09/11/13: Hartlepool man jailed for 'savage' dog attack

UNITED KINGDOM -- A man who repeatedly beat his dog, leaving it with 29 fractured bones, has been jailed.

Coco, a Shih Tzu type dog, was left with a broken pelvis, multiple broken ribs and fractures and bruising.

The court heard how the "savage" attack left her in a condition likened to having been in a traffic collision.

Christopher Watson, 19, of Hartlepool. was jailed for 18 weeks and banned from keeping animals for life at the town's magistrates court.

RSPCA inspector Aislinn Balderston said: "This dog had suffered such appalling injuries it is harrowing to hear the details.

"For someone to do something so savage to a small dog who couldn't possibly have protected herself is disgusting. She would have suffered terrible pain and fear."

Watson was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog by subjecting it to physical violence and causing unnecessary suffering by failing to call a vet and not feeding the animal properly.

Coco, who has been renamed Maggie, is recovering well and is now "playful and affectionate", the RSPCA said.

(BBC UK - Sept 11, 2013)

United Kingdom: Lowestoft owners of 'skinniest' mastiff fined and banned

UNITED KINGDOM -- The owners of a dog which was the "skinniest ever seen" by an inspector who found it in an emaciated state have admitted causing unnecessary suffering.

The RSPCA said the Neapolitan mastiff, called Hench, weighed 5 stone (32kg), just over half his healthy weight, when he was found in Lowestoft.

Edward Bull, 35, and Emma Bull, 34, both of Aspinall Close, pleaded guilty at the town's magistrate's court.

They were each fined £200 and banned from keeping animals for five years.

The RSPCA said the five-year-old mastiff should have weighed about 9st 6lb (60kg).

'Proper diet'

The dog was removed and rehabilitated by the charity at its Block Fen animal centre in Cambridgeshire.

Speaking after the case, inspector Nicola Thorne said there had been an issue with feeding the dog.

"The Bulls had another, much smaller Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog, who was a normal weight, but they seem to have been giving Hench the same amount of food and, of course, that was not adequate for its needs.

"Hench was the skinniest dog I have seen since I became an inspector nine years ago.

"He put on 13lb (6kg) during the first week on a proper diet."

The RSPCA said Hench had been found a "new, loving home".

(BBC UK - Sept 26, 2013)

South Dakota: Historic Custer State Park buffalo roundup draws 14,000 visitors

SOUTH DAKOTA -- More than 14,000 people lined the hills of Custer State Park in South Dakota last Friday to hear the thunder and watch as more than 1,000 buffalo corralled by horseback riders in what has become a huge tourist draw for the Black Hills.

Phill Randall carries the American flag as wranglers work to control
 the herd as they move toward the corral area Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 at the
annual bison roundup at Custer State Park in South Dakota. Over 1,100 of
the park’s bison are rounded up from all corners and herded into corrals
where they’ll be vaccinated, branded and sorted for an auction in November.
(AP Photo/The Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn)

 

“People come from all over the world for this special connection to American history,” said freelance journalist Chris Bury, who was producing a segment for the Al Jazeera network’s “America Tonight.”

“This is a historical spectacle,” he said.

 

 

A herd of more than 1,000 buffalo make the final push into the corrals
during the 48th Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park, S.D. Friday,
Sept. 27, 2013. The roundup is necessary to maintain the herd as the event
gives park staff a chance to check on the females and brand calves.
(AP Photo/Rapid City Journal, Benjamin Brayfield)

Park managers use the event, in its 48th year, as a management tool. They brand and vaccinate the animals and cull the herd in an effort to maintain a balance of bison and rangeland forage. More than 400 of the bison will be sold at a November auction that will generate about $500,000 for park operations, the Rapid City Journal reported.

 

The roundup is typically held on the last Monday of September, following the park’s weekend arts festival. It was moved ahead of the arts festival this year.

 

 

“It was born of the idea of attracting even more people,” said Craig Pugsley, visitor services coordinator for the park.

The park also offered another major change this year. The north viewing area was altered to allow for better vantage points. The fence that used to line the top of the hill has been moved to the base of the hill, providing a “natural amphitheater for people to sit and watch,” Pugsley said.

  

 

A buffalo is branded with the number “3″ for 2013 and an “S” denoting the
state’s ownership, during the 48th Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park,
S.D. Friday, Sept. 27, 2013. The roundup is necessary to maintain the herd as
the event gives park staff a chance to check on the females and brand calves.
(AP Photo/Rapid City Journal, Benjamin Brayfield)

The cattle guard near the hill also was moved. The changes will allow more people to watch from the north side and to be closer to the buffalo as they rush toward the corrals.

Erwin Graf and Bettina Bardill, who live near St. Moritz, Switzerland, took in New York City and Tennessee’s Nashville and Memphis before coming to the Black Hills.

Catherine Neihart, 12, left, and her sister, Jessalee,
10, from Braddyville, Iowa, wear buffalo
costumes made by their grandmother
during the 48th Buffalo Roundup in Custer
State Park Sept. 27, 2013 in Custer, SD.
(AP Photo/Rapid City Journal, Benjamin Brayfield)

“We came here for the spectacle, for the buffalo, for the wildlife,” Bardill said. “In Switzerland, you don’t have thousands of buffalo.”

