Tennessee: A year after her son was nearly killed by her sister's newly adopted pit bull, Jennifer Kim's family still traumatized

TENNESSEE -- Jennifer Kim's sister had just adopted a dog.

So Kim decided to round up the family and go visit the canine in the small town of Maryville, Tennessee.

Kim's husband, Samson, hadn't planned on going because he knew pit bulls could be dangerous. But he changed his mind. He wanted to be there just in case.

So Jennifer and Samson Kim, along with their daughter, and 7-year-old son, Sport Kim, headed out to meet the newest addition to the family on May 18, 2013.

When they got there, the dog was anything but welcoming; it started barking, to the point where Jennifer Kim's sister had to put the pit bull in the kitchen.

But the dog didn't quite make it there.

Out of nowhere, Jennifer Kim said the dog lunged from her sister's grasp, jumped over a coffee table and latched on to her son's face as he stood up from the couch. The dog sunk its teeth in and wasn't letting go, she said.

Samson Kim reacted instantly, grabbing the dog's head so it couldn't shake and tear the already hideous wounds even more wide open.

As Samson Kim struggled to keep the dog's head still, he began choking the pit bull, holding on for all he was worth until the dog finally passed out. Only then, in an unconscious state, did the pit bull's jaws fall from Sport Kim's face.

The scene was a bloody mess. And after more than 1,000 stitches and major reconstructive surgery, Sport Kim set off on a path to recovery.

He will have four more major facial surgeries before his physical recovery is complete. But the emotional scars are still raw, Jennifer Kim said. And unfortunately, an incident only six weeks after the attack, prolonged the healing process, she said.

When Sport Kim was finally able to go outside, his dad took him to a nearby park to get his mind off the brutal attack.

About an hour in, Sport Kim and his father walked to the water fountain. But suddenly, the younger Kim jumped and climbed up his father's back – a pit bull was coming their way.

It wasn't the mere sight of the dog that spooked the 7-year-old so bad, even though Jennifer Kim said her son now is terribly frightened by the breed.

The pit bull was on the loose, she said, and while it didn't go after Sport and Samson Kim, before reaching the two, it attacked and killed a Shih Tzu in front of the already shaken boy's eyes.

After her son was attacked, Jennifer Kim said she thought it was an isolated incident. She had always thought that pit bulls were nice, friendly and safe.

After their lives were turned upside down, and they faced tens of thousands of dollars in co-pays for hers son's surgeries, Jennifer Kim said she did some research and found out she was wrong.

"[The attack] has changed his life in ways I can't even describe," Jennifer Kim said. "I had no idea this was happening to others. I thought pit bulls were nice, friendly, safe pets for children and families.

After the attack, Jeff Borchardt said: 'You are one of the lucky ones.' I thought, 'How dare he say that?' But I investigated and found he lost his son to a similar incident."

Jeff Borchardt and his baby boy Daxton. Daxton
was attacked and killed by two pit bulls.

(Penn Live - July 7, 2014)

Earlier:

• Tennessee: Family files $250,000 lawsuit against Blount County Animal Shelter after they adopted out a known-vicious pit bull - which then tried to kill their seven-year-old son

Outrage in Virginia: Sherry Overfelt gets just 15 weekends in jail for starving her horse to death

VIRGINIA -- A Boones Mill woman will serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty Thursday in Franklin County Circuit Court.

Sherry Renee Overfelt, 41, was charged with cruelty after a horse she owned, Lulu, died of malnutrition in January.

Overfelt was sentenced to 365 days in jail, but through a plea agreement, all but 30 days of the sentence were suspended. Judge Stacey Moreau said Overfelt could serve the 30 days in jail on weekends.

Sherry Renee Overfelt sits with her attorney C. Holland 
Perdue III during her trial on animal cruelty Thursday in 
circuit court. Staff Photo by K.A. Wagoner

Judge Stacey Moreau also ordered that officials take a third horse Overfelt owns, as well as her six chickens, two cats and a duck.

In addition to the jail sentence, the judge also ordered that Overfelt not be allowed to have agriculture animals. Overfelt must also make restitution to the Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue for its care of Lulu after Overfelt surrendered the horse on Jan. 23.

A second misdemeanor charge of failing to provide feed, water and veterinarian treatment for her horse was dismissed through a plea agreement.

