off Nuns Canyon Road near Glen Ellen after someone reported hearing a whimpering dog amongst a pile of garbage, according to the DA’s press release. McKnight admitted to abandoning the dog but lied about the location, saying he left her near Travis Air Force Base off Highway 80 when the dog was found more than 40 miles away.
Animal control brought the shell-shocked and emaciated puppy into SCAS. Her hind leg was covered in a rotting, creek-soaked bandage and a non-functional splint, causing greater pain and instability to the leg as well as dermatitis and a skin infection.
Famini said x-rays of Daphne’s leg revealed two additional fractures to the formerly repaired break. McKnight subjected the puppy to such poor conditions after the initial surgery that it broke a second time and the third break occurred after he dumped her in the creek.
“Because of the multiple fractures and the way the bone had callused, the leg was never going to work for the dog again, and so I had to amputate the leg,” Famini said.
In October of 2014, Famini brought x-rays of Daphne’s broken leg into his imagery and laboratory procedures class, Animal Health 151. The dog had just come into SCAS and was unidentified at the time.
Darien Smith, veterinary assistant and retired chief petty officer of the U.S. Navy for 20 years, was one of the students attending Famini’s class when he showed the puppy’s radiographs.
At the time, Smith worked as a kennel assistant at SRVH. Smith said she recalled a puppy they admitted having a badly healed fractured femur repaired and one of the veterinary assistants told her about the procedure, which involved a unique cross-pin technique.
“It was very interesting, with crossed pins placed in the femur,” Smith said. “I had never seen anything like that, and it made a lasting impression on me.”
When Famini showed the x-rays of Daphne’s leg in class, Smith recognized the placement of the pins and said the timing, type of injury, age and breed all matched the puppy that came into the hospital months before.
Famini brought the dog to SRVH where they confirmed Daphne’s x-rays matched the dog Smith heard about and they discerned through past medical records that the dog’s original owner induced the injuries and didn’t do anything about it.
According to Famini, a few weeks after the initial surgery McKnight refused to talk to the clinic about follow-up care and claimed he gave the dog to a shelter, when in reality he threw her in a creek. Famini said they believe he did so with the intention or idea she would die there.
Smith said if McKnight had taken Daphne to SCAS early on, she would have had a good chance for recovery and adoption.
“The previous owner had plenty of options for finding someone to take the puppy if he felt unable to take care of her,” Smith said. “Instead, he chose to throw an injured, helpless, baby animal into a garbage dump, regardless of the suffering it would cause her.”
Stormie Prosser was another student in Famini’s class when he showed the radiographs. That’s when she made the connection between the abused animal and McKnight.
“I was immediately appalled and my brain was trying to connect the pieces,” she said. “It wasn’t until another classmate, who was working at the hospital the dog was seen at, said something about the man that made it click.”
Prosser worked at Countryside Rescue in Santa Rosa at the time when McKnight told her he had to give Daphne back to the rescue. She made the connection when a classmate mentioned his military status and she realized the dog matched McKnight’s dog’s description.
McKnight adopted another puppy from Countryside Rescue less than a week after he threw Daphne into the creek. Prosser said once she realized McKnight was the same man who abused Daphne, the kennel put a hold on the adoption and officials confiscated the dog from him.
“This was no accident. He thought this all out and lied intentionally because he knew what he did was wrong,” Prosser said. “There is a special place in hell for those who hurt and let animals suffer.”
Famini brought Daphne into his nursing class, Animal Health 120, to show students an example of nursing and recovery in pre/post-surgery. Student Shelby Reed recognized Daphne in person because McKnight brought the dog into Banfield Pet Hospital where Reed worked after he broke the dog’s leg the first time.
Doctors at Banfield took x-rays and recommended care for the dog but McKnight refused to treat her and defaulted on his bill for the consultation, which was sent to collections. Veterinarians didn’t administer initial care to the dog until McKnight’s dog walker took her to SRVH.