(Rapid City Journal - Sept 30, 2013)

Related:

• 21-Century cowboys take on Nebraskan buffalo
• Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival

Pensioner, 70, injured and pet terrier shaken and mauled to death by dog

UNITED KINGDOM -- A PENSIONER watched in horror as her beloved pet was mauled to death by another dog in Chelmsford, an incident that also left her in hospital for five days.

When 70-year-old Sandra Lester saw the dog running towards her from nearby Murchison Close, she picked up her Yorkshire terrier Talulah to keep her safe.

But the unleashed dog, believed to be part mastiff, knocked her to the ground, latched on to Mrs Lester's pet and shook the terrier until it lay dead on the road. It also bit her so badly she needed 45 stitches to her hands.

"I keep having flashbacks of the thud of the dog hitting me from behind, the feel as it bit down into my fingers and the sound of the crunch as it put its jaws around my dog. The sound of her scream will live with me until the day I die," said Mrs Lester, who is now back home after spending five days at Broomfield Hospital.

"We need to change the laws on people who keep these dangerous dogs otherwise what value are we placing on human life? That dog is still alive and being kept in a kennel until its owner gives permission for it to be put down, whilst my little dog isn't here any more."

Mrs Lester had been walking her pet alone at 9.30am on Wednesday, September 18, a rarity as she and her friends usually keep to groups.

As she left the old playing field at the back of St Peter's College she noticed two women shouting as they tried to control a large dog.

The grandmother, who immediately picked up Talulah fearing for her safety, said: "The dog hit me from behind like a brick wall and I went down trying to hold my little baby dog out the way.

"I heard its jaws crunch her and then I heard her scream before it shook her, and then threw her down on the ground. "My hands were pouring with blood and I knew if I didn't get help soon I could lose a finger.

"But the two women who had been with the dog just shouted abuse at me; they didn't come to help until the dog had completely calmed down."

Neighbours ran out to help the injured woman who needed stitches, suffered a fractured thumb where a tooth had ground through the bone and may now face surgery if there is long-term nerve damage.

Mrs Lester's family now plan to move in with her at her Pines Road home, but she remains fearful of further attacks.

"I was told by staff at Broomfield that they see up to five children each month with serious injuries as a result of dog attacks.

"The rules have to change, that dog has tasted human blood and it should be put down immediately," added the former nurse.

"I don't care if I have to go to Downing Street with a placard by myself, I will not let this lie. I want to show my grandchildren, who don't understand what happened, that this can't go on."

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing. The dog was seized and remains in kennels pending the outcome of our investigation. If there are any witnesses with further information they should contact Chelmsford police station or call 101."

(This is Total Essex-Sep 26, 2013)

Glendale Heights man who stabbed pet bird to death gets 90 days in jail

ILLINOIS -- A Glendale Heights man who stabbed his pet bird to death during a domestic dispute was sentenced to 90 days in jail by a DuPage County judge on Monday.

David Hritz, 40, also was ordered to two years of probation following his conviction on charges of aggravated animal cruelty and domestic battery.

Hritz was arrested on Aug. 25, 2012, when he became involved in a domestic dispute with his roommate. Police said Hritz struck the woman with his fists. During the fight, Hritz flung his pet cockatiel against the wall of his residence and then stabbed the bird with a knife, according to prosecutors.

“Mr. Hrtiz’s anger got the best of him,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Because Mr. Hrtiz could not control his anger, he must spend the next 90 days behind bars.”

Judge Robert Kleeman told Hritz that he was not allowed to own a pet during the term of probation. He must also submit to counseling as deemed necessary.

(Chicago Tribune - Sept 30, 2013)

Northern NY woman accused of starving horses

NEW YORK -- New details on an alleged case of animal neglect in northern New York.

Officials took a citizen complaint last week concerning horses on Shelley Wing's farm in Essex.
Officers say Wing failed to provide enough food and water for the horses. She is facing 41 counts of animal cruelty.

It took officials two days to remove all of the horses and relocate them for veterinary care and recovery.

"I grew up on a dairy farm and I'm familiar with animals, but I've never seen anything that was so many animals in such a small enclosure with varying conditions. They needed food and medical care," said Sheriff Richard Cutting of the New York State Sheriff's Association.

Officials say they want the public to refrain from dropping off food for the horses since they are under veterinary care and on strict diets.

(WCAX - Sep 26, 2013)

Man Accused of Fatally Beating Dog Over Chewed Patio Cushions

TEXAS --Bail for a Mesquite man accused of beating his dog to death for chewing patio furniture cushions has been raised.

Robert Prichard, 59, is charged with felony animal cruelty. Prosecutors say he hit his pet pit bull with a shovel several times in the head before throwing the animal in his swimming pool.

 

"This is horrific. This is one of the worst," animal advocate Jonnie England said. "This is an act of violence. He is a danger to his neighbors, to the community, as well as to his own animal and other animals."

 

Judge Lena Levario increased Prichard's bond from $500 to $50,000 after hearing reports of previous criminal charges.

 

"I really feel like the facts of the case should, you know, really dictate what the bond should be, so I think this does adequately reflect the case," said David Alex, Dallas County Felony Trial Bureau chief.

 

According to Mesquite police records, a neighbor called police on the day the dog died after seeing Prichard throw it by a fence. The arrest narrative said the neighbor heard Prichard yelling at one point "you're a dead dog" before hearing loud bangs that sounded like a blunt object hitting something.

 

Prosecutors planned to show surveillance video of the attack but now have to wait until the trial.

 

"We were prepared to put on, in court this morning, was video of him doing that, that, pretty sick thing," Alex said.

