July 6, 2015: Cat hoarder and career criminal, Jerry McCallum, to serve 3 years for animal cruelty

Jerry Matthew McCallum
White male
DOB: 11-28-1973

Sentenced 7-06-2015 to 3 years in prison on five counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
Currently housed at Walton Correctional Institute
Release date: 1-24-2018

McCallum's criminal history includes: possession of burglary tools, multiple counts of grand theft, trafficking in stolen property, and witness tampering.

FLORIDA -- Jerry McCallum, who shared a Crestview-area home with a woman and 92 cats, will serve 36 months in prison for cruelty to animals and violating his probation.

In December of 2014, McCallum’s probation officer entered the home at 1208 E. Chestnut Ave. and discovered that little to nothing had been done to comply with his request to clean it.

The Panhandle Animal Welfare Society was called in and removed the 92 cats. Some were already dead and nearly all were so sick they had to be put down, PAWS Director Dee Thompson said afterward.

Some of the cats were missing eyes, while others had holes in their mouths and tongues. All had been exposed to highly contagious diseases.

McCallum pleaded no contest Monday to five felony counts of animal cruelty and two misdemeanor charges of animal abandonment, according to Assistant State Attorney Clifton Drake. He admitted to the probation violation.

Felicia Guy, the woman with whom McCallum shared the Chestnut Avenue trailer, did not offer a plea at her Monday docket day, but will appear in court again Friday, Drake said.

“I anticipate she probably will plea, but I can’t say that for sure since nothing has been signed yet,” McCallum said.

First Judicial Circuit Public Defender Bruce Miller confirmed that his office negotiated the McCallum plea. Guy is represented by the Office of Regional Counsel.

(NWFDailyNews - July 6, 2015)

Earlier:

• How Okaloosa County (FL) officials turned a blind eye to the suffering of hoarded cats

July 1, 2015: Gary Lensch and Sherry Lensch, 68, arrested, accused of storing dog in van for a year

GEORGIA -- A Bibb County sheriff’s deputy arrested a Macon husband and wife on animal cruelty and obstruction charges after an animal control officer learned the couple may have kept its dog in a feces-littered van for as long as a year.

The pair -- Sherry Marie Lensch, 68, and Gary Lee Lensch, 61 -- were jailed earlier this week. Each was still being held at the county lockup Wednesday evening in lieu of $1,300 bond.

About 1 p.m. Monday, the deputy went to a house in the 4300 block of Mercer University Drive, in a neighborhood across from Walgreens near the intersection of Log Cabin Drive.

A sheriff’s report said the animal control officer told the deputy that a dog there looked malnourished and “appeared to have been living in (a van) for a while.”

A small front window on the van was cracked open, and the vehicle’s floor was coated in dog droppings.

 

Sherry Lensch said the dog had been there about a month, the report noted, but the deputy said that with so much feces in the van that the dog had to have been there longer.

The write-up says that’s when Sherry Lensch told the deputy the animal had been in the van about a year.

The report doesn’t mention what kind of dog it was or the make of the van.

The deputy wrote that when he went to handcuff the woman, she pulled away and resisted before she was put in a squad car.

Her husband, Gary Lensch, then showed up and said the dog had been in the vehicle for a week, the report stated.

The deputy again brought up the amount of dog mess and Gary Lensch said the dog had been in the vehicle “maybe a month,” the report said.

The deputy wrote, “When I asked about the dog being in the van for about a year like (Sherry) Lensch advised, (Gary) Lensch said maybe but he didn’t keep up with time.”

The husband also said he and his wife “had been caring for the dog and it was both (who) decided to put the dog in the van,” the report added.

Gary Lensch allegedly tried to pull away from the cop as he was being handcuffed for the ride to jail.

(Macon.com - July 1, 2015)

Jesse Tom, 29, Accused Of Killing Girlfriend’s Dog, Placing It On Barbecue In Elk Grove

CALIFORNIA -- A man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s dog and placing it on a barbecue grill in what police say may have been motivated by revenge.

Police say once they got to the Elk Grove neighborhood, they had to completely shut it down, and once they made contact with the suspect, the chase was on.