Lulu, a 28-year-old Appaloosa mare, was taken away from 
owner Sherry Renee Overfelt in Boones Mill in January. The horse 
was so malnourished that it had to be euthanized.

Overfelt testified that she knows "what I did was wrong, but I had a lot of demands on me during that time."

Overfelt’s husband, Christopher Overfelt, testified that she is chiefly responsible for raising their four children, who range in age from 2 to 14, and she also cares for his ailing mother.

“She’s got a lot on her back,” Christopher Overfelt said. “She also takes in animals. Feeds them. Finds them homes.”

He said his wife has found homes for about 15 animals over the past year.

“I basically don’t have a life during the day,” Sherry Overfelt told the court, and acknowledged she’d become overwhelmed in the time leading up to when the horses were seized: “I was not in my right mind. I tried to care for the horses myself, and I couldn’t.”

Overfelt said one of the reasons the horse (Lulu) was weak and thin was because another of her horses "bullied" Lulu by biting her and not allowing her to eat.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Patrick Nix said Overfelt still has one horse that she will have to surrender to Franklin County Animal Control.

In closing statements Thursday, Nix said he did not think Overfelt's lack of care for Lulu was done maliciously, "but she had a duty to care for the animal. She couldn't care for it, and as a result, that animal suffered and died."

Judge Moreau said the lack of caring for the animal by Overfelt was "tragic."

 

"This had been going on for a long time as evidenced by the scars and bites on the horse," and the condition of the horse before it died," the judge said.

The case against Overfelt came to light when Animal Control Capt. Marvin Woods received complaints about a starving horse. Woods visited a pasture on Crooked Run Road where Overfelt's three horses were living. Woods found a 28-year-old Appaloosa mare (Lulu) that weighed only 575 pounds, he said.

[The vet testified that a horse of this age and size should have weighed 900 pounds.]

Nix said the veterinarian who examined Lulu evaluated her on a nine-point body condition scoring chart, with 9 being the healthiest level, and rated her a 1.5 to 2.

After being charged with inadequate care of an agricultural animal, Overfelt surrendered Lulu and one other horse to the Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue in Hardy on Jan. 23, Woods said.

Rescue Director Patricia Muncy described Lulu as "extremely emaciated with no muscle tone" and noted that the horse's backbone, hip and "bone skeleton" were visible. The horse was weak and unable to stand on her own, Muncy said. Lulu was placed in a medical hoist to support her body and help her stand.

When Lulu was examined by large animal veterinarian Dr. Chris Sumner, he ruled out other causes for her weight loss and said she suffered from severe anemia and low blood proteins.

"I believe this mare was severely malnourished and this caused her death," Sumner said in a written statement. "Despite aggressive IV fluids, antibiotics and steroids, she did not respond and had to be euthanized."

The second horse surrendered to the rescue is an 8-year-old Saddlebred gelding (Neptune) that weighed 802 pounds, Muncy said. Although his hips and ribs were visible, Neptune is responding well to his new diet and had gained 100 pounds within two weeks of being brought to the horse rescue.

(Franklin News Post - May 3 2013)

Earlier:

• Horse owner indicted on two cruelty charges

5/6/13: Dogs rescued in animal cruelty case

OKLAHOMA -- Canadian County Sheriff’s Office is dealing with a disturbing case of animal abuse.

Tuesday deputies arrested Marla Satterfield for 33 counts of cruelty to animals after they said she ran a puppy mill from her home southeast of El Reno.

 

Pictures show the dogs’ fur matted so thick, investigators said they believe they had not been groomed in years.

“These animals are victims; they can’t speak for themselves,” Dana Puckett said. “They have no choice but to sit there and slowly suffer and die.”

Puckett works with Pet Angels Rescue; the organization that took in some of the dogs.

She said one poodle was found with a 2-week-old puppy matted to the poodle’s fur; the dog had to drag the puppy everywhere it went.

“She had 33 animals that were alive but who knows how long they would be alive,” Undersheriff Christ West said. ”There was three that were dead and who knows what else had taken place.”

News Channel 4 tried to ask Satterfield what was taking place but when she drove up to her home, she wouldn’t stop.

“She just had them running in a group running wherever, breading with whatever,”  Puckett said.

Investigators said the property was littered with trash and water bowls were dirtied with debris.