 

According to investigators, Prichard said he wishes he could rewind and do things differently.

 

The judge decided if Prichard made bail, he would not be allowed to interact with animals.

 

"It's so important for people to recognize animal cruelty and thank God his neighbors next door witnessed this and reported it; they didn't just close the door to the dog's screams," England said.

(NBC DFW - Sept 30, 2013)

Although it crushed a family's beloved cat right in front of them, judge says this 'pittie' isn't dangerous.... of course it didn't help that the Animal Control Officer described the killer dog as 'playful'

NEW JERSEY -- A municipal court judge determined that Gio, a pit bull mix owned by Hilary Raines of Villas, should not be deemed a “potentially dangerous” dog in the eyes of the law.

His verdict was made at a trial Sept. 26 in Lower Township Municipal Court. Gio had wandered into Kim Davis’ yard on Aug. 16 and killed her cat Maximus while Davis and her daughter watched, helpless to stop it.



Maxiumus' death means nothing to Judge F. Thomas Hillegass

Judge F. Thomas Hillegass fined Raines $500 for a loose dog causing injury and $100 for having an unlicensed pet. The third and most serious ticket, for owning a potentially dangerous dog, was thrown out.

In a case such as this, the state bears the burden of proof. Municipal Court Prosecutor Ronald Gelzunas cited state statute 4:19-23 “Dog declared potentially dangerous; conditions” when presenting the state’s case against Raines. The statute reads:

“The municipal court shall declare a dog to be potentially dangerous if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the dog:

Caused bodily injury as defined in N.J.S.2C:11-1(a) to a person during an unprovoked attack, and poses a serious threat of bodily injury or death to a person or

Severely injured or killed another domestic animal, and either poses a threat of serious bodily injury or death to a person; or poses a threat of death to another domestic animal, or has been trained, tormented, badgered, baited or encouraged to engage in unprovoked attacks upon persons or domestic animals.”

Davis was the first to take the witness stand. She described an ordinary day that quickly turned tragic. On the morning of Aug. 16, Davis’ daughter spotted an unfamiliar white dog in their backyard. Davis went outside on the deck to check it out.

According to Davis, Gio spotted Maximus, who was sleeping on the ground by the back deck, and pounced on him. Before Maximus could escape, Gio grabbed the cat by the neck and violently shook him side to side. “The dog just didn’t stop,” said Davis. “I was screaming and hollering.”

The 'playful' killer pit bull.

Once Gio dropped Maximus’ lifeless body, he proceeded to wander around the backyard, even as a concerned neighbor attempted to shoo him from the area with a broom.

When Animal Control Officer Zachary Magnavita arrived he witnessed Gio jumping on a rabbit hutch in Davis’ yard. He also saw Maximus on the ground with puncture wounds to his neck. “You could definitely tell the cat was dead,” said Magnavita. He continued to tell the court that Gio appeared to be jumping on the cage in a “playful” manner. He said he then called the dog to him and Gio obeyed. At that time Magnavita slid a leash around Gio’s neck and led the dog back to his truck.

At first Magnavita could not determine Gio’s owner. It was only when he was back in his vehicle that he received a call from dispatch saying the dog belonged next door to Davis, a home owned by Michael Mattera. Magnavita met Mattera at his home and spoke with Raines on the phone before returning Gio to Mattera.

After Raines failed to submit the proper vaccination records, Gio was seized by Animal Control Officer Don Montgomery Sept. 1 and held at the Cape May County Animal Shelter until Sept. 12, the date Raines pled “not guilty” to the charges.

When rendering his decision, Hillegass said that part one of state statute 4:19-23 did not apply. Part two, however, did apply to Gio because he did, in fact, kill another domestic animal. But in order to be considered a “potentially dangerous” dog, the court must also be convinced that the dog poses a serious threat to persons or other domestic animals. On that section Hillegass sided with Gio. “It is clear that Giovanni caused it,” said Hillegass. “But I don’t think that Giovanni is, or should be declared, a potentially dangerous dog.”

The pittie owner blamed the victims for the attack
saying Maximus provoked her dog and that the victim
shouldn't have left their gate open which enabled
her killer dog to enter their yard.

In his ruling Hillegass said that according to the testimonies, the dog did not appear to act in an aggressive manner toward any of the individuals involved on the day of the attack.

Hillegass expressed his condolences to Davis and her daughter. “I understand. Your pets become like children,” he said. “And when they pass away it’s like losing a family member.”

Following the judge’s ruling, Raines said she felt relieved. “I feel awful for what happened to Maximus and it’s very tragic,” she said. “However, all animals are just that, animals. We spoke the truth and just tried to tell our side of the story. The judge and prosecutor ruled on the state law and Gio is not a threat by any means...

"People need to realize that pit bulls are loving family members too and prejudice is why they're targeted.”

Davis was disappointed in the judge’s decision and when asked for comment, she simply stated, “Maximus was playfully murdered.”

(Cape May County Herald - Sept 30, 2013)

Earlier:

• Beloved Family Cat Mauled To Death By Neighbor’s Pit Bull
• Pit bull owner wants you to believe cat, which was mauled to death, was the aggressor

Woman thinks German shepherd that hurt Bella attacked her dachshund twice

CANADA -- A Glebe woman believes the German shepherd that attacked Bella the Snorkie at the Experimental Farm last Friday is the same one that has twice attacked her pet dachshund Clementine.

