Come to California! Drown your pets and get away with it!!!

Fairfield Man Charged With Drowning Dog Found Not Guilty Of Animal Cruelty

CALIFORNIA -- A Solano County jury on Thursday acquitted a Fairfield man who had been charged with felony animal cruelty for drowning his dog last August.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours on the third day of the trial before acquitting Bryan Cavanah, 21, who was charged with drowning a brown, female pit bull in a pond at 100 Kentucky St. outside Fairfield City Hall on Aug. 12, Deputy District Attorney Mary Nguyen said.

Police said Cavanah held the dog’s head in the water repeatedly until it stopped coming up. The dog had a chain around its neck and belonged to Cavanah’s father, police said.

When officers arrived, Cavanah admitted killing the dog but said he didn’t know why he did it, police said.

Cavanah’s defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Rachel Julagay, told the jury her client has suffered from seizures since childhood that render him unaware of his behavior.

Defense witness Dr. Paul Garcia of the University of California at San Francisco’s Epilepsy Center testified Cavanah suffers from focal epilepsy in one part of his brain, Julagay said.

Garcia testified Cavanah could have drowned the dog during an “unconscious state” that enabled him to move physically but not be conscious of his actions, Julagay said.

Julagay said three defense witnesses testified Cavanah had a positive and caring relationship with the dog and took it to parks.

Nguyen said this afternoon that she acknowledged during the trial that Cavanah suffered seizures, but she argued he wasn’t having one at the time of the offense.

Cavanah was held without bail in Solano County Jail since the drowning because of a violation of probation for an assault he pleaded guilty to when he was 18, Julagay said.

Solano County Superior Court Judge Peter Foor ordered Cavanah released from jail after the trial ended Thursday.

(CBS Local - Feb 7, 2014)

Charges pending on owners of dog with embedded collar

TEXAS -- Animal cruelty charges are pending against a couple of dog owners. Neighbors in the 3500 block of Bluebonnet say their two dogs are not taken care of, but one in particular is in really bad shape.

The pit bull mix, neighbors say, has had a choke collar embedded in her neck for nearly a month.

When animal control officers came out, they tried to contact the owners, but they wouldn't answer. A violation notice was left on their door. Officers say if the owners don't contact them by Monday, they will seize the dog.

(KRIS - Jan 31, 2014)

Family upset after new neighbour's dogs attack pet

CANADA -- Calgary family is furious, after their new neighbour’s dogs attacked a beloved pet.

 

 The pit bull terriers arrived in the southwest community of Coach Hill just two weeks ago, and moved in beside the Domagala family.

 

The Domagala’s say their beagle /hound mix, Arlo, was inside their home while contractors installed new windows, when one of the terriers got inside through an open door.

Arlo followed it outside, at which point both terriers turned on him, biting him on his torso and neck.
Samm Domagala says it’s lucky he survived.

“He has five or six bite marks, two very significant, one’s right around the neck,” she says. “Basically one dog got ahold of him under the neck from the looks of the bite marks, and then they just tried to shake [Arlo].”

The neighbor has offered to pay the $3,600 vet bill, and Bylaw Services has also fined them. This is the terriers’ first offence.

(Globalnews.ca - Aug 14, 2013)

Dog Attacks Growing Concern for US Postal Service

BUFFALO, NY -- Dog Attacks are becoming a growing problem for mail carriers in Western New York.

According to the United States Postal Service, dog attacks happen to letter carriers 1 to 2 times a week on average.

Three years ago, North Tonawanda City Letter Carrier Emily Skuce was viciously attacked by a pit bull mix while delivering mail. Her injuries required 90 stitches and 3 months off from work.

"I was blocking my face but (the dog) eventually latched onto my head and shook me back and forth until I lost consciousness," said Skuce.

The US Postal Service is now sending out an important message to dog owners and is urging them to take extra precautions with their pets.

"Make sure you close doors and gates," said US Postal Service WNY Communications Coordinator Karen Mazurkiewicz. "Also make sure the dog is contained inside the home when the carrier comes to deliver.
Quick things could mean the difference between the trauma Emily Skuce experienced as well as the liabilities for the dog owner."

(WKBW - June 29, 2011)

Man stabs pit bull to death to end attack on his dog

SPARTANBURG, SC -- A 55-year-old Spartanburg man says he was forced to stab a pit bull when it attacked his dog Tuesday afternoon.

 

Officers said they responded to a house on Lucerne Drive after a call reporting a dog bite. The officers said they found Victor Hajek and his basset hound covered in blood.

 

Hajek told officers that he was walking his leashed dog when he heard several dogs barking, including a pit bull that Hajek was usually chained to the far side of a fence near where he was walking his dog.

 

Hajek said the pit bull jumped the fence and charged at him and his dog. Hajek said he tried to pick up his dog, but the pit bull lunged at them, knocking him down and grabbing the basset hound’s ear.

 

Hajek said he held onto his dog because he was afraid the pit bull would carry the dog away and kill him.

 

Hajek said the pit bull would not let the basset hound go, so he got out a pocket knife he had and stabbed the pit bull repeatedly until it let go of his dog.

 

Officers said the pit bull ran about 75 feet and collapsed.

 

After checking on Hajek and his dog, officers said they checked on the pit bull that was still alive when they arrived. The officers said the pit bull had about 3 feet of chain attached to its collar. An animal control officer arrived at the scene and took the pit bull to the Humane Society to be seen by a veterinarian, but the dog died before it could be treated.

 

Officers said that they were unable to reach the pit bull's owner, but left a message for the owner to call Public Safety.

 

Investigators said the pit bull did not have any license or rabies tags. Officers said Hajek showed them records indicated that his dog’s vaccinations are up to date.

 

The investigation is continuing, but no charges have been filed.

(WYFF - May 31, 2011)

Read More:

• Spartanburg man stabs pit bull 20 times while defending his basset hound

Pit bull prevents people from leaving home

TROY, OH -- A Troy dog owner received three tickets after police said his vicious dog prevented neighbors from leaving their home.

Police were called to a Troy home about a pit bull in the driveway at the home in the 3000 block of McClure at 5:40 p.m. Saturday.

Police learned that the dog’s owner lived across the street, but he had left a few hours prior to police arriving.

The animal charged the patrol vehicles and prevented the officers’ exit.

Troy police dispatchers contacted the dog’s owner, but the call went to voicemail.

Oakland County Animal Control was contacted. They responded and when they arrived, they opened the gate at the owner's home and the dog went inside. The dog’s owner had also returned home, police said.

The 45-year-old Troy man received citations for Dog Running at Large, No Animal License, and Owning a Vicious Animal.

(Daily Tribune - June 1, 2011)