A neighbor on Paulhaus Way in showed CBS13 the damage left behind after police say they chased the suspect through numerous backyards.

Officers were called to the area after getting reports of a man beating a dog.

Investigators say the beagle mix was later found dead on a barbecue grill in the suspect’s home.

 

“This may have happened because of some sort of domestic type situation not knowing if an ex-girlfriend or former girlfriend had recently split or exactly what the relationship was,” said Elk Grove Police spokesman Chris Trim.

Officers say Jesse Tom, 29, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries related to the foot chase. He’s facing several charges, including resisting arrest and animal abuse.

(CBS Sacramento - July 9, 2015)

Family cited for animal cruelty as rabbit population booms

TENNESSEE -- A Nashville man says he had good intentions but suddenly got in way over his head and wound up with more than 100 rabbits at his home.

After complaints from neighbors, officers came by and found many of the animals may be infected with disease.

The neighbors said the white rabbits were everywhere - coming out of sewage drains, hiding under cars and sitting on porches.

Anh Nguyen said he and his family really love animals, and in their backyard on Huntington Parkway in south Nashville, they raise hens, pigeons, fish and rabbits.

"It's not easy getting rid of 100 rabbits," Nguyen said.

The Nguyens say the infestation started with just four rabbits, and things quickly got out of control. They say their intentions were good, and they had planned to get help.

"It just happens. We can't really control what they do," Nguyen said. "We just wanted to raise the rabbits and give them life. It's just like buying a bunch of birds and letting them go and give them life."

But Metro Animal Control says it's still not clear what they were doing with all the rabbits.

"A lot of people, when you see that many rabbits in one spot, it's probably a meat organization, because a lot of people do eat rabbit," said Billy Biggs with Metro Animal Control.

The Nguyens admit they had a breeding operation but say they never sold or ate the animals.

Animal control cited Nguyen for animal cruelty, saying the rabbits were living in feces.

What's more, a rabbit rescue group found some of the animals had gangrene infections and parasites.

The family said they were unaware of disease issues and gave half of the animals away but seemed unsure when asked what happened to the other half.

"Umm, in the woods and stuff," Nguyen said.

Metro Animal Control officers will visit the home again next week. If the family continues to comply with orders, the animal cruelty citation will be dropped.

(WSMV - July 5, 2015)

German Shepherd attacks tiny Yorkie-Poo at off-leash park

CANADA -- At first, she hoped it might just be severe scratches.

But when Brigitte Malana rescued Oscar from the water’s edge, it was clear the tiny Yorkie-poo had been savagely bitten by a German shepherd more than six times his size.

Moments earlier, Malana and her dad, Michael, were watching their dogs — Oscar; Stanley, another Yorkie-poo; and Molly, a Maltese Shih tzu — happily play in the shallows on Sunday evening at the far end of McDonald Beach off-leash park with two other dogs.

But on the flip of a coin, Malana said one of the other dogs, a German shepherd called Chloe, appeared to single out Oscar before snapping and biting at him.

“We kind of froze for a second or two as we were worried we were going to get bitten,” said Malana, a second-year Simon Fraser University student.

“It probably was all over in a few seconds and the woman grabbed her dog by the collar and pulled it away.

“She kind of downplayed the whole thing and said it was just scratches; but I looked at Oscar and it didn’t seem to be scratches. There was sand all over the wounds that may have covered it up.”

As Malana was on the phone to the vet, she said the German shepherd was shaping up to do the same thing to her other Yorki-poo, Stanley.

“She didn’t seem to have much control over the dog and we told her to get her dog on a leash,” added Malana, who volunteered for five years at the Richmond Youth Foundation and was president of the Animal Rescue and Care Club at high school.

“She just walked up ahead and didn’t even apologize.”

Almost $1,000 in vet bills have been run up for emergency surgery and subsequent cleaning of several wounds from an incident the City of Richmond’s bylaw department has categorized as a “mauling.”

Malana said the woman gave her name as Vanessa Calero and offered her phone number, arranging to meet Malana’s dad the next day at a Vancouver coffee shop.

“Since then, my dad, me, my mom and the City of Richmond bylaw officer have been unable to speak to her, despite calling her numerous times,” she said.

