Canada: Woman's Samoyed takes a solo trip to Home Depot; is treated like a VIP

CANADA -- My dog ran away and wandered into the local Home Depot... this is what I arrived to when I picked her up.

(Reddit - January 12, 2018)

Massachusetts: Cliff Gardner tells PetSmart groomer his Pit Bull mix is "sweet as can be" so she removed its muzzle. Then it attacked her.

MASSACHUSETTS -- Authorities say a PetSmart worker on Cape Cod suffered a slew of injuries on Wednesday when a PIT BULL that was to be groomed attacked her without warning.

Police responded around 11:15 a.m. to the store in Hyannis for a report of a dog bite and found a trail of blood leading from the grooming area, through the customer aisle and training area, around the corner and into the employee lounge.

 

 

 

Officers found a 22-year-old employee being treated by co-workers for multiple bite wounds, according to police.

The victim told police that owner CLIFF GARDNER brought in his Pit Bull mix named Bubba into the store wearing a muzzle and requested that it be groomed.

The victim claimed the dog’s owner told her that it was “sweet as can be” when she asked him about the muzzle. The owner failed to disclose that it had attacked a person before, according to police.

 

 

 

ONE OF THE PIT BULL'S FIRST VICTIMS: IT BROKE HER

BONES, TURNING HER HAND INTO "HAMBURGER MEAT"

The muzzle was removed during the grooming process, per store policy. The dog then attacked the victim for “no apparent reason without warning” and would not let go of her arm, according to police.

Co-workers utilized an air horn and special spray, but were not able to deter the dog, until they were able to physically extract the victim’s arm from the jaws of the dog. They secured the dog in a kennel cage and brought the victim to the employee lounge.

The victim suffered bite wounds to her upper torso, wrist and hand, as well as extensive tearing of the flesh, possible broken bones and a suspected dislocated shoulder.

 

Police say the victim was taken to Cape Cod Hospital and then flown to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for treatment. Her condition is not known at this time.

Police are investigating the attack.

The Pit Bull, owned by Clifford Gardner and his wife Edith Gardner, has attacked before -- first attacking a woman walking him, then attacking a Samoyed, then attacking the Samoyed's owner. Before that attack, neighbors said it was frequently loose, menacing them, their pets and children -- while the Gardners, they say, did NOTHING about it. In fact, Edith Gardner blames the victims for being attacked by her 100-pound Pit Bull.

PetSmart issued the following statement on the situation:

“This is an upsetting, unfortunate occurrence, and our thoughts are first and foremost with our associate who was injured. We will continue to support her and wish her a full and speedy recovery. We are actively investigating the incident to determine how it occurred, and if there is anything we can do to help prevent this from happening again in the future.”

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WHDH - Dec 28, 2017)

Earlier:

• Massachusetts: Sandwich Animal Control Officers John Pimental and Walter Fagnant Jr. are incompetent.
• Massachusetts: Neighbors making excuses and being wishy-washy about vicious Pit Bull. Doesn't anyone have any strength of character anymore? Euthanize this dog now and be done with it

Wisconsin: 12 Samoyed dogs rescued from Burnett County residence

WISCONSIN -- Twelve “Samoyed” dogs pulled from a home in Burnett County, Wisconsin will be cared for at the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee.

WHS officials said Wednesday, May 4th the dogs were rescued from the home at the request of Burnett County Health & Human Services officials.

 

The dogs’ owner was apparently overwhelmed, trying to care for too many dogs, and WHS officials say the owner surrendered all 12 of the dogs to the WHS.

The dogs were then on their way from Burnett County to Milwaukee.

WHS officials said on Facebook: “We will have more details (Thursday), including how you can help the Samoyeds, but we promise that from here on out, they’ll receive loving, expert care they deserve.”

The Wisconsin Humane Society is accepting donations if you would like to support the care of these dogs.

UPDATE:
May 12, 2016 - With full hearts, we proudly announce that all 12 dogs have found fantastic homes! Thank you to everyone who adopted, donated, and supported these great pups along the way. We're honored to have helped them begin a new chapter in their lives and we look forward to hearing updates from their families. Congratulations, Sammies!

 

(Fox6Now - May 4, 2016)

Massachusetts: Missing dog home, two facing larceny charges

MASSACHUSETTS -- Fonzi, a 10-year-old Samoyed was reunited with his owners Friday, a week after being taken from his neighborhood by two women who are now facing charges.

Ashley Caron, of Millbury, and Robin Strocky, of Blackstone, have been charged with larceny over $250, removing the collar of a dog and keeping a stray or found dog after allegedly taking the dog that they found at the top of Resthaven Road near Providence Road last Friday.

The dog had gotten out of his home last Friday morning, something that happens often, said the dog’s owner Lynn Samuelson.

When she got home that evening, Samuelson said her neighbors reported that around 3 p.m., two girls who found the dog wandering near the Providence Road asked where the dog lived, took it in a green Jeep Cherokee, and said they were going to call Animal Control .