And she wonders why city bylaw officers don’t seem willing to do anything to stop it.

After reading about the attack on Bella — a miniature schnauzer-Yorkshire terrier mix — in Monday’s Citizen, Hoda Shawki said she’s convinced the aggressive dog is the same one that went after Clementine in August 2012 and attacked her again this past August, inflicting serious injuries.

As with Bella, who required $4,000 worth of surgical repairs, both attacks on Clementine occurred on Central Experimental Farm property, and the German shepherd’s owner, a middle-aged white woman, did not have her dog on a leash.

“It’s an aggressive dog,” said Shawki, a senior policy analyst with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Though no one seems to know the female owner’s name, “I would find it very difficult to believe that it’s just a coincidence that there are two aggressive dogs going (to the Experimental Farm) regularly with a female owner and attacking small dogs. It’s very unlikely.”

Shawki and her husband, Matthew Redding, first encountered the woman at the Experimental Farm in July 2012, shortly after adopting Clementine from a shelter in Navan. She approached them with her German shepherd on a leash.

“She said, ‘By the way, I just want to let you know, my dog is a big hunter, and he goes after small dogs,’” Shawki recalled.

“Basically, what she was telling us was, ‘Don’t be here.’ We didn’t take her seriously. This is federal property, it’s open to the public. Anybody can go there. Why should it be any more dangerous that any other park?”

But the following month, while they were walking Clementine off leash at the Experimental Farm, the same German shepherd suddenly appeared. “We didn’t see it coming. It went after our dog,” Shawki said.

“Everyone screamed at the dog. Finally, he let go, but he had already bitten our dog.”

Clementine, who weighs about 15 pounds, required surgery to repair the wounds.

Then, a few weeks ago, it happened again. Redding was walking Clementine and his mother’s dog at the Experimental Farm when the same German shepherd, again off leash, went after Clementine a second time.

“He attacked more aggressively this time,” said Shawki. According to her husband, the large dog grabbed Clementine in his jaws, lifted her and swung her around. “Then he let go of her and went after my mother-in-law’s dog. But they managed to stop him.”

“It looked really, really bad,” Shawki said. The surgical bill was $1,550, and Clementine looked a lot like Bella does now, with drainage tubes protruding from various parts of her body.

After the second attack, Shawki filed a report with the City of Ottawa’s bylaw enforcement department.

“They said unless you can give us the name of the owner or an address or something, nobody can do anything,” she said.

“I told her this has happened to us before. It might be happening to other people. Can’t anybody at least say something publicly?” Shawki said. But the bylaw official told her dog-on-dog attacks happen all the time. “Nobody cares.”

In response to Citizen questions, Christine Hartig, a strategic initiatives program officer at the city, said bylaw and regulatory services does “from time to time as circumstances warrant, employ other investigative measures to determine the identity of alleged bylaw violators.

“In some instances, such as this particular one, members of the public may be of assistance by providing to bylaw and regulatory services a detailed description of both the dog and the dog handler,” Hartig said in an email.

According to Shawki, the woman walks her German shepherd at the Experimental Farm regularly. As recently as Sunday — two days after the vicious attack on Bella — her brother-in-law spotted her and her dog, running loose, at the farm.

“She has this expectation that she should be able to take this dog there, no matter how dangerous he is,” she said.

“It’s really ridiculous when you know that your dog could hurt other dogs, and you still let it happen.”

The same dog might have been involved in an attack Monday on a Shih Tzu behind St. Paul’s University on Main Street.

Johanne Bertrand, a pensioner and Humane Society volunteer, was walking her dog, Zeus, on a leash when a German shepherd came bounding at them.

Bertrand yanked on the leash to pull her dog toward her. Just as she was about to take him in her arms, the big dog grabbed Zeus. Bertrand managed to pull him free, but not before the attacker had torn a hole in one of Zeus’s hind legs.

“I’m told that this dog is known to everyone there and it often attacks,” Bertrand said. The owner is an older woman, who’s there every day at 10 a.m., she said.

Zeus required sutures to close his wounds, said Bertand’s husband, Mander Gardiner. The medical bill will likely be more than $500. “We’re pensioners,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of cash.”

Bylaw enforcement needs to be more proactive, Gardiner said.

“If they know this is going on all the time, why wouldn’t they get their little butt over there first thing in the morning and watch out for this person?”

(Ottawa Citizen - Sept 30, 2013)

Earlier:

• Yet another owner flees with her dog after attack

Off-duty sheriff's deputy who killed pet dog resigns, may face charges

COLORADO -- A sheriff’s deputy who killed a Park County family’s dog has resigned from his job, the Park County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.

“(The deputy) exercised extremely poor judgment in this case. He has submitted his resignation, which was accepted,” the Park County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “This case has been submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for review and to determine if charges should be brought forward.”

Deputy Matthew Jackmond shot his neighbors’ 16-year-old German Shepherd in late August near Bailey, while the family was attending a wedding in Denver, owner Laura Brown said. Jackmond was off-duty at the time, and dumped the dog’s body in a ditch before the family arrived home.

Jackmond reportedly told neighbors that he had mistaken the dog for a coyote, but another neighbor claimed to have seen the deputy jabbing the dog with a stick before walking into his house to get his gun and calmly shooting the dog in the head. Neither version of events could be confirmed.

“The neighbor had come over and told him if we seen blood in the driveway not to be alarmed because there was a coyote that he had shot,” Brown said.