Groomed and brought back to health, but still scared of people

Now, many of the dogs that survived are battling sickness.

“It’s frustrating,” Puckett said. “It comes down to if people see these things happening, they have to report it. Don’t turn a blind eye.”

(KFOR - May 6, 2013)

Earlier:

• El Reno Woman Faces 33 Charges of Animal Cruelty

5/3/13: Woman wants animal control officer fired after family dog shot

GEORGIA -- A woman wants answers after she said animal control ordered police to shoot and kill her dog while it was fenced up in her own yard.

 The dog, named Ella, was fenced in her yard when the animal control officer showed up saying she attacked another dog, was rabid and needed to be shot.

Her owner wasn't home at the time and said none of that was true, but it's too late to save her dog.

"It's really terrible and I still get upset about it sometimes. And I still miss her very much. She was a sweet dog," owner Robin Garrett said about Ella.

Garrett said Ella loved to sit on her lap and play with the grandkids. She said the 2-year-old beagle-boxer mix was current on her vaccinations and had no history of aggression.

On March 21, the city of Manchester's animal control officer came to Garrett's home and along with police shot the dog behind a fence in her own yard.

"I mean nobody's animals are safe if they are just going to do that and just shoot them in a fence," said neighbor Ricky Bonner, who lives across the street.

Bonner said he tried to stop officers but they ordered him inside. In the police report, the animal control officer said Ella attacked another dog and had rabies. Bonner insisted that wasn't the case, but animal control told police to shoot her with a shotgun.

"I heard the gunshot," Bonner told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri.

Garrett had no idea. She got a call from her vet on the way home from work as a special education teacher.

"She was lying on the tailgate of the truck when I got there and I just started crying," Garrett said.
 Viteri saw the animal control officer at the police department Friday evening but drove off instead of speaking with her.

Garrett said the alleged attack involved another of her four dogs, and she believes it was her new puppy, not Ella, that was responsible.

She and neighbors are still grieving for Ella and waiting for answers more than a month later.

 "It's violent, inhumane. Quite simply it was pure and simple animal brutality," Bonner said.

Viteri spoke with the chief of police and told her the investigation into what happened is still ongoing and they have yet to speak to the neighbor she interviewed.

At this time the chief said no disciplinary action has been taken against the animal control officer.

(WSBTV - May 3, 2013)

5/29/13: Boo Boo the burned bear released back into Idaho woods

IDAHO -- An orphaned black bear cub burned in a wildfire last summer has been released back into the wild.

The bear, nicknamed 'Boo Boo,' was found in a burn area near the Corn Creek Boat Launch last August. The bear's story quickly went national.

The cub had second-degree burns on his paws. He was eventually taken to the Snodon Wildlife Sanctuary in McCall where Boo Boo spent nine months recovering.

The Idaho Humane Society (IHS) said Boo Boo was released into the woods in Central Idaho.

"Boo Boo’s new beginning as a wild bear is a fitting ending to a story that began with the compassion of firefighters and endured with concern from people across the country who supported his care at Snowdon," IHS said on its Facebook page.

(KBOI - May 29, 2013)

Earlier:

• Burned bear cub recovering, may be released

6/04/13: Puppy Mill Owner Jailed

GEORGIA -- Investigators say a "puppy mill" was a horrible case of animal neglect, after the owner of more than 50 dogs turned them over to animal control officers.

Volunteers at Best Friends Humane Society have their hands full trying to nurse the animals back to health.

 

 

"24 adults and 29 puppies-- some of the puppies don't even have their eyes open yet," said Shelly McPhaul of the Humane Society.

Thursday morning, dozens of neglected dogs were brought in by the truckload after they were discovered on Dykes Road.

 

"They were in filthy living conditions, in storage containers mommas with puppies in these kennels, covered in feces, no water no food--- rats were running across the puppies in these kennels. It was a disgusting situation," said McPhaul.

Animal Control officers, a veterinarian, law enforcement officers and officials with the department of agriculture were on scene for hours...investigating the deplorable living conditions called the worst they'd ever seen. Dogs of all ages and breeds living in filth. 

 

 

 

"A lot of them are just skin and bones and hair. Their water bowls have not been cleaned for a very long time, and their kennels had feces everywhere.

And some, exposed to diseases.  "Probably the worst I saw was the rats running on top of puppies."

