Plea deal possible in animal cruelty case with Anthony Hultine

UPDATE: Although Anthony Hultine faced jail time for shooting and burying a dog alive, Judge Maria Elena Cruz apparently felt sorry for him and gives him probation instead


ARIZONA -- A trial date could be set or a plea offer could be accepted at the next hearing for the Yuma man who has been charged with shooting and attempting to bury his roommate’s dog.

During a brief hearing in Yuma County Superior Court on Wednesday, attorney Kristen McManus, who represents Anthony Hultine, said she and the prosecution have reached a tentative plea agreement.

                                                                                             

As a result, she requested Superior Court Judge Maria Elena Cruz set a court date some time next week for either a change of plea hearing or a hearing to schedule a trial.

 

Hultine, who is out of custody on his own recognizance, has been charged with three felonies: one count of disorderly conduct, one count of cruelty to animals and one count of criminal damage.
 

When Cruz asked if there were any victims in the case present who would like to be heard, Yuma resident Susan-Jean Campbell stood and asked to speak on behalf of the Humane Society of Yuma.

McManus, however, said Campbell should not be allowed to make a statement because she is not listed as a victim in the case.
 

Cruz explained to Campbell that while, in a sense, the community as a whole may be a victim to such a crime, as far as the statute is concerned, statutes regarding victims' rights are very specific as to who may speak on behalf of a victim, and her entity did not have a right to speak at the hearing.
 

Cruz then set Hultine's next court date for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 26, at which time he would be able to accept the plea agreement or she would set a trial date.
 

After the hearing Campbell, who is also the founder of the Facebook page Yuma Proud Pet Owners, said she asked to speak at the hearing because she wanted to express her concern that the case be given the seriousness it was due.
 

"Animals need a voice, too. We are the only ones they have," Campbell said. "Brady, the dog he shot, is dead now. She died of a seizure."
 

In May, deputies with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office met with the dog's owner at the time, who told them that he had found the black and white pit bull mix canine, believed to be 8 to 12 months old, as a stray and decided to keep her after he couldn’t find her previous owner.
 

The owner also told deputies that he had traveled out of town and left the dog with his roommate, identified as Hultine. He stated that Hultine told him he had become angry with the dog after she had “made a mess” at their home and took her out to the Blaisdell area, where he shot the dog and attempted to bury her.

 

The dog was later found on April 26 in the 12400 block of East County 8th Street by a second person, who discovered that it had a gunshot wound. That person then made posts on social media in an attempt to locate her owner. The owner saw those posts and went to claim her.
 

The dog had suffered fractures to her maxillary sinus cavity, maxillary premolars and mandible. Those injuries were consistent with that of a gunshot wound, and the dog was taken to a local veterinary clinic where she underwent surgery.
 

On May 4, deputies served a search warrant at the home of the roommate suspected of shooting the dog and found weapons and ammunition. As a result, Hultine was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on felony charges of animal cruelty.

(Yuma Sun - Aug 5, 2015)

Earlier:

• Yuma man, Anthony Allen Hultine, arrested on animal cruelty charges

Girl's leg amputated after dogs attack her

SOUTH AFRICA -- A 9-year-old girl had her right leg amputated on Sunday after two dogs attacked her outside her home in Rosettenville, Johannesburg last week.

The two dogs attacked the Grade 4 learner last Monday as she was returning home from school, Netwerk24 reported.

The girl and her parents live in a Wendy house in the backyard of the dogs’ owner.

She was rushed to Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital after the attack, where she remains in a serious condition.

She had sustained an infection to her right leg. Her kidneys also collapsed after the incident, and she was subsequently placed on a ventilator.

'I went cold'
The girl’s father, Vusi Khumalo, told Netwerk24 that his daughter had to endure pain for two hours because the dogs’ owner did not call an ambulance.

"The incident happened at 14:30 and I only came home at 16:20," he said.

"My child was bleeding by the door and the owner just stood there. The police were also there, but no one called an ambulance.

"I went cold when I saw my child. She was lying motionless and there was blood everywhere. I had to take her to hospital myself."

Neighbour’s intervention
Khumalo said the dogs would have killed his child had it not been for a neighbour.

The neighbour flagged down a police car in the street, but the police officers were apparently too afraid to intervene. The neighbour eventually hit the dog with a hammer, and was bitten in the process.

Khumalo said the police at Moffat-View police station refused to accept a complaint against the owners of the dog.

“The police said I had no proof that the owner was negligent.