“We’ve texted her as well, but she’s not responding at all.”

Malana described the woman as in her mid-20s, of Hispanic descent, about five feet, four inches tall and of medium to heavy build.

Richmond News called the woman at the number she gave Malana and left a voicemail, asking for her version of events.

Later the same day, a man saying he knows “Vanessa” called claiming she was too busy to come to the phone and added that the wounds on Oscar must have been inflicted by another dog in a subsequent attack, as only “nips” had taken place when the dogs were playing.

He also claimed he and Vanessa had already spoken to a City of Richmond bylaw officer, who had dismissed the claim.

The city said that, in fact, neither of them had spoken to the officer.

The man further suggested Malana and her father were “scamming” them into paying for a vet bill which looks set to top the $1,000 mark by the end of the week.

The City of Richmond confirmed Wednesday that its bylaw department is investigating the incident, but couldn’t release any more details.

Malana said it may be a little while before she’s confident enough to venture back to the beach with her dogs.

“Thankfully, my dog lived, but I don’t want this to happen to another dog,” she said. “I want as many people as possible to know what happened.”

(The Province - July 31, 2015)

Earlier:

• German shepherd that 'mauled' tiny terrier in Richmond deemed dangerous, costly recovery may lead to court battle

Lapeer County Michigan Circuit Judge Nick O. Holowka turns killer pit bull mix back out into society

MICHIGAN -- Lefty the dog will live.

Just not at his home in Lapeer Township.

Lapeer County Circuit Judge Nick O. Holowka saved the pit bull-lab mix from death Friday, July 10, as part of an appeal by the dog's owners after Lefty was ordered to be euthanized following a dog fight that killed a neighbor's dog.

When this dog kills again, you can thank Lapeer County Judge
Nick O. Holowaka

Holowka ordered the dog be placed at an animal rescue for pit bulls.

"I didn't want him put down," said Lefty's owner, Connie Wojciechowski. "I'll get with my lawyer and find a suitable rescue. Now we have to tell our nine grandkids their dog won't be home."

Lefty was previously ordered to be put down because his owners violated a court order that mandated the dog be on a leash whenever he was outside following a dog fight that left another dog dead, according to court testimony today.

Since the death sentence, the 9-year-old, 50-pound dog has been in the Lapeer County Animal Shelter for six months, Wojciechowski said.

"This court clearly recognizes that no matter how it rules not everyone will be satisfied," Holowka said. "This court believes that this is a fair alternative."

Wojciechowski failed to comply with the court's orders back in 2014.
Yet she demanded that her vicious dog not be euthanized and blamed
the victims for their dogs' deaths.

The owners of the dog that died could not be reached for comment Friday.

In 2014, Lefty was designated a dangerous animal by Lapeer County court.

Wojciechowski was ordered to have the dog on a leash and accompanied by an adult whenever it was outside – even if it was in its own yard – following a fight with Lefty and a neighbor's dog on Wojciechowski's property.

The dog later died of its injuries.

Connie Wojciechowski said her property has an electric fence.

A Facebook page in support of saving Lefty had nearly 4,000 likes.

On her petition to "save" the killer pit bull, Wojciechowski writes:

"lefty has been a great family pet for 7 yrs.  He is loved by his owners, their 5 children and their 8 grandchildren.  He is being put down for the negligence of neighbors who chose not to license, or contain their pets and allowed them to roam on our property and attack lefty on 5 separate occasions.  during two of those attacks one in 2011 and 2014 the neighbor dogs died from the pet owners not getting prompt medical  care for their pets.  why should lefty be taken away from his family and put down because of the neighbors neglect?"

This is the second high-profile dog case in Lapeer County in the last year.

Sebastiano Quagliata and Valbona Lucaj face up to 15 years in prison as part of a plea deal after their two Cane Corso dogs mauled and killed a jogger, Craig Sytsma.

(MLive - July 10, 2015)

Pit bull busts through screen door to attack 15 year-old newspaper carrier

CANADA -- A teenage newspaper carrier was still waiting for corrective surgery Wednesday, almost a week after what was thought to be pit bull tore into her left hand.

 

Sarah Metzner, 15, was delivering papers along 117th Avenue, near Thomas Haney secondary last Friday, when she was attacked by the dog, which tore through a screen door to get at her.