Famini said he commonly uses medical records from shelters in class since they are public domain, but this was the first time it led to solving an animal abuse case. “This only happened because the students were sharp enough to recognize one of many patients they see every week, or one surgery out of all the ones that come through,” he said.
The DA’s press release noted the SRJC students’ involvement in the case when they recognized the dog and traced her to McKnight, leading to his arrest.
Until his sentencing date, Judge Julie Conger instructed McKnight to complete 300 hours of community service, concentrating his service hours in various animal shelters to demonstrate his remorse. Famini said the decision to have McKnight volunteer at animal shelters was “inherently problematic and wrong-headed.”
Over the objection of the DA’s office, Judge Conger said she might reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor, much to Famini and Ravitch’s dismay.
“I can’t understand what the reasoning would be,” Famini said. “The previous judge [Judge Peter Ottenweller] said this was clear abuse.”
In the DA’s press release, Ravitch stated, “The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office takes issues of animal abuse very seriously. When someone takes care and control of an animal it is their obligation to reasonably care for that animal. This defendant fell far short of that standard. The delay in sentencing and consideration of a reduced charge are not supported by the gravity of the offense.”
Famini created an online petition to persuade Judge Conger not to reduce the charges. He also thinks part of McKnight’s sentencing should include a prohibition on ever being allowed to own animals again. The petition letter discusses the medical perspective of the case, depicting the suffering Daphne had to endure for months due to McKnight’s abuse and neglect.
Prosser said she supports Famini’s petition to maintain a felony conviction. “I hope that his crime will be recognized as animal cruelty, which is now a federal crime and felony, and not brushed off.”
Smith also said she supports Famini’s position about maintaining a felony conviction.
“That puppy was a loving, living animal that didn’t deserve to be treated like a piece of garbage. Who can say how much she suffered before she was rescued, and she could have died,” Smith said. “I think that a person who has no concern for the life and suffering of another living creature is very dangerous.”
Famini’s petition currently has just more than 3,000 supporters and needs 5,000 signatures to reach its goal.
(The Oak Leaf - Nov 16, 2015)
Earlier:
Great Dane breeder Lindsay Renee Tyus, 34, sentenced to 18 MONTHS in prison!
FLORIDA -- An operator of a Youngstown “puppy mill” has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to court records.
Lindsay Renee Tyus, 34, pleaded no contest Friday to 14 felony counts of animal cruelty after investigators found several malnourished Great Danes and two dead puppies at her Youngstown home. She was arrested in February and the recovered dogs sent to a Panhandle Great Dane shelter for treatment. Tyus also faced drug-related charges, for which she also pleaded no contest.
Tyus’ husband has been named in connection with the case, but he has not been arrested in Bay County on charges related to the incident. He remains in custody in South Florida in an unrelated case.
Bay County Animal Control removed 15 Great Danes in February from the Troy Road property that were in “distress” and alerted BCSO to the residence. Numerous dogs were in outdoor kennels that appeared to have not been fed or cared for properly, BCSO reported.
Deputies found kennels inside the home of Lindsay and Mark Tyus, 38, which had been reported as a “puppy mill,” officers said. Inside, the deputies found feces on the floor and moldy food in the bowls. One kennel contained the bodies of two lifeless Great Dane puppies.
“The Great Danes were extremely thin to the point you could see their ribs and tailbones,” officers reported.
Several of the Great Danes seized from Sanders’ home were taken to the Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue, where they were dubbed the “Bay County 13.”
Water dishes within the pens allegedly were dirty, with green algae lining the insides. The officers also reported seeing “several pens without dogs in them” where they “observed bones (skulls) inside of them which appeared to have K-9 teeth.”
Lindsay Tyus was not inside the home when officers attempted to contact her, but they were able to reach her by phone. BCSO said she admitted staying there with Mark Tyus before leaving a man named “Red” in charge of caring for the dogs.
Lindsay Tyus said she “went on a honeymoon and left a man they knew as ‘Red’ on the property,” BCSO reported. “They had met him in a bar in mid-December. He needed a place to stay and they needed a caretaker for the dogs while they were gone.”