 

She slowly realized he was actually talking about their dog, Shiva.

“That’s not a coyote, that’s my dog!” she told him.

The incident happened just days after a mandatory task force was formed in Colorado to train law enforcement on less-violent methods of dealing with pets.

(kwgn.com - Sept 20, 2013)

Earlier:

• Family says off-duty sheriff’s deputy killed their 16-year-old dog

Pit bull that mauled Baker City boy to death to be killed

Very few details released regarding this little boy's death

OREGON -- The prosecutor in Baker County says a pit bull that fatally mauled a 5-year-old boy will be put to death.

The animal was impounded Friday shortly after the attack on Jordan Ryan. The attack happened at the home of a friend, authorities said.

An autopsy determined that the kindergartner "suffered extensive injuries, which caused him to bleed to death" in the attack, District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff said in a statement.

Police are conducting an investigation.

"Once the investigation is complete I will review the case for potential criminal charges, or determine whether the case needs to be presented to the grand jury," Shirtcliff said.

Friends and family members gathered Sunday night for a memorial outside the kindergarten the boy attended.

In the cold and rain, they released balloons.

"Bye, Jordan," many said.

Once the balloons disappeared into the dark, someone started singing "Amazing Grace," and the assemblage of about 150 people joined in.

The rain kept extinguishing their candles, and they kept relighting them.

"We have the memories," Hank King, Jordan's great-grandfather, told the audience.

The boy's mother and father and other close relatives then took shelter in a tent where a table held a photo of the boy and mementoes.

Cassie Glerup, one of the organizers, of the service, said she couldn't imagine the family's pain.

"It kind of hit home," she said.

Grief counselors were scheduled to be at the school Monday to speak with children troubled by the death, School Superintendent Walt Wegener said.

(KATU - Sept 30, 2013)

Earlier:

• Kindergartner dies after attack by pit bull

Women in plea after dog attack in Corby

UNITED KINGDOM -- A Corby woman is calling on dog owners to keep pets which are difficult to control on a lead after her jack russell was attacked by two great Danes on the Danesholme estate.

Heather Seymour was walking from Minden Close to Brunswick Gardens at about 11.30pm on Wednesday, September 25, with her dog Sparky and spaniel Spike when the attack happened.

She let her dogs off their leads in at the recreation area near Danesholme school when 11-year-old Sparky was attacked by both great Danes, leaving the animal with injuries to its neck.

Heather, 46, of Minden Close, took Sparky to the vet and was told the attack has caused muscle damage and that the wound could not be stitched.

The dog has been prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

She said: “It was very frightening. The owners of the great Danes called them but they didn’t respond. They had Sparky pinned to the ground but eventually he got away.

“These things can happen with dogs and usually there is a lot of noise but very little damage.

“If people have dogs which are difficult to control they should keep them on the lead, or muzzled. They owe it to other people to be responsible.”

Heather was walking her mother home after a night out to celebrate her birthday.

She said: “I wish now I hadn’t let my dogs off their leads. Sparky is a lovely old boy and not at all feisty. I dread to think what might have happened if I’d had my six-month-old puppy with me.”

A police spokesman said: “Although they can be very distressing for owners, dog attacks on other dogs are not necessarily a criminal issue.

“If a person is injured by a dog that is dangerously out of control in a public place, then an offence is likely to have been committed, however, this does not extend to other animals.

“Decisions have been made in the past by courts and other authorities suggesting that it is the nature of a dog to kill and wound small animals. Therefore, in the event of your pet being wounded or killed by a dog, it is not a certainty that the police would be able to take any action.

“Deliberate attacks or dog fighting are offences and are taken seriously by both the police and RSPCA.

“It may be possible to take civil action under the Dogs Act 1871 but this would depend on the circumstances.”
(NorthantTelegraph - Sept 26, 2013)

Sentencing set in Muncie animal cruelty case

INDIANA -- A Muncie felon with a history of local dog-related problems has been found guilty of cruelty to a 20-pound pit bull.

John W. Ewing, 37, 320 S. Beacon St., was convicted in Muncie City Court on Aug. 27 with cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor. Sentencing in this case has been set for Oct. 29.

According to a Muncie Police Department case report, police in May were dispatched to the Muncie Area Career Center, 2500 N. Elgin St., in reference to a “suspicious subject on the track.” When they arrived, officers observed a man later identified as Ewing walking a dog pulling “a sled” around the track.

That sled, officers later determined, contained a six- to seven-foot-long chain “with a (10-) pound weight, which was attached to a thick harness” that, in total, weighed about 20 pounds.

“The dog itself barely weighed that much, and was clearly exhausted from having to pull the weight around the track,” Muncie police officer Kyle Temple wrote. “The dog was very thin, and appeared to be under(fed).”

Approached by officers, Ewing — who was “very upset, angry and wanted to walk away immediately” — said he “was just out walking his dog,” according to the report. The dog was taken into the custody of Muncie animal control officials.

Ewing’s animal cruelty conviction wasn’t the first time he’s faced dog-related problems in Muncie.

In June 2012, the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-0 to deny a zoning variance to Ewing, who was operating an illegal pit bull kennel in the backyard of his South Beacon Street home.

Ewing was not suspected of neglecting the dogs, but the BZA ruled that locating a dog kennel in the historic East Central residential district was cruel to neighbors due to frequent barking.

Ewing’s South Beacon Street home was also heavily damaged by flames Sept. 17. During that fire, city firefighters were able to pull seven puppies and a mother dog from the burning home.