“I can only lay a complaint once a doctor fills in the details of my child’s condition on a J88 form.”

Dispute over dogs’ removal
He also claimed the dogs have yet to be removed from the property, having seen them on Saturday.

Patricia Kabongo, the owner of the Wendy house that Khumalo was renting, said she was heartbroken by the incident.

"These are my husband's dogs. The dogs are always in the garage. I do not know how they got out. I was not at home when the incident happened.

The two dogs though, she claimed, were removed after the incident, contradicting Khumalo’s claim.

Inspector Ronald Ramalati of the SPCA said the organisation had no record of removing any dogs from the Rosettenville area last week.

Police spokesperson Constable Michael Kgatle could not comment as an official complaint had not yet been filed.

(News24 - June 1, 2015)

Shelby Township police reunite pig with owner after funny adventure

MICHIGAN -- Police in Shelby Township responded to a call to pick a rather unusual suspect on Thursday: a pig.

The department posted the above picture to its Facebook page Thursday night.

Debbie DeRiemaecker tells 7 Action News that she was doing yard work at her home on Wolf Drive when all of a sudden a pig came barreling toward her. It chased her into the front yard before getting distracted by a decorative ball.

 

DeRiemaecker wasn't sure what to do, so she called 911 laughing and explained the situation.
Moments later, she tells 7 Action News, a cop car pulled up. 

We've learned the pig has been reunited with its owner, but not before pooping in the police vehicle.

 

Luckily, police write on their Facebook page that the owner cleaned out the officer's car before taking the wayward pig home.

By the way, the owner says the pig's name is "Pig Pig".

(WXY - May 29, 2015)

One person hurt after attack involving dog and baseball bat in Fargo

NORTH DAKOTA -- One person is hurt after an attack with a pit bull and a baseball bat Saturday night.

Fargo Police were called to the 13th Avenue South and 25th Street area around 8:00. They say a group was in a car and allegedly chased after others with the dog and bat.

One person sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Police say the people involved knew each other and at this point no arrests have been made.

(WDAZ - May 31, 2015)

Dog sold for $10 returns to previous owners with muzzle tied shut with electrical tape

UPDATE TO STORY: William Leonard Dodson arrested for taping dog's mouth shut

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A dog whose owners sold for $10 later found her way back to their yard with her muzzle taped so tightly that her tongue may have to be cut off, WGHP reported.

The 15-month old Staffordshire mix may have been left with the electrical tape trapping her tongue in her teeth for more than 48 hours, the report said. After doctors removed the tape, her muzzle swelled so much–double its size–that she may need surgery to save her life.

The dog, who was named Diamond but was renamed Caitlyn by rescuers, was sold because her old owners needed the money, WCIV reported. She returned to their yard a few days later.

Caitlyn’s former owners said they contacted animal control and provided information on the man who bought her, who offered to pay for her after he seeing her on Memorial Day.

The couple, who was not identified, said they were in such a dire situation that they agreed. They also said they never expected the abuse to happen.

 

“Don’t let me find you because that’s part of my family you just did some foul things to,” he told WCIV.

Officials at the Charleston Animal Society said Caitlyn’s condition is improving, and she’s beginning to want food and water again.

“This was intentional,” said Dr. Kelli Klein. “Someone was trying to hurt her and they did it. They did what they went out to do. Just thankfully someone intervened so she didn’t die.”

“I’m making it sound like she’s doing so great, and she is, but these are serious, serious injuries,” Klein said. “She still has a long way to go. Regardless of whether there are surgeries or not surgeries she will be in recovery for months before she is deemed normal.”

The animal society is offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible.

(Pix11 - May 30, 2015)

Earlier:

• SC dog found with muzzle taped shut, reward offered

Black dog rescued from muds of swamp

WASHINGTON -- A dog was rescued from a swamp, after it was heard whining around 50 feet into the wetland.

A rescue crew from South Kitsap Fire and Rescue made a make-shift bridge with one of their ladders to reach the dog.

The medium-sized black dog was stuck up to its shoulders in the mud and waters.

It was safely removed from the swamp.

Officials say the dog is in satisfactory condition, and is waiting for animal control to help them find the dog’s owner.

(KIRO - May 31, 2015)

North Carolina: Woman Stole Puppy from Animal Shelter in Rowan County

NORTH CAROLINA -- A woman who stole a seven-week-old puppy from an animal shelter is being looked for by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

According to police, a woman around age late 40s to early 50s came to look at a lab mix puppy at the Rowan County Animal Shelter Tuesday.