 

Sarah was walking up the sidewalk to deliver the paper and heard the dog inside. She hesitated, but then heard the owner say from inside, that was it OK.

 

 

After placing the newspaper, Sarah walked back towards the street. That’s when the dog attacked.

 

“She had turned away and the dog came through the screen. It latched on to her left hand and it locked,” said her mom, Kelly Sullivan.

 

“She screamed and the neighbours came running.”

 

The person taking care of the dog tried to pull it off Sarah by grabbing its hind legs.

 

Neighbours then restrained the dog so it couldn’t do any more damage and someone brought a chair over for Sarah to sit on, positioning the dog behind her.

 

“At first, I was really, really scared,” Sarah said.

 

But help soon arrived. She wants to thank police and her neighbours for what they did.

 

The moments after the attack were frightening, Sarah added.

 

“It was worse afterwards because I could hear the dog behind me, but I couldn’t see him, so I thought he could get back at me and get me again, but I think I did OK.”

 

Her mom said Sarah’s recollection of the event is sketchy because of the trauma involved.

 

Sullivan was driving a TransLink bus at the time in Port Coquitlam and only heard on voice mail, with her daughter screaming.

 

She had to piece together the events based on what neighbours said.

 

Sullivan said when police arrived, one officer cut the dog’s throat, but that had no immediate effect. Police then tried to pry open the dog’s jaws with a baton. Eventually, it lost too much blood and died.

However, RCMP Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said police did not stab the dog, a two-year-old pit bull.

 

“The first member on scene was able to pry the dog’s mouth open using a baton.  There was no knife used at all.”

 

The blood on the scene was from the victim’s injury, she added.

 

Dunlop said a muzzle was then put on the dog. At some point, afterwards, the dog died, but she didn’t know the cause, adding the SPCA would know that.

 

“What she went through was an extremely traumatic experience.”

 

Kelly, who didn’t see her daughter until she was in Ridge Meadows Hospital, says she lives in a close-knit neighbourhood.

 

“They all just came running and everybody was there for her, and I can’t thank them enough,” she said, her voice choking.

 

Throughout it all, her daughter was as strong as could be.

 

“From all accounts I heard from the police, neighbours and everybody else, she was amazing. She was very calm.”

 

Sullivan said that dog owners have to recognize the breeds they have, and act accordingly.

 

“Whether a dog bites or is aggressive depends on the owner’s willingness to train or teach the dog … so they don’t feel the need to resort to aggression.”

 

On Wednesday, Sarah was still waiting for surgery.

 

Doctors wanted to wait to see if infection set in.

 

The dog had to be exhumed to see if had been vaccinated for rabies.

 

Sullivan is not certain what will happen to her daughter’s hand, which has a crushed bone, puncture wounds and torn palm.

 

“We don’t know. Until the surgeon takes a good look, we don’t know.”

 

(Maple Ridge News - July 31, 2015)

Paul Wilcock, who left brother's dog to die after 'brutal' attack, sentenced

UNITED KINGDOM -- A LATCHFORD man who kicked a dog in the head and left the helpless pet to die in a 'brutal and sustained' attack has been jailed and banned from keeping animals.

Paul Wilcock, of Bowen Avenue, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a Jack Russell terrier dog named Molly, which belonged to the defendant's brother Kevin Hickman.

The 48-year-old was sentenced today, Thursday, at Halton Magistrates' Court for the attack which took place during a visit to his brother's home in Orford, on St Peter's Way, on August 15.

 

The court heard how the pair, who had been drinking, were discussing their mum's death before a 'physical struggle' broke out.

Molly started to bark during the incident and it was then when Wilcock focused his anger on her before launching the attack, during which he kicked her repeatedly.

A police officer who attended the scene said he saw Molly lying motionless, along with a substantial amount of blood on the walls and floor.

He also described seeing Wilcock 'swaying and struggling to stand'.

Wilcock initially claimed Molly as being 'alive and well' when he left the property, the court heard.

RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes, who was called to the scene, sent the items of clothing to DNA forensic experts, where it was proven that there was a 100 per cent match between the blood stains on Wilcock's clothing and Molly.