The veterinarian this morning said rats carry diseases and they would probably contract the disease because the rats had been on them for so long.

 

Now, all the kennels are full. The shelter took in golden retrievers, Papillion's, Yorkies, Pekinese, dachshund cocker spaniels.

 Volunteers have been busy washing, running tests, and feeding the dogs in hopes of saving as many possible.

"We will do the parasite treatment we are doing baths, flea treatments and I'm sure they are covered in parasites."

 

Two litters of puppies have tested positive for Parvo and had to be put down. Yesterday, an officer found two dead puppies at the location.

Some adults that will have to be euthanized because of their health conditions. And some are close to being blind because of the hair in their eyes.

 

Now, these dogs need your help through fostering or adoptions because the shelter is full. Charges against the owner of the dogs are pending.

Volunteers are needed right away.  But if you're interested in fostering or adopting one of these dogs, contact Best Friends Humane Society early next week.

They'll continue monitoring the health of the animals over the weekend.
(WALB - June 4, 2013) (Worthit2u - May 30, 2013)

Snapping Turtle Lays Eggs As Police Ensure Safety of School Children

NEW JERSEY -- Due to the proximity of the nearby Henrietta Hawes Elementary School, Ridgewood Police dispatched patrol officers to ensure that a large snapping turtle laying eggs on the front lawn of a home in the 400 block of Stevens Avenue was not disturbed by children walking to school on Thursday morning.

Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Peter Gillen, pictured, was especially thrilled to watch the egg laying process as this is his last day on the job after serving as a uniformed patrol officer for 25 years with the Village of Ridgewood. 

Best wishes to Officer Gillen for a long and happy retirement!

(Ridgewood Blog - May 30, 2013)

5/8/13: Stabbed dog now ‘all stitched up’

NORTH CAROLINA -- Mil Mil, the Chihuahua mix that police say was stabbed by its owner’s son, has been returned to its caretaker after an overnight stay at Lenoir Veterinary Hospital.

Police say Jesse Clyde Bare, 30, stabbed Mil Mil three times Saturday at his mother's house on Jason Place and tossed it into the front yard, leaving it for dead. Bare was charged with felony cruelty to animals and jailed on a $5,000 secured bond. He has since posted bond and been released from jail, though he has been ordered to stay away from his mother's house.

DAVID PREWITT | NEWS-TOPIC
Mil Mil gives kisses to Brenda Andrews and Kevin Mawyer as they
picked him up from Lenoir Veterinary Hospital Tuesday
morning after surgery for his stab wounds.

The neighbors who have taken care of Mil Mil since the stabbing, Brenda Andrews and her fiance, Kevin Mawyer, picked up Mil Mil on Tuesday from Lenoir Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. Jennifer Evans operated to reconnected a severed pectoral muscle and stitch the dog's wounds, said Dr. Dan Jones.

"He (Mil Mil) lost a significant amount of blood,” Jones said. “We basically sutured the wounds. There’s some air still under the skin, you can hear it crackling every now and then. But he’s all stitched up.”

Money to cover the cost of the surgery began to pour in on Monday. Pet Partners Network donated $80. Teresa Cashion, owner of All God’s Creatures Great and Small Grooming, Boarding and Doggie Daycare, donated $90. A total of $320 had been donated by noon.

“I’m honestly shocked and amazed at how caring people are,” Andrews said. “I want to thank Teresa, the ladies at Caldwell Animal Rescue, the people here (at Lenoir Veterinary Hospital), and all of those on Facebook who have been praying for Milmil.”

Though several neighborhood residents described Bare as violent, a check of his record in Caldwell County shows mostly traffic violations, plus disorderly conduct and a trespassing charge.

Jesse Bare

Whatever Bare's past, Mawyer expressed a common sentiment about the felony charge: that prosecutors “need to make it stick.”

Cashion agreed.

“We need to show the justice system that we’re not going to tolerate this,” she said. “If he can do this to a dog, he can do it to a child.”

(News Topic.net - May 7, 2013)

Earlier:

• Tiny dog stabbed with rusty knife

Pit bulls' Owner Cited After Attack on Neighbor

GEORGIA -- The Bibb County sheriff's office says they've cited a dog owner after an attack that seriously injured a woman last week.

They say 20-year-old Amber Tripp was cited Monday on two counts of failing to restrain her pit bulls and two counts of failing to inoculate them.