A shelter attendant brought the puppy out to the woman and then left to help another person at the shelter.

According to the attendant, people at the shelter later said the woman left with the puppy. Stealing a dog is considered to be a felony charge.

The woman was driving a burgundy newer model Toyota Camry.

Later, the attendant said people in the shelter said the woman took the puppy and left in a newer model burgundy Toyota Camry.

Police ask anyone with information on the crime to call the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8700.

UPDATE: The woman has been identified as Cindy Wilson and was charged.

(Crime in Charlotte - May 30, 2015)

Accused attorney, Jeff Bowers, who locked NINE large dogs in a locked trailer to cook to death, calls dogs' deaths 'horrible loss'

ILLINOIS -- A Georgia attorney charged in connection with the deaths of his four dogs is calling the incident a “horrible loss” and denies he left his dogs in a trailer without water and ventilation.

Attorney Jeff Bowers issued a statement Friday evening to FOX 5 after he turned himself in Thursday morning on a count of cruelty to animals.

 

In the statement, Bowers said, “Last Saturday evening I brought our dogs from our family farm to our property in Dallas to stay temporarily overnight in a secure trailer.  Contrary to some media reports, the trailer had water and ventilation.  I returned the next day to move our dogs from the trailer. 
Despite our best efforts, we were unable to save four of our dogs.”

Bowers goes on to say, “This tragedy has affected my family and me greatly.  I have fully cooperated with Paulding County authorities, and wanted to express my thanks for your continued support and prayers.” 

 

 

 The real estate lawyer is accused of leaving his nine Great Pyrenees dogs crammed in a trailer with no window or water for about 17 hours.

 Deputies said when Bowers returned Sunday, a neighbor called 911.

 "A resident said a man was pulling dead dogs from an enclosed trailer," Corporal Ashley Henson told FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor.

  

  

 

Deputies said three of the dogs were dead on the scene.  That revelation led to a criminal investigation. They said the others were critical and were rushed to a local veterinarian.

A fourth dog died at the vet's office.

"The dogs were inside the trailer from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon. As you can imagine it was pretty warm on those days, so it was a pretty bad situation for those dogs," Corporal Henson said.

 

 

 Bowers still has ownership of the 5 surviving dogs.

"Until we get some type of order from a judge indicating that we need to take those dogs from Mr. Bowers, then they will remain in his possession," Henson explained.

Neighbors, who didn't want to talk on-camera, said the misdemeanor charge is a slap on the wrist for the well connected attorney.

(MyFoxChicago - May 25, 2015)

In Killing of Police K9 Partners, Cops Usually Get Light Punishment

FLORIDA -- A Hialeah cop who killed two police dogs in Davie by leaving them in the car all day is facing the wrath of a dog-loving public that is appalled that somebody, especially a cop, could commit such a heinous crime.

However, Officer Nelson Enriquez won't face charges of murdering a police officer because, contrary to popular belief, police dogs aren't actually considered police officers.

According to Florida statute 843.19, Enriquez could face only a third-degree felony for killing his canine partners:

Any person who intentionally and knowingly, without lawful cause or justification, causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to, or uses a deadly weapon upon, a police dog, fire dog, SAR dog, or police horse commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

Suspended from work for 60 days was the punishment to
the deputy who let K9 partner Tank cook to death in car

Meanwhile, K9 Tank got a life sentence

Unless Davie Police want to charge Enriquez with two counts or find other evidence of a different crime, it's likely that the Hialeah cop, who has been suspended with pay pending the investigation, will face a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Zachary Miller left his K9 partner Nyx to cook to death in a boiling hot patrol car

Harris County tight-lipped on which K9 they killed

Considering that two other recent cases of officers killing their K-9s resulted in no prison time, the maximum penalty is unlikely. As the Herald pointed out yesterday:

In 2007, Miami-Dade police Sgt. Allen Cockfield was charged with animal cruelty after prosecutors determined a kick he administered to his German shepherd Duke during a training session was a fatal blow. Cockfield was later acquitted at trail.

K9 Bandit killed by his handler

Trial date set for officer who left his K9 partner to die in cruiser

Then in March 2008, Miami officer Rondal Brown was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after his bloodhound Dynasty starved to death... Dynasty was discovered starving and emaciated. Brown later left the police department and agreed to serve probation on animal cruelty charges. 