He also admitted a failure to protect Molly from injuries due to the infliction of physical violence.

 Prosecuting Tom Stock confirmed there had been no suggestion that the brutal act was carried out by Wilcock in order to protect himself.

"The defendant caused Molly to suffer by kicking and striking the dog repeatedly in an unprovoked and sustained attack," he said.

"The inspector noticed blood dripping and smeared on the walls.

"The dog was a well-natured dog and showed no signs of aggression.  She died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head which would have cause immense suffering – it was a brutal attack."

Defending Gary Heaven admitted it was a 'disturbing' case and said it has been a difficult time for Wilcock.

He added: "I won't serve his interests by offering mitigation. He has not been psychologically whole for some time and drinking has become a feature of his behaviour.

"He went to his brother's house to discuss aspects of his mum's death – it has been a trying time since his mum's death."

A post-mortem examination at the University of Liverpool showed multiple fractures of Molly's skull, bruised lungs and a windpipe full of blood.

 The magistrates sentenced Wilcock to 20 weeks in prison, reduced from 26 weeks for his early guilty plea and banned him from keeping animals for life.

He cannot appeal for a termination of the ban. He was also ordered to pay £400 towards prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Speaking after sentencing, Mr Joynes, from the RSPCA, said: "Finding Molly lying motionless in a pool of blood is something I will never forget.  This was quite an awful crime and it saddens me that this poor dog has met such a brutally violent end.

"I am pleased, however, that she did not suffer completely in vain as we have managed to bring her abuser before the courts and he now has many long nights to sit and think about what he has done.

"Wilcock denied any involvement in the killing of Molly - that is until his clothes and shoes, seized at the time of his arrest, were sent for forensic examination.

"Six areas of blood were located and tested 100 per cent positive for dog DNA.

"We are completely zero-tolerance on this sort of abhorrent behaviour and this case just goes to show that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that animal abusers are brought before the courts to answer for their actions."

(Warrington Guardian - July 23, 2015)

United Kingdom: Security guard Paul Cave, who left dogs to cook to death in hot van given lifetime animal ban

UNITED KINGDOM -- A security guard who left two dogs to die in a hot van during last year's Creamfields music festival has been banned from keeping animals for life.

The Rottweiler security dogs, named Rebel and Zola, were discovered at the site in Daresbury, Cheshire, in August.

Paul Cave, 61 and of Eton Avenue, Oldham, also got a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £260.

 

He was convicted in February of three animal cruelty offences, including causing dogs unnecessary suffering.

Cave was also found guilty of failing to take steps to ensure the dogs' needs were met and failing to protect them from pain, suffering and injury.

RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes said: "This case is a distressing example of how dogs really do die in hot cars.

"The Met Office report for the day was a maximum of 17C, which shows that it doesn't have to be very hot outside.

  

"Even warm, pleasant outside temperatures turn cars into ovens and therefore death traps for dogs.

"Cave completely failed Rebel and Zola and the dogs paid the ultimate price for those failures. The vet described how the dogs would have suffered to an unimaginable extent."

(BBC - July 23, 2015)

Horse forced to be euthanized after injured in attempted theft

LOUISIANA -- The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating an attempted theft that injured a horse so bad, it had to be euthanized.

The Sheriff's Office received a call June 13 around 8:45 a.m. about a horse named Goldie that was injured during an attempted theft that occurred about four hours earlier.

"I heard them when somebody drove through the park," Laddy Butler, who owns Goldie, said referring to the park next to her home. "It looked like a white or blue truck, but I am not sure because it was very dark."

 

 

Butler said she found Goldie badly injured when she walked outside to check on him. Toney Wade, a certified search and rescue responder, soon arrived, having been called by the sheriff's office.

"The horse had cuts all over it," Wade said. "The horse appeared to have a broken right front leg. It was bloated and the stomach was really swollen. The gums were really white and we just knew the horse was at its end. It was just suffering at that point."

After a veterinarian examined the horse, the horse was euthanized.

"This is his grave," Butler said as she points to a patch of dirt in front of her home, near the woods in Jeanerette. "This is where they buried him."