Caron did call Animal Control Officer Joyce Gareri to report that the dog was wandering around in that area, but “denied they had the dog,” said Det. Donald Blanchette.

After hearing from multiple witnesses who said they say saw the women take the dog, Gareri and Blanchette contacted the two who eventually admitted to having the dog.

Blanchette said that the women said the “intent was not to harm the dog” and that they “felt the dog was in distress.”

While in their care, Caron and Strocky bathed the dog and "trimmed" its fur, said Blanchette. The two returned the dog to the police station at about 11 a.m. today and it was reunited with Samuelson shortly after.

Because the two agreed to return the dog, Caron and Strocky were not arrested, but will be summoned into court for a hearing on the three charges.

Samuelson, who was reunited with her dog after a week of fear that she would never see him again, said she was relieved that he was returned.

She said his fur was shaved, he had a rash and looked “really sad” and scared, but he is otherwise OK.

On a “Help Bring Fonzi home,” Facebook page Samuelson expressed her gratitude for the hundreds of people who shared Fonzi’s image, hoping to help bring him home.

(Milford Daily News - ‎Feb 26, 2016)

Dog shot in eye in Winter Park; shooter claims self-defense

FLORIDA -- Winter Park Police say a man shot his neighbor's dog in the eye Thursday.

George Burdock, 70, claimed self-defense after he told police the Samoyed - Husky mix came at him and his family aggressively.

Burdock was walking with his wife and two dogs down Kenwood Avenue Thursday evening when the neighbor's dog got loose.

 

The owner, Ann Christensen, said she was outside with a neighbor about to take Lilly on a walk.
"I had my leash with me. I had every intention of walking her," said Christensen.

The dog ran when she saw the two other dogs. According to the Winter Park police report, Burdock said, "The dog charged towards them as it has done in the past and he shouted a warning to the owner to get control of her dog or he would shoot it."

"If Lilly were being aggressive, and running, and charging, that's a different story. Still, not in my mind, something you would use a gun for," Christensen told Local 6.

The report said Burdock had a registered revolver for protection after recent surgery. No one came to the door at Burdock's home.

"I was behind her, I could've been shot. I didn't realize that at the time," she said.

Police called the shooting self-defense so no charges will be filed against Burdock. The report said, "due to his age, physical condition at the time, and stated prior experience concerning Lilly, he acted in self defense when he was in fear for his safety and that of his wife and animals."

"It would've been a relief if it never happened. If he just made another choice like most people do," said Christensen.

The detailed police report said Burdock has complained to animal control in the past about Lilly, Christensen no one has complained to her directly.

No one would come to the door when reporters stopped by

Christensen said she is not sure what the next step is for her.

Richard Frazier, who was cited in the report, was another witness who verified the dog was aggressively coming toward the man, officials said.

Friday, several people began a petition for charges to be filed.

(WKMG Orlando‎ - Aug 14, 2015)

Tow truck driver, Callen Sharp, accused of dragging dog

INDIANA -- A 48-year-old man is facing animal cruelty charges after he was seen dragging a dog from his tow truck, according to court records.

Callen L. Sharp, of Gary, was charged Tuesday with three counts of cruelty to an animal. He had his initial hearing Wednesday in the jail where he was appointed a public defender.

A county officer patrolling Sunday in the 2600 block of West Ridge Road in Gary was flagged down by residents who reported seeing a Samoyed dog being dragged by a red tow truck, according to the affidavit.

One witness said he was closing his business Sunday afternoon when he saw the dog, later identified as Timber, being dragged by the tow truck. He said the dog tried to get on his feet and at one point bounced on the curb, according to the affidavit.

After witnesses yelled at the driver, Sharp made a u-turn, then stopped to put Timber inside the vehicle, according to court records. One witness said Sharp shrugged at the witnesses who had been yelling at him.

When the officer spotted the tow truck after being flagged down, the officer noticed there was a substance that appeared to be blood inside the vehicle and on Callen's boots.

According to the affidavit, Sharp told the officer he forgot the dog was tied to his truck when he drove off.

Callen told officers he went back to his house and left Timber inside an abandoned vehicle so dirt wouldn't get on his wounds, according to the affidavit. Officers were able to find Timber inside the abandoned vehicle with the windows rolled up in the 2300 block of West Ridge Road.

Officers noticed the dog's feet were cut and the wounds to his legs were deep enough to expose some of his bones, according to the affidavit. As workers from animal control tried to lift Timber, he began whimpering and crying.

Workers had to carry Timber from the vehicle, because he was unable to walk on his own, according to the affidavit.

Timber had extensive injuries from the incident and a portion of his paw was going to be amputated, according to court records. Timber was taken to a Highland animal hospital.

Sharp was released Wednesday from the Lake County Jail after posting a $500 cash bail. His formal appearance in front of Lake County Criminal Judge Clarence Murray is scheduled for May 21.

(NWI Times - May 13, 2015)

Daufuskie Island woman bitten, dog killed

SOUTH CAROLINA -- Moments after Gayle Silver let her dogs out into the yard on Daufuskie Island last week, she heard a sound that sent her running after them.