K9 Harley died inside a hot police car
Des Moines Iowa Police Department

Perry County Missouri destroyed the dead K9's body so a necropsy
couldn't be done, which prevented DA's from charging the cop who killed him

Things tend to work out differently for civilians charged with harming canine officers.

Just last year in Palm Beach County, 17-year-old Ivins Rosier was sentenced to 23 years in prison for shooting a retired canine officer after breaking into a state highway patrolman's home. Nobody was at the home during the break-in. Although Rosier was 16 at the time of the crime, state attorney Dave Aronberg charged him as an adult and sought 30 years on all counts for "shooting into an occupied dwelling," armed burglary, and animal cruelty.

Bexar County deputy killed 2 K9s

K9 Serge, shown here, was left to cook in a police car

After the guilty verdict, the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office held an elaborate memorial service for the retired canine, complete with a 12-gun salute and speeches from the county's top brass, including Aronberg, who praised his staff for seeking three decades in prison for a juvenile.

K9 Justice, cooked to death in police car by his partner
Edmond OK Police Dept

Cop who let K9 partner, Jeg,
cook to death in car given sweetheart deal

Meanwhile, news stories abound of people getting hefty sentences for killing canine cops — but each time, as in the Rosier case, the sentences were enhanced due to other factors. In 2009, a diagnosed schizophrenic from Washington got a life sentence for killing a canine cop that was running toward him while he hid in a gulch. It was the man's third strike, which enabled the life sentence.

K9 Luna cooked in a patrol car

Sgt. Brett Harrison and K9 Officer Beny - before he killed him
(Photo: Montville Police Department, Facebook)

In 2014, a South Carolina man fleeing from police after committing an armed robbery was attacked by a police dog. The man shot the dog several times. When he was eventually caught, each bullet he fired he fired was considered an attempted murder charge, in addition to the charge of killing the dog. He got 35 years.

K9 Zak left to die in hot police car
Mercer County OH Sheriff's Office

K-9 Primo tore at the seats, desperately trying to escape before dying

K9 "Sparacus", from Georgia, was left to die inside a boiling hot police car

Meanwhile, a Facebook page documents news stories of police who kill dogs. That page gets updated often.

(Broward Palm Beach New Times - May 29, 2015)

Earlier:

• Florida officer "forgets" his TWO K9 partners; leaves them to cook to death in hot vehicle

Workers chop down tree even though federally-protected baby birds were falling to the ground

CALIFORNIA -- Local and state authorities are investigating a contractor that residents say tore down a tree full of legally protected birds Thursday afternoon in a Newport Beach neighborhood.

Neighbors in Balboa Peninsula Point said they stood on the sidewalk along East Balboa Boulevard in disbelief as workers knocked down a large tree that was home to two types of herons.

Authorities declined to release the name of the company, citing an "active criminal investigation."

Residents said the distressed birds circled above the tree, which sat on the site of a demolished house in the 1500 block, as their nests and chicks fell to the ground. The site had been undergoing construction for several weeks, neighbors said. All work has been halted.

Officials said the tree was on private property and therefore could be torn down without a permit. However, federal law prohibits anyone from disturbing or removing active birds' nests from trees.

Newport Beach animal-control officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating the crew for a possible misdemeanor violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which protects birds throughout the United States, said animal-control officer Nick Ott.

Animal-control officials took 10 chicks to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach on Thursday afternoon. Two of the chicks were dead on arrival, Ott said.

The tree was largely overgrown and known to provide an annual nesting spot for snowy egrets, a small white heron and black-crowned night herons, neighbors said.

One resident called Newport Beach police around 3:30 p.m. Thursday when workers continued to demolish the tree despite neighbors' protests, resident Nicole Snell Deermount said.

"They kept tearing down the tree even though all these birds were freaking out all over the place," Deermount said. "Birds were flying everywhere."

Deermount said her husband, Adam, was walking the family dog Friday morning when he noticed a chick struggling in the branches piled on the ground. He called animal control, which took the bird to the rescue center.

"We suspect there were a lot more birds up there," Ott said.

After the investigation is complete, the agencies will submit their findings to the Orange County district attorney's office, Ott said. Prosecutors will decide whether to file charges.

If charges are filed, those involved could face six months to a year in jail and be ordered to pay fines if convicted. The case also could be prosecuted at the federal level, officials said.

(Daily Pilot - May 30, 2015)

Funeral held for dog which provided grief therapy at funeral home

OHIO -- On Friday morning, a funeral for a special therapy dog was held at the Schoedinger Midtown Chapel in Columbus, Ohio, reported the Columbus Dispatch.