Butler has Goldie and her other horse, Baby, for nine years. She never expected to have to say good-bye to Goldie so soon.

 "It was heart ache," Bulter said. "I'm in a lot of hurt and pain."

Goldie was known throughout the community.

 "I am very unpleased with the situation that somebody would come out here and do this to an animal," St. Mary Parish District 11 Fire Chief Clarence Clark said.

Bulter said her nephew rode the horse almost every day in a pasture next to her house. Goldie was also a staple in dance competitions.

"Goldie was an inspiration to everyone who knew him," Bulter said. With his death it has been really hard. Now I put this in God's hands and all I am asking for is justice."

Butler said she hopes to raise money to purchase another horse.

Anyone with information on the people who tried to steal Goldie is encouraged to call the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office at (337) 828-1960

(KATC Lafayette News - Jul 20, 2015)

Highland teen accused of torturing and killing goose says he was 'hungry'

NEW YORK -- Michael Sebastian Vargas, one of two Highland teenagers accused of torturing and killing a wild goose, said he and Jarett Gonzalez were hungry, with no place to stay and no money to buy a meal.

“We didn’t want to be cruel to it (the goose),” Vargas said. “All we wanted to do was get something to eat.”

Vargas, 18, and Gonzalez, 16, were charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty on Saturday, according to Town of Lloyd police.

"They are accused of stoning the (goose) with rocks, then beating it with a wooden plank, stepping on it and cutting its head off," said Lt. James Janso via email.

Vargas, a recent Highland High School graduate, said he doesn’t live with his parents and had been staying with friends for the past month, Gonzalez among them. But Gonzalez “got kicked out” of his home, too, Vargas said.

The teens borrowed some fishing poles from a friend and went to a pond behind a small business plaza on Route 299.

“We used all the bait … we were fishing all day and only caught two small sunfish,” Vargas said.
As the two were walking away from the pond, “trying to find a place to sleep somewhere in the woods, we saw a flock of geese,” Vargas said. “We were going to try to kill it and cook it for food.”

Vargas grabbed a rock and threw it at the goose, which “stunned it,” he said, and Gonzalez threw a stick at it, but missed.

At that point, Gonzalez “stood on” the goose to hold it down, and Vargas cut its head off with a pocket knife, Vargas said. “We were taking it back to where we were going to cook it … with the fish” when police showed up, following up on a complaint from a business owner.

The teens “didn’t have” anything else they could use to kill the goose, Vargas said. “I would have loved to kill it way more humanely. We didn’t want to be cruel to it.”

Vargas said neither teen has a criminal record.

Before Vargas shared his side of the story, the Journal spoke with Kim McNamee, the senior humane law enforcement officer at the Dutchess County SPCA.

To charge an individual with felony animal cruelty in New York, "you need to be able to prove that (the act was) intended to cause extreme physical pain; or is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner,” McNamee said. Proving such an allegation can be difficult.

But in general, "I don't favor how reserved people are with charging" felony animal cruelty, McNamee said,

Vargas and Gonzalez were released on appearance tickets and are due in the Town of Lloyd Court Aug. 6. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, which assisted Lloyd police, also issued tickets to the teens.

Vargas said they have not secured legal counsel for their upcoming court date.

(Poughkeepsie Journal - July 27, 2015)

Earlier:

• Police: Highland teens tortured and killed wild goose

Esmeralda Escobar charged with running her Aussie to death

TEXAS -- A Georgetown woman is charged with animal cruelty after nearly running her dog to death.

According to an affidavit, Esmeralda Escobar allegedly ran one of her dogs, a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd named Honey, to death in the heat of the day back in June, and is accused of trying to do the same to another of her dogs, a 10-year-old Border Collie named Oliver.

Police arrived at Escobar's home to find Oliver whimpering in pain, unable to move.

When asked by the officer if she planned on getting the dog treatment, Escobar said she did not.

When the officer asked why she would take Oliver running in the heat of the day when the same practice killed Honey last month, Escobar replied that she did not want to leave Oliver at home.

The officer advised Escobar to take the dog to Emergency Pet Care of Round Rock, where veterinarians say Escobar told them to euthanize Oliver since she could not afford to have him treated. When the officer told the doctor that he would take the dog, Escobar then decided to have Oliver treated.