Silver, 69, followed the screech to her 10-year-old Havanese, Humphrey, who was trapped against the side of her Fuskie Lane home by two Samoyed dogs, according to her husband, Rich Silver.

Gayle Silver tried to stop the attack. She suffered bites to her hands that required stitches, and Humphrey died of his injuries a few days after the March 13 incident, despite emergency treatment in Bluffton and Charleston, Rich Silver said.

He said his wife's hands are healing, but she's still shaken.

"This could have been a grandchild instead of a dog," Silver said. "What she's now going to live with are the nightmares."

The Samoyeds' owner, a Savannah resident with a second home on Daufuskie, said the 5-year-old dogs were playing in the ocean when they started chasing a pelican to the end of the Bloody Point beach, where the fight began.

Owner John Menzies said he'd never let the dogs off leash, and they're accustomed to a large fenced yard in Savannah. However, the beach was empty that afternoon, Menzies said, and he decided to let them run.

Rich Silver, whose property has an electric fence, said he wants dog owners to be more responsible on the island.

"People have a mentality that since it's Daufuskie, there's no rules, no laws, it's like the Wild West, and people can come in and do anything they want," he said.

Menzies and his wife retrieved their dogs in a golf cart and left the Fuskie Lane home, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report on the incident. They will be cited by Beaufort County Animal Control for animals running at large, Sgt. Robin McIntosh said.

However, Animal Control has no authority to go to Savannah to assess the dogs, Daisy and Duke, for aggression, according to county spokeswoman Joy Nelson.

Menzies said his pets had never been never violent before. However, his wife received a citation from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department in a December 2012 incident, in which the dogs got out of their electric fence and killed a neighbor's cat, the police report said.

"Apparently these people were aware there were aggression issues with these dogs," Silver said. "It's one thing if they're in their own neighborhood where they're familiar, but not to bring them to someone else's neighborhood and let them run free."

Menzies said he did not consider his dogs dangerous after the 2012 incident because it was in their nature to chase cats, squirrels and birds. However, he said the attack March 13 was unacceptable and prompted him to euthanize Duke, who Menzies said was the more aggressive dog in the incident and might have been acting in defense of Daisy.

"We're very sorry about what happened, and there's nothing I can do to take it back," Menzies said.

"The whole thing would have been prevented if all the dogs were on leashes -- our dogs, their dogs, all the dogs."

(The State - March 21, 2014)

Disabled woman pleads for owners of dog who bit service dog to come forward

MASSACHUSETTS -- Amy Love of Belchertown is appealing to the owners of a dog that bit her dog to come forward, so that her service animal can be released from quarantine.

Love, 50, was walking with her service dog, Neikko at the Mount Tom Reservation in Easthampton Oct. 22, when the incident occurred. At the time, she said, she was concerned with getting Neikko's leg injuries treated, while the owners of the Rottweiler who bit her dog left the park.

Later, she learned that Neikko would have to be quarantined for 45 days because she can't prove if the dog had been vaccinated against rabies. State law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies.

Love is asking the Rottweiler's owners to come forward with information about the health of their pet.

"I'm not going to press charges. I am not a litigious person," said Love, a former clinical social worker at Easthampton High School. "I just want to know 100 percent that my dog will not have rabies."

Neikko, a 10-year-old Siberian Husky - Samoyed mix, has been vaccinated, she said.

Love said the Rottweiler's owners reported that their pet has also been vaccinated, but that is not enough to get Neikko released from quarantine. The Rottweiler's owners need to show that the dog is healthy, said Robert Jackman, animal control officer in Easthampton.

Michael Cahill, director of the Division of Animal Health at the state Department of Agricultural Resources, said Wednesday that if the owners of the biting dog come forward "that would be the ideal situation," for Love.

Those owners would not have to provide proof of vaccination because more than 10 days have passed since Love reported that Neikko was bitten, Cahill said.

If the Rottweiler is healthy at this point, that shows the dog likely has not transmitted rabies to Love's dog, he said.

"We just need to know that the dog is healthy 10 days after the incident," Cahill said. "If that's the case, there's no need for quarantine."

The rabies incubation period varies from two weeks to three or four months, Cahill said. During the incubation period, the bitten animal is not infectious, he said. Once the virus enters the brain, rabies can be transmitted through the infected animal's saliva, according to Cahill.

"Once they show symptoms, they go downhill very quickly," Cahill said. "We know they can live only about eight days if they are showing symptoms."

Jackman, Easthampton's animal control officer, said the Rottweiler's owners can contact his office, 529-1418, to confirm their pet is healthy. He said he will file a report on the incident and does not expect to take any other action.

Love, a musical performance artist, said she had to cancel a trip to London, scheduled for earlier this month, because of her dog's confinement.

[This is very odd. I guess it varies by state, but requiring a vaccinated dog to be quaranted for 45 days?? She did the right thing and had her dog vaccinated. She can simply do a home quarantine.]

(Daily Hampshire Gazette - Nov 10, 2011)