The puppies survived the blaze; their mother, however, died at the scene.

Rob Mead, chief investigator with the Muncie Fire Department, said Friday the cause of that blaze remains under investigation.

Ewing, a convicted felon, has served prison time for convictions that include robbery (1996), possession of cocaine (2000) and possession of a controlled substance (2000).

He was most recently released from prison in October 2011, according to state Department of Correction records.

(The Star Press - Sept 30, 2013)

High school teacher charged with animal cruelty for leaving puppy in car trunk

FLORIDA -- A Gateway Charter High School teacher is charged with animal cruelty after reportedly leaving a four-month-old puppy in his trunk.

On Friday around 11 a.m., two students from Gateway Charter High School noticed a man take a puppy out of the trunk of a Mercedes, walk it around - and then put it back in the trunk.

The students immediately notified the School Resource Officer, who found out the car belonged to Mathew Emans, a teacher at the school.

Emans was instructed to open the trunk. The puppy was still alive.

Lee County Domestic Animal Services was called to the scene.

Emans surrendered the puppy to animal services. Officers transported it to the agency's veterinary clinic for care.

They say the puppy was panting heavily and in need of water.

Ria Brown with Animal Services says the trunk was registering 157 degrees. She says when they asked Emans why he did it, he said he was only working half a day.

“Why he would even think a half day in the trunk would be OK?” asked Brown.

School officials confirmed he was scheduled to be there the entire school day.

It is unclear why he had the dog with him at the school in the first place.

They would not say whether Emans still worked at the school or not, citing employment privacy concerns.

Emans was charged with misdemeanor Animal Cruelty, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

The puppy, a Staffordshire Terrier named "Oakley," is available for adoption. The shelter is taking applications.

Interested adopters may complete an application online at www.LeeLostPets.com, or go to the shelter at 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers, to submit an application.

Animal services adds that anyone with information regarding animal abuse should call them at (239) 533-7387.
(NBC-2 - Sept 30, 2013)

Canastota police officer shoots Rottweiler during attack

NEW YORK -- Canastota Police say they were called to investigate two Rottweilers that were running loose and attempted to attack a cat on South Peterboro Street in the Village of Canastota on Saturday afternoon.

Police located the two Rottweilers running on The Terrace in the Village of Canastota. Police say an officer restrained one of the dogs and began to search for the owner of the dog when the second dog emerged from a driveway showing its teeth and growling at the officer. The dog then ran at the officer.

The officer defended himself from the attack by discharging his service weapon into the dog until the animal retreated.

The dog was located alive in the rear of 107 The Terrace and transported by The Town of Sullivan Animal Control Officer to the Village Veterinarian Hospital.

A single round struck a door casing of a neighbor’s residence when the officer fired the weapon.

This incident is being investigated and the Canastota Police. They are asking that anyone with information contact them at 697-2240.

(CNYcentral.com - Sept 30, 2013)

Horse attacked by two dogs in Warren

MAINE -- Molly, a 16-year-old horse, was attacked last Friday by two dogs when her owner was riding home from purchasing produce at a local farm market. The horse suffered wounds to her neck, chest and belly.

Janice Goodwin had ridden Molly to Beth’s Farm Market to get an apple. While riding home on Western Road, two dogs came out of a driveway and began nipping at the horse’s tail. Goodwin said she noticed that two children came to the end of the driveway to call their dogs, but the pets did not obey.

She turned Molly around, hoping the dogs would return home. Instead, the dogs became aggressive and attacked her paint horse.

When the animals began attacking, she dismounted to prevent the horse from bolting. The dogs did not attack Goodwin.

Deputy Lance Mitchell of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office stated in his report that about 10 citizens stopped and helped get the dogs away from the horse. Goodwin said she did not know what breed the dogs were, and Warren Animal Control Officer Larry Reed was not immediately available for comment Monday.

Molly was treated that evening by a veterinarian and was then taken to Annabessacook Veterinary Clinic in Monmouth. Goodwin said she expected to pick up Molly on Monday, but the expected pick up day changed to Wednesday when some wounds had to be drained again.

Goodwin said the dogs had their rabies shots, and their owner has agreed to pay the costs for treating Molly.

The sheriff’s department was not immediately available to state whether the owner of the dogs would be charged.

(Bangor Daily News - Sept 30, 2013)

NBC Sports Network cancels controversial NRA-sponsored show in which host Tony Makris kills an elephant after Makris compares his critics to Hitler

UNITED STATES -- NBC Sports Network has decided to cancel a hunting show after the host, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, likened his critics to Adolf Hitler.

The network sparked outrage after airing an episode of Tony Makris's show, 'Under Wild Skies,' in which Makris kills an African elephant by shooting it in the face [several times] and then celebrates the hunt by drinking champagne. 

The elephant, filmed before being shot in the face several times and killed

In response to his critics, Makris went on an NRA-sponsored radio show and accused them of 'animal racism' for jumping to the defense of elephants as opposed to other animals.

'And [critics] said but they're so big and special and they're smarter. And I went, you know, Hitler would have said the same thing,' he said.

NBC Sports has canceled 'Under Wild Skies' as a result of his remarks.

'"Under Wild Skies" will no longer air on NBC Sports Sports Network due to the program’s close association with its host, whose recent comments comparing his critics to Hitler are outrageous and unacceptable,' the network told Deadspin in a statement. 'NBCSN will continue to air all of our other quality outdoor programming.'