(KEYE - July 30, 2015)

Dog found dead in cooler in New Brighton; police seek information

NEW YORK -- Police are looking for information in regard to an animal cruelty case after a dead dog was found in New Brighton last month.

On June 27 at approximately 9 a.m., the small dog was found in a cooler in the back of the home at 124 Hendricks Ave., near the corner of Jersey Street, police said.

 

"We don't know how it got here," said a man who lived at the residence. "We just called the police. It looked like the dog was suffocated in the cooler."

Police said the cause of death is unknown, and a spokeswoman from the ASPCA said the organization is looking into the incident.

  

Police have circulated fliers in the neighborhood and are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for any information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a suspect in the case.

Anyone with information can call the NYPD at 1-800-577-8457 (TIPS).

(SILIVE - July 31, 2015)

Illinois: Nicholas Garcia, 24, Killed Neighbor’s Pit Bull Dog With Firecracker, Only Charged With Damaging Property

ILLINOIS -- The Fourth of July holiday is supposed to be one for celebrating independence. Some people set off fireworks as part of the revelry. Only someone with evil intentions would attempt to purposely harm a living creature with the fireworks.

Nicholas Garcia, 24, along with another unnamed suspect set off fireworks behind a home located at 257 E. Jackson Street in Joliet, Illinois, on July 7.

The men “enticed” a neighbor’s pit bull to pick up a firecracker at about 10:50 a.m. The dog showed interest and, unfortunately, did pick a live one up. Garcia reportedly laughed when the dog’s firework exploded in its mouth.

The injuries the dog sustained were so severe, the dog had to be euthanized, according to the Examiner.

The two men fled the scene after the dog was harmed.

Deputy Chief Ed Gregory said that the incendiary device blew off the dog’s upper jaw and part of its lower jaw.

The pit bull’s owner witnessed the horrific deed. The owner tried to intervene but, by the time he was able to, the dog had suffered the terrible injuries.

It’s unimaginable to conceive the shock the owner must have felt for a beloved pet. An investigation is ongoing. However, currently, Garcia is only subject to charges for damaging someone’s property. The warrant for his arrest carries a $50,000 bond.

Aggravated animal cruelty is a Class 4 felony, which is punishable by between three and six years in prison, according to The Times Weekly. It’s not clear that Garcia or the other suspect will face such charges.

The story about the dog’s suffering has gone viral on social media. There are currently online petitions posted on Facebook to try to get justice for the dog and its owner, with over 35,000 signatures.

(Inquisitor.com - July 24, 2015)

Cedar Park man charged in shooting of parent's 2 dogs

TEXAS -- A Cedar Park man has been charged in the killing of two dogs owned by one of his parents.

The Austin American-Statesman reports 26-year-old Dustin Blake Fowkes was charged Wednesday with two counts of cruelty to animals. According to an arrest affidavit, Cedar Park animal control officers responded to a report that a homeowner's dogs had been shot.

The affidavit says Fowkes told officers that a golden retriever and a gray miniature poodle defecated on his mother's new rug and "tore up his bedroom."

According to the affidavit, Fowkes said he took the dogs to a wooded area behind the house and shot them.

He was arrested Tuesday and posted $20,000 bail. Online court records did not have an attorney listed for Fowkes.

(KRGV - Jul 30, 2015)

Beechview woman, Taura Krill-McCormick, greeted by protesters at her hearing

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Beechview woman who police say lived in a home where four dogs were found dead earlier this year had to briefly leave the courtroom because she was crying uncontrollably at her preliminary hearing Thursday.

The emotional response was triggered by a group of people who sat in front of Taura Krill-McCormick at Municipal Court and wore T-shirts with pictures of her dogs that died and the one survivor.

  

"We wanted her to see and remember those that she hurt and murdered," said Melissa Panchura, who worked with Krill-McCormick, rescuing animals.

Krill-McCormick, 25, ended up waiving the hearing and was ordered to stand trial on five counts of cruelty to animals and one count of harboring a nuisance. She remains free on bond and did not comment to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 as she left the building.

Taura Krill-McCormick with her lawyer.