The 13-year-old Labrador retriever, named "Tara," passed away on Tuesday from complications of laryngeal paralysis, a condition which causes dogs to suffocate.

 

The intuitive dog spent the last several years working as a Grief Therapy Dog at Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service. According to those who watched her work, Tara knew who was in need of her comforting attention.

Mike Schoedinger, President of Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation, said, "I watched people stroke her fur and the comfort that came from this. Her steady and unwavering companionship provided consolation to so many. She taught us unconditional love.”

Tara belonged to Roberta Knauf, who noted that Tara "loved to work." Knauf said, "she absolutely loved putting on that vest and getting up every morning and going to work."

Tears were shed and dogs whined as Tara was wheeled into the chapel.

Among her doggie visitors were Dexter the Doberman who sported a gray and white bow tie, and Willow the Labradoodle who wore a purple ribbon. The pooches approached Tara’s casket to bid her farewell.

Tara’s casket was placed in a sea of beautiful flowers with a ribbon that reads: “Our Faithful Companion.”

A basket filled with tennis balls was placed at the chapel entrance. The basket had a sign that said, “Tara loved her balls. In memory of her, please take one home.” Nearby, there was also a basket of bone-shaped dog treats and Tara’s collar and leash.

Tara provided peace and solace until her last breath.

“At the very last moment, I remember her laying her head on my lap and looking at me as if she was comforting me,” she said.

Knauf also said that Tara will be cremated, and a part of her remains will be inurned at Canine Partners. The remainder will be mixed with the ashes of her sister, Nika.  Their combined ashes will be used to plant a tree in Hermitage.

Click here to read Tara's obituary.

(Examiner.com - May 29, 2015)

Caldwell officer rescues baby hawk from busy road

IDAHO -- A Caldwell police officer was at the right place at the right time Friday night, as he rescued a baby hawk near a busy road.

Officer Matt Hodnett, a 15-year veteran with the Caldwell Police Department, says he was driving on the 1500 block of Ustick Road in Caldwell when he saw a crowd of people.

He pulled over and found that the crowd was gathered near a baby hawk that had fallen out of a nest in front of a home.

  

Officer Hodnett tells KTVB one person was on the phone with Idaho Fish & Game at the time, hoping they'd be able to send someone to rescue the animal. But, since they were told Fish & Game's response person was nowhere near the area, the phone was handed to Officer Hodnett.

Officer Hodnett says the person on the phone told him to throw a t-shirt over the baby hawk, to avoid being scratched. He was then able to put the hawk back in the tree.

Hodnett says he was told baby hawks have fallen out of the same tree in the past, though this is the first hawk rescue he was able to help with.

(KTVB - May 30, 2015)

Police: Longview woman's pit bulls attacked 4 people

TEXAS --A Longview woman was arrested after police say her pit bull dogs attacked and injured four people sending them to the hospital for treatment.

Sondra Rene’ Kroll, 29, of Longview was jailed Friday on a charge of attack by dog causing serious bodily injury. Her bond was set at $10,000.

Police said officers worked with Longview Animal Control officers to investigate four reported separate cases in which Kroll’s pit bulls attacked people in the area of the 100 block of White City Street.

In each of the cases, the victims sought treatment at a hospital. In one instance, a victim required emergency surgery.

(News Journal - May 30, 2015)

New Hampshire man killed by his Scottish Highland cattle

NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A New Hampshire man was fatally injured last weekend in a confrontation with a bull on his farm.

Christopher G. Merrill, 51, was found dead on his Hampton Falls farm on Sunday, according to the Union Leader.

 

Police went to the property after Merrill's family reported him missing.

“He died on the land that he loved, and I think it was mean to be. Maybe God said, ‘You know what? This is how you loved and this is how you died,' and that’s it,” said his wife, Elizabeth Merrill.

 

"Animals are funny, and a couple of days before the animal was making funny noises, it could have been in heat."

She said the family has five bulls on the property, and her husband intended to plant a Christmas tree farm.

“(The bulls) would keep the brush down, and they were going to be part of that whole vision,” she said.

In his obituary, Merrill was described as a “true outdoorsman” who enjoyed working on his farm, snowmobiling, hunting and fishing.

Merrill and his wife have three children.

"In a couple of weeks, we would have been married 24 years. I feel blessed that I had him in my life," she said.

(WCVB - May 30, 2015)