However, the neighbors said they had only seen the couple at the residence.
Lindsay and Mark Tyus were arrested in Hillsborough County on unrelated charges, including possession of a controlled substance. Lindsay Tyus was released before BCSO issued a warrant for the couple’s arrest, but Mark Tyus remained in jail. BCSO officials said they are waiting for his release from custody to extradite Mark Tyus to Bay County.
Lindsay Tyus posted bond but was later arrested in a Days Inn motel in the process of injecting liquid alprazolam into a toe vein. She had been sought for questioning in connection with a multistate theft ring. Lindsay Tyus also pleaded no contest Friday to possession of amphetamine and paraphernalia.
(News Herald - Nov 17, 2015)
Earlier:
Lindsay Renee Tyus, 34, pleaded no contest Friday to 14 felony counts of animal cruelty after investigators found several malnourished Great Danes and two dead puppies at her Youngstown home. She was arrested in February and the recovered dogs sent to a Panhandle Great Dane shelter for treatment. Tyus also faced drug-related charges, for which she also pleaded no contest.
Tyus’ husband has been named in connection with the case, but he has not been arrested in Bay County on charges related to the incident. He remains in custody in South Florida in an unrelated case.
Bay County Animal Control removed 15 Great Danes in February from the Troy Road property that were in “distress” and alerted BCSO to the residence. Numerous dogs were in outdoor kennels that appeared to have not been fed or cared for properly, BCSO reported.
Deputies found kennels inside the home of Lindsay and Mark Tyus, 38, which had been reported as a “puppy mill,” officers said. Inside, the deputies found feces on the floor and moldy food in the bowls. One kennel contained the bodies of two lifeless Great Dane puppies.
“The Great Danes were extremely thin to the point you could see their ribs and tailbones,” officers reported.
Several of the Great Danes seized from Sanders’ home were taken to the Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue, where they were dubbed the “Bay County 13.”
Water dishes within the pens allegedly were dirty, with green algae lining the insides. The officers also reported seeing “several pens without dogs in them” where they “observed bones (skulls) inside of them which appeared to have K-9 teeth.”
Lindsay Tyus was not inside the home when officers attempted to contact her, but they were able to reach her by phone. BCSO said she admitted staying there with Mark Tyus before leaving a man named “Red” in charge of caring for the dogs.
Lindsay Tyus said she “went on a honeymoon and left a man they knew as ‘Red’ on the property,” BCSO reported. “They had met him in a bar in mid-December. He needed a place to stay and they needed a caretaker for the dogs while they were gone.”
 |
| Maximus, blind and deaf, is one of the rescued dogs |
Lindsay and Mark Tyus were arrested in Hillsborough County on unrelated charges, including possession of a controlled substance. Lindsay Tyus was released before BCSO issued a warrant for the couple’s arrest, but Mark Tyus remained in jail. BCSO officials said they are waiting for his release from custody to extradite Mark Tyus to Bay County.
Lindsay Tyus posted bond but was later arrested in a Days Inn motel in the process of injecting liquid alprazolam into a toe vein. She had been sought for questioning in connection with a multistate theft ring. Lindsay Tyus also pleaded no contest Friday to possession of amphetamine and paraphernalia.
(News Herald - Nov 17, 2015)
Earlier:
Thursday, December 3, 2015
PHOTOS ADDED: Animal hoarder Carol Leach pleads guilty to four more animal cruelty charges
INDIANA -- Carol Leach, the Posey County woman charged with hoarding more than a hundred dogs in her cramped and sqaulid home in Griffin, Indiana, was convicted on four misdemeanor charges for animal cruelty, but the dog lovers that gathered in the Posey County courthouse looking for justice for the dogs left disappointed.
"No, I can't say justice has been served because there were so many dogs that died needlessly," Brenda Vanderver, the president of Posey County Pound Puppies, said.
The state was seeking four felony convictions for animal torture and mutilation, but this push fell short.
"It was a disheartening moment, but we kind of expected it," Tina Parker, the president of the Posey Humane Society, said.