Panchura said she and Krill- McCormick became close friends, but now she is disgusted by her.

"There is no excuse," said Panchura. "She had more than 100 people in rescue. She talked to me on a daily basis. She knows I help with animal rescue. She could have called any one of us to go and get those dogs and we would have went and got them in a heartbeat."

Krill-McCormick's attorney, Charles Lopresti said everything that could have gone wrong in his client's life went wrong at the same time, although he added that it was not an excuse. Lopresti said his client is devastated over the death of her dogs.

"She's not emotional because she's here today and she's charged.  She's emotional because these animals suffered," said Lopresti.

Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said police found four dead dogs, two pit bulls, a terrier mix, and a Rottweiler -- in the home on Sebring Avenue on May 22. An emaciated pit bull was also removed and nursed back to health.

According to the criminal complaint. Krill-McCormick said she fell behind on payments and received a notice from the mortgage company that it was foreclosing on her home.

Krill-McCormick left her house in February and had been living with random people. She stated in the complaint that she was unsure when her home would be taken from her.

She said she would go back to the house every day from February through April to feed the five dogs and let them out for exercise, but hadn't been back to the home since April 26, according to the complaint.

Krill-McCormick said she had no family members or friends to help her with her finances, and did not know what to do with the dogs, as the people she was staying with did not let her bring the dogs with her, according to the complaint.

Pittsburgh police officers were sent to the home for a well-being check after neighbors were concerned because of a foul odor coming from the residence. The criminal complaint states that a utility worker came to the home to shut off the water, and he smelled the odor and heard what he thought was a whimpering dog inside.

(WTAE Pittsburgh - Jul 30, 2015)

Earlier:

• Taura Krill-McCormick arrested in case of 5 dogs, 4 dead, found abandoned in Beechview

South Carolina: Mother of three and pregnant with her fourth child, Savannah Morgan, 25, charged after police found her kids living in home full of feces and decaying animal bodies

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A 2-year-old boy remained in the hospital in critical condition Wednesday after he was found unconscious and bruised in a Gray Court home filled with dozens of dead and dying animals.

Animal Control officials had been dispatched to the suspect’s home in Gray Court, a small community 26 miles from Greenville, after sheriff’s deputies found 88 animals on the property, with the vast majority of them already dead.

The boy’s mother originally told deputies that he choked on some potato chips and that she called 911 when she went into his room and saw he wasn’t breathing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The report says the father of the child led the deputy to the bedroom where there were soiled diapers, feces, broken glass, and trash on the floor.

Doctors said the child may have been dropped, but his injuries were too severe for that to be all that happened, Franklin said.

Deputies told WHNS-TV there were a number of dead and dying animals kept in containers in the home, which was covered in trash, animal feces and in serious disrepair.

Two other children, ages 1 and 2, were also living in the home.

The list of deceased animals included 48 rats, 11 gerbils, 10 python snakes, six tarantula spiders and two bearded dragons.

Police arrived to a home emitting a foul odor and full of animals, mostly dead, some in cages and others in plastic bins. Eighty percent of the animals were dead, WSPA reported.

The dogs were taken to an animal shelter.

  

On Wednesday, Savannah Victoria Morgan, 25, was charged with abuse to inflict great bodily injury on a child, three counts of unlawful neglect of a child and cruelty to animals, according to warrants.

Morgan is also almost 8 months pregnant, according to investigators.

A judge in Laurens County set Morgan’s bond at $50,000 for child abuse to inflict great bodily injury, $10,000 for each child neglect charge, and a $5,000 bond on charges of animal cruelty.

The judge has ordered that Morgan have no contact with the children without DSS approval if she is released on bond. The judge also ordered that she not own any animal until the case is resolved.

Lt. Franklin said there is a likelihood of additional charges being filed. He said the father of the children is being cooperative in the investigation even though he could be charged as well.

Franklin said the rural home was the worst condition he had ever seen. She was also charged with one count of animals/cruel work, abandonment, etc. of animals.

“Most of our officers probably were faced with something last night that they probably have not seen in their careers. It was a very sad situation to see something like this”.

The Johnson Detention Center on-line jail log shows Morgan remains in custody this morning.

(Ledger Gazette - July 31, 2015)