The episode where Makris kills an elephant is filmed in Botswana, where elephant hunting remains legal until 2014, when a new law against hunting the endangered animals kicks into effect.

In a highlighted reel from the show, Makris and the guide are shown hiding behind brush about 20 feet away from the animal. They talk about shooting it in the face before Makris fires a couple shots.

'I'm bent over literally shootin' through a hole in the trees,' he says to the guide, just before firing the two shots.

He hits the animal, but does not kill it. The elephant cries out in pain and runs off, but doesn't get far enough away to escape its fate.

Makris fires another shot and the animal lets out a long, loud groan. Then Makris begins chuckling.

'Somebody got a little cheeky there,' he says breathlessly, apparently referring to the elephant's struggle to stay alive.

'Can we shoot some birds this afternoon, or...?' he adds.

In the next shot, Makris and the hunting guide are standing next to the lifeless elephant. 

'You snuck us right in this guy's bedroom,' Makris says, marveling at his work. 'I mean look at this, this is where he hangs out!'

Makris describes shooting the elephant in the face repeatedly

'He didn't know we were here, but what a hunt!' Afterwards, the men celebrate by drinking champagne.

Deadspin, which first reported on the show, points out that a ban on hunting elephants is set to go into effect in Botswana in 2014.

Some NBC Sports viewers are now calling on the network to cancel the show.

Twitter user Mike Potter called NBC's airing of the show 'outrageous, obscene, unforgivable and just plain wrong.'

Another user added: 'Shame on you for "Under Wild Skies." Elephants are endangered and this is NOT a sport. I will no longer watch NBC Sports.'

User Alex Kenney tweeted, 'You aired an elephant being shot in the face?...for sport? If I find out this 'Under Wild Skies' show isn't cancelled GOODBYE [NBC Sports Network].'

Does this take bravery? To be driven to where the elephant is grazing, shoot
it in the face over and over and then congratulate himself on what a brave
hunter he believes himself to be?

On Facebook, David Dunaway posted to the 'Under Wild Skies' page, 'Dear NBC Sports: This is a huge mistake. I am pretty disgusted that you would show elephant hunting. Your brand is terribly damaded by this.'

Andrew Schaefer added: 'How anyone could glorify that type of killing is beyond me, let alone televise it when children are watching? We couldn't change the channel fast enough.'
(Daily Mail - Sept 30, 2013)

Dog ordered to be put down after attacking traffic wardens

UNITED KINGDOM -- A dog will have to be put down after viciously attacking two traffic wardens who were giving its owner a ticket.

A judge made the order after hearing the Jack Russell terrier ran out of its Coventry home and sank its teeth into the legs of the two women on patrol.

The pet had already attacked a 14-year-old girl.

Judge Philip Gregory ordered the ‘‘remarkably vicious’’ small dog be put down after hearing both victims suffered serious injuries.

Both have been left traumatised by the incident and one still suffers nightmares.

The dog’s owner Karen Morgan had pleaded guilty during an earlier hearing at the crown court in Leamington to two charges of allowing her dog to be out of control and to cause injury.

At Coventry Crown Court, following an adjournment for a report to be prepared on her, Morgan, aged 51, of Cedars Avenue, Coundon, Coventry, was fined £500.

Prosecutor Ben Gow said that on April 27 two ‘‘civil enforcement officers’’ saw Morgan’s car parked on double yellow lines.

As they were issuing a ticket, Morgan came out of her home to speak to them – followed by her dog.

The Jack Russell went for both women and attacked them in the street.

David Murray, defending, said Morgan, who had no previous convictions, ‘‘fully understands the effect such an unexpected act would have on the victim’’.

Reading a pre-sentence report on Morgan, Judge Gregory observed that she is a nurse who is currently working in a rehab centre for the elderly.

He said: “She was seeking to move home because her property had been burgled and she felt vulnerable living there.

“The incident happened because she parked on double yellow lines to have her car close to her home to load it.

“When she saw she was getting booked, she ran out to try to persuade the people who were doing their job not to – and she left the door open and the dog ran out and attacked the two civil enforcement officers.”

Mr Murray said Morgan had had the dog, a Jack Russell cross which she had had for four years, muzzled and chipped, and it is not allowed out in public places without a lead.

Judge Gregory commented that that was as a result of an earlier incident when it had bitten a 14-year-old girl who was bending down to pat it.

Mr Murray argued that a ‘contingent destruction order’ – one where the dog would be destroyed unless certain requirements were complied with - would be ‘more appropriate’.

But Judge Gregory responded: “It’s a dog which attacks people, and does it viciously. It is surprising such a small dog can cause such damage, but it is not just physical damage but psychological damage as well.”

Fining Morgan, the judge told her: “Normally I have to deal with criminals in the crown court. You are not a criminal; you are a respectable, hard-working, decent lady who is doing your best to bring up your daughter.

“Why you are here is not because of any criminal act, but because of a negligent act because you did not think to close the door behind you when you ran out because you didn’t wish to receive a ticket – and it had ghastly consequences.

“But it also had ghastly consequences for the two ladies who were only doing their job and would not have given you a ticket if they had known what was going on.

“This is a dog with a history; a remarkably vicious dog, given what it did to these two ladies, and I am afraid it has got to go. I cannot avoid making a destruction order.