Those dogs reportedly escaped their pen last week while Tripp was on vacation.

The sheriff's department said it happened Thursday at the trailer that Tripp rents at 5411 Houston Road

A Bibb County deputy shot and killed the pit bulls after they attacked Tripp's neighbor, 69-year old Margaret McNicholas.

She suffered wounds to the face, neck, legs and arms.

Both charges against Tripp are misdemeanors. The sheriff's office says she was served around 4 p.m. Monday.

(13WMAZ - June 3, 2013)

Earlier:

• Neighbor Helps Save Woman Attacked by Pit Bulls
• ‘I’ve never seen a dog do that much damage’: Neighbor shares harrowing details of dog attack on Bibb County woman

Madison Co. couple posts bond shortly after being charged in farm case

INDIANA -- A Madison County couple has bonded out of jail only hours after they were arrested on more than 200 charges.

Daniel Ault and Carrie Ault turned themselves into police Wednesday afternoon. They were released after posting $5,000 bond.

They each face 113 charges including neglect of a dependent, improper disposal of a dead animal and cruelty to an animal.

The neglect charges are Class D Felony counts. Daniel and Carrie Ault both face two counts, one for each child investigators said was put in danger. They face 96 charges for improper disposal of a dead animal, a Class D felony. The 15 animal cruelty charges are Class A misdemeanors.

Last month, officers found hundreds of animal carcasses at the property on 1700 North between 350 and 400 West, just north of Elwood. The still living animals were described as being just “skin and bones.”

(fox59 - May 29, 2013)

Earlier:

• Nearly 100 deceased animals found in Madison Co. barn

Greenbrier Co. man charged with animal cruelty

WEST VIRGINIA -- A Greenbrier County man was arrested Thursday after police found hundreds of animals at his home.

Michael Brown, 37, of Rainelle, is charged with one count of animal cruelty after police say they discovered 160 chickens, 27 rabbits, and 9 dogs on his property.

The one count is in relation to the chickens, which were found in a small coop in the backyard of Brown's home. Several were dead inside the cage.

According to Chief Deputy Bruce Sloan, other charged could be forthcoming.

All of the animals have since been taken to the Greenbrier County Humane Society.

The arrest was made Thursday evening after a joint investigation between Rainelle police, West Virginia State Police, and the Greenbrier County Sheriff's Department.

(WVVA - May 30, 2013)

Georgia: Ginger Jameson and Keith Sheppard were already charged with child cruelty. Now they're face animal cruelty accusations

GEORGIA -- A couple already facing a child cruelty charge for keeping a home filled with animal feces and urine now face animal cruelty charges, police reports state.

Keith Randall Sheppard, 41, of 2556 Old Cedartown Road in Lindale, and Ginger Lynn Jameson, 42, of 278 Boyd Valley Road in Silver Creek, each were charged Tuesday with two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, Floyd County Jail reports state.

The animal cruelty accusations come after authorities responded May 14 to Jameson’s home because of a domestic situation.

They found two children living in a house where feces and urine covered most of the floor, furniture and their clothes, reports state.

Police say they removed two dogs and 13 cats from the home. The couple was charged with child cruelty, and both Sheppard and Jameson bonded out as the investigation continued.

The children are in the care of the Division of Family and Children Services, said Floyd County police detective Mary Catherine Parris

“I discovered new evidence that the animals had never been cared for,” Parris added. “The case kind of continued as more information was brought to me.”

Of the 15 animals taken from the home, only two required medical assistance or were covered in feces, Parris said. It’s those two animals that led to the two animal cruelty charges Sheppard and Jameson each face.

An older dog named “Buster” is recovering at an animal clinic. A young kitten known only as “Cat 652” also was in poor shape.

“That one was completely covered in fecal matter and very thin,” Parris said, adding its since been cleaned and gained some weight.

The remaining animals are now available for adoption, said Jason Broome, director of Floyd County Animal Control.

“One of them has already been adopted — a chocolate Lab mix,” Broome added.

Animal control intends to give the potential adoptees as much time as possible, and Broome encouraged people to visit his facility.

“We’re going to be swimming in cats,” he added. “If anybody’s on the fence, it’s a good selection time to come in here and pick out something you like.”

(Rome News Tribune - May 30, 2013)