The judge ruled while Leach had shown neglect in allowing her dog hoarding situation to become uncontrollable, with the dogs fighting each other for food and living in a swamp of their excrement, he said there was not enough evidence from the state to constitute an intent to torture or mutilate the dogs. He found Leach guilty of four class A misdemeanors for animal cruelty, down from the level 6 felonies the state had hoped.
"What really happened was attempting to put guilt on somebody by omitting to do something," defense attorney Jake Warrum said.
"I think this shows a deficiency in our laws concerning the neglect for animals," Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers said. "Basically these animals were neglected to the point of death. They were left in horrendous situations until the point that they died."
Dog lovers like Parker said they still remember the night of the rescue and still see the scars Leach's home left on the dogs.
"When I see Chance with all the scars all over his face and the fact he cowers and he's timid when people he doesn't know come around, it's a sad situation," she said.
"It was the most horrendous conditions they had ever seen in their life," Vanderver said. "No one is ever going to forget this."
And while they are not satisfied with the ruling, people like Parker say it opens up a conversation about Indiana's laws concerning animals.
"We are one of the few states in the United States that actually does not have animal cruelty and neglect as a felony," she said.
"There needs to be more action taken in cases like this just to show people it's not acceptable," Vanderver said. "It's not right and it won't be ignored."
Leach previously pled guilty to 60 counts of animal cruelty and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog, all misdemeanors. Her sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 10 at 9 a.m.
Leach can face up to 65 years in jail, and Parker and others are asking her to not be allowed to own another animal ever again.
"I'm hopeful that it's sending a message that animal cruelty and neglect is not going to be tolerated in Posey County," Parker said.
(Tri State Homepage - Nov 18, 2015)
"No, I can't say justice has been served because there were so many dogs that died needlessly," Brenda Vanderver, the president of Posey County Pound Puppies, said.
The state was seeking four felony convictions for animal torture and mutilation, but this push fell short.
"It was a disheartening moment, but we kind of expected it," Tina Parker, the president of the Posey Humane Society, said.
The judge ruled while Leach had shown neglect in allowing her dog hoarding situation to become uncontrollable, with the dogs fighting each other for food and living in a swamp of their excrement, he said there was not enough evidence from the state to constitute an intent to torture or mutilate the dogs. He found Leach guilty of four class A misdemeanors for animal cruelty, down from the level 6 felonies the state had hoped.
"What really happened was attempting to put guilt on somebody by omitting to do something," defense attorney Jake Warrum said.
"I think this shows a deficiency in our laws concerning the neglect for animals," Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers said. "Basically these animals were neglected to the point of death. They were left in horrendous situations until the point that they died."
Dog lovers like Parker said they still remember the night of the rescue and still see the scars Leach's home left on the dogs.
"When I see Chance with all the scars all over his face and the fact he cowers and he's timid when people he doesn't know come around, it's a sad situation," she said.
 |
| How do you sleep at night Jake Warrum? Do you feel good about yourself for taking this woman's money and trying to convince a judge that these animals didn't suffer? You are an odious man. |
"It was the most horrendous conditions they had ever seen in their life," Vanderver said. "No one is ever going to forget this."
And while they are not satisfied with the ruling, people like Parker say it opens up a conversation about Indiana's laws concerning animals.
"We are one of the few states in the United States that actually does not have animal cruelty and neglect as a felony," she said.
"There needs to be more action taken in cases like this just to show people it's not acceptable," Vanderver said. "It's not right and it won't be ignored."
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| Carol Leach has a disease. It's called animal hoarding. She will abuse animals again. Guaranteed. |
Leach previously pled guilty to 60 counts of animal cruelty and one count of harboring a non-immunized dog, all misdemeanors. Her sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 10 at 9 a.m.
Leach can face up to 65 years in jail, and Parker and others are asking her to not be allowed to own another animal ever again.
"I'm hopeful that it's sending a message that animal cruelty and neglect is not going to be tolerated in Posey County," Parker said.
(Tri State Homepage - Nov 18, 2015)
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