“I suspect one of the worst consequences of this for you is that the dog has to be destroyed. But I am not going to ban you from keeping a dog, so you will be able to replace it.”

(Coventry Telegraph - Sept 30, 2013)

Yet another owner flees with her dog after attack

CANADA -- When a large aggressive dog attacked little Bella the Snorkie at the Central Experimental Farm Friday, the bleeding and injured animal knew exactly where to go.

Would you believe the emergency department of The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus?

Believe it.

Bella, a 17-month-old Miniature Schnauzer-Yorkshire Terrier mix known as a Snorkie, was walking with owner Bruce Simpson in the Experimental Farms’s corn and bean fields off Winding Lane about 5:30 p.m. Friday when they encountered a woman and her dog, a German shepherd mix.

Neither animal was on a leash, despite a long-standing policy that dogs on the farm’s property must be restrained.

The snarling dog ran directly at Simpson and poor Bella, an adorable little furball who weighs a scant 14 pounds. Before either Simpson or the other dog’s owner could react, it had grabbed Bella in its jaws and given her several vigorous shakes.

The attack lasted just a few seconds. Simpson jumped at the large dog to separate it from Bella, and the woman managed to get her dog on a leash.

“I was just screaming at her, very upset,” a still-shaken Simpson recalled Saturday. The angry exchange continued for several minutes as Simpson called 911.

“She was saying, ‘I didn’t know anyone was here. I came because I didn’t expect anybody else to be around,’” Simpson said.

After refusing to give him her name, she turned and walked away. “She said I was scaring her because I was too upset,” said Simpson, who snapped a picture of the woman’s retreating back.

When Simpson turned around to attend to Bella, she was nowhere to be seen. Still on the phone with 911, Simpson began a frantic search.

It wasn’t until he returned to his car, where the 911 operator had told him to wait for police, that he noticed the voice-mail message on his cellphone.

It was from Josh Picknel, a medic with the Ottawa Paramedic Service. Despite several deep bites and a three-to-four-inch flap of skin torn from her back, Bella had managed to make her way through the corn field, cross six lanes of rush-hour traffic on Carling Avenue, and present herself at the Civic’s emergency department.

Simpson and his wife had inscribed their cellphone numbers on a tag on Bella’s collar, and Picknel phoned them both to say the paramedic service had their dog.

“The dog came running up and kind of looked like it was in distress,” said Keith Buchanan, the superintendent of operations for the paramedic service. “Tail between the legs and sort of this ‘I’m scared’ look on her face. She was terrified.”

At first, Buchanan, who administered first aid to Bella, thought she had been hit by a car, “just the way some of her skin tears were. They were quite large.”

He wrapped Bella in a towel to keep her calm and wrapped a bit of gauze around her muzzle so she wouldn’t nip at her benefactors. “Normally when dogs get a little bit of pain, they can’t talk, so they snap,” he explained.

He downplayed his role in Bella’s rescue. “No big heroics or anything like that,” he muttered. “She was just an animal in distress, and I looked after her, that’s all.”

Buchanan joked Saturday that Bella’s appearance at the emergency department was a sign of “animal intelligence. If you’re hurt, the first one you want to call is a paramedic. Dogs just instinctively know that.”

Simpson was impressed, too. “What a smart dog!” he exclaimed. “That’s pretty much the best place she could have gone. Which is weird.”

After paramedics ferried Simpson and Bella to the Ottawa Veterinary Hospital on Boyd Avenue, Bella underwent three hours of surgery to stitch her together again. She was released late Saturday to her owners, though there’s some concern that the strip of torn skin might not re-attach and heal properly.

Simpson and his wife got Bella from the SPCA in Gatineau on Remembrance Day last year. She has quickly become an integral part of their family.

“We’re pretty crazy about our dog,” he said. “She’s like a child to us. She has a great personality. She’s a real dog dog. She always looks like she’s smiling. Everyone’s just entranced by her, because she’s pretty cute.”

The couple normally takes Bella to the dog park on Lemieux Island, where she enjoys frolicking off leash with other animals.

But Bella has kennel cough, a respiratory infection that can spread to other dogs, and hadn’t been able to go to the dog park for a week. So Simpson took her to the Experimental Farm “to give her a little extra treat.”

He’s still upset that the woman allowed her large dog to run free. “If she knew there was a potential for that to happen, the dog should never have been off leash and should have been muzzled,” he said.

Simpson has been in touch with city bylaw officers and has filled out a report on the incident. He’d like the woman to cover his veterinary bills, but most of all, he wants to make something is done so her dog doesn’t attack another defenceless animal. “I just don’t want it to happen to somebody else.”

(Ottawa Citizen - Sept 29, 2013)

Severely mauled, Animal Control officer shoots dog to stop attack

GEORGIA -- A Murray County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering after being attacked by a dog while on duty Saturday afternoon, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

 Kevin Tankersly, who is [also] an animal control officer, responded to a call at Spring Lakes Golf Club,  1591 Golf Course Road, about an aggressive dog who was chasing golfers. When he tried to remove the dog, it became “aggressive and severely mauled him,” the release states.

Tankersley was bitten several times on his arms, chest, neck and face, resulting in “multiple and serious deep lacerations,” the release states.

He received numerous stitches after being taken to Murray Medical Center in Chatsworth.

Tankersley shot the dog to stop the attack. Medical tests will be performed in the coming weeks on both the deputy and the dog, the release states.

 More information is expected to be released this week.

(The Daily Camera - Sept 29, 2013)