Spain: Man accused of dragging dog behind his vehicle released by police

SPAIN -- The man arrested by the Guardia Civil for alleged animal abuse for dragging a puppy behind his vehicle for 10km (more than six miles) has been found innocent and acquitted.

When officers stopped the Suzuki all-terrain vehicle on the A-8201 near Jimena de la Frontera in the province of Cadiz in Andalucia earlier this month they found a German Shepherd puppy tied by its hind legs to the tow hitch.

As the Euro Weekly News reported at the time the driver of the vehicle told officers that he was not aware that the dog was tied to the tow ball. He claimed that someone had done it ‘as a joke’ after celebrating a Halloween night party.

And when he drove off in the morning he wasn’t aware of it until he was stopped by the Guardia Civil officers more than 10 kilometres down the road.

The claims of Francisco Quirós Ocala, better known in the municipality as 'Pacurro', appear to have been true.

It is believed that the already dead puppy was tied to his vehicle by ‘persons unknown’.

Police investigations continue to find the culprit.

(Euro Weekly News - November 9, 2017)

Earlier:

• Spain: Puppy dies after being dragged more than six miles along road tied to tow hitch

United Kingdom: No jail time for Wayne Waithe, 59, who admitted he stuffed his sick Pit Bull named Missy into a bag and drowned her

UNITED KINGDOM -- A CRUEL pet owner stuffed his Staffordshire Pit Bull terrier in a backpack and drowned her in a river to avoid paying a vet to put her down.

Wayne Waithe, 59, swaddled his dog Missy in a dark green jacket before trapping her in the navy bag and dumping her in the water - but has avoided jail for the sick crime.

Missy's head was left exposed but she drowned after struggling to swim to safety.

WAYNE WAITHE THREW MISSY INTO THE WATER HERE 

IN NORFOLK AND WATCHED HER DROWN

Paul Croker told Norwich magistrates that Missy was "alive and breathing when put in the river".

He added: "As it (the rucksack) was bound up, it was unable to swim to safety."

The court heard how Missy, who was around five to seven years old, was found to have number of tumours, including a large one on her belly.

After her body was found near at a bridge in Norfolk, police interviewed Waithe, who admitted he had a dog, but claimed it had died.

Mr Croker said Waithe then refused to be interviewed and became aggressive, asking officers to leave his property.

Waithe, of Norwich, Norfolk, admitted causing unnecessary suffering by drowning the dog on May 9 this year.

However, he claimed he thought Missy was dead when he put her into the water, but this was rejected by magistrates.

Chairman of the bench Jim Agnew told Waithe: "We think you deliberately drowned the dog because you did not want to pay for it to be put down."

NO JAIL TIME FOR THIS HORRIFIC CRIME
He imposed a six-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and also imposed a 10-year ban on him keeping animals.

Waithe, of Norwich, Norfolk, was also ordered to pay £200 towards costs and pay a £93 vets bill, as well as a £115 victim surcharge.

Mr Croker said the RSPCA considered the case as serious and asked that Waithe be banned from keeping pets in future.

"The RSPCA's view is that this individual should not be trusted with animals," he said.

(The Sun UK - Nov 9, 2017)

Spain: Puppy dies after being dragged more than six miles along road tied to tow hitch

SPAIN -- A man has been arrested by Guardia Civil officers from Jimena de la Frontera, Cadiz for animal abuse  after allegedly dragging a dog behind his vehicle on a road.

When officers stopped  the Suzuki all-terrain vehicle on the  A-8201 in Andalucia they found a German Shepherd puppy tied by its hind legs to the tow ball.

The young dog died from the injuries it sustained after being dragged for several kilometres.

The driver of the vehicle claimed to officers that he was not aware that the dog was tied to the tow hitch.

He claims that  someone had done it ‘as a joke’ after celebrating a Halloween night party.

And when he drove off in the morning he wasn’t aware of it until he was stopped by the Guardia Civil officers more than 10 kilometres down the road.

(Euro Weekly News - November 8, 2017)

(September 2017) Florida: Norberto Delarosa accused of tossing dog out of his truck after Hurricane Irma

FLORIDA -- An Immokalee man is accused of tossing a dog out of his truck near a trash bin on Lake Trafford Road in the wake of Hurricane Irma, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

Norberto Delarosa, 49, was arrested Friday and charged with cruelty to animals. No bail was set.

Witnesses said they saw Delarosa use an electrical cord with Christmas lights on it to pull the dog out of his truck and launch it toward the trash bin Sept. 11, a day after the hurricane made landfall in Southwest Florida, a sheriff's report states.

The dog bounced several times on the pavement before getting wedged between the trash bin and a ramp at the Handy Food Store on Lake Trafford Road, the report says.

A deputy found the dog with its eyes closed and gasping for air, with abrasions on his paws, back and a possible infection in his eye. The Christmas lights were wrapped around the dog's chest near his neck, according to reports.

The dog was taken to a Naples veterinarian. An officer with Collier County Domestic Animal Services told the deputy he was unsure whether the dog would live, the report states.

Three weeks later, Delarosa was found at his home after eyewitness reports identified him as the suspect, the report states.

Delarosa claimed he had saved the dog from floodwaters after Hurricane Irma and appeared hungry. He added that he drove the dog to the trash bin because he claimed that "there seemed to be plenty of food on the ground" for the dog, the report states.

ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Norberto Delarosa
Date:09/29/2017
Arresting Agency: Collier County Sheriff's Office
Arrest Age:49
Gender: Male
Race: Hispanic
Birthdate: 03/08/1968
City: Immokalee, Florida 34142
Height: 5'08"
Weight: 180 lbs
Hair Color: BLK
Eye Color: BRO
Charges
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN OR SUFFERING

(Naples News - Sept 30, 2017)

Alabama: Brown Pelican Tortured, Killed In Baldwin County

ALABAMA -- Pelicans are more common than boats on the bay around Pelican Point. The goofy looking bird is a favorite among many.

“They out here just trying to eat, just like we are trying to catch some fish to eat,” says angler Donald Burrell, Jr.

So, when a pelican was found dead in a place named after the bird, black electrical tape wrapped around its beak, more tape and rope wrapped around its feet and a wing, there was outrage and shock.

“Anybody that hurts old people, animals, children, wildlife, should be hung up by whatever,” says Kathleen Nazary visiting from Mississippi.

The death is being called torture by some. Fish and Wildlife agents are on the case looking for any information.

 

“Asking us have we seen anybody messing with the birds,” says Burrell who spoke to one of the officers.

“He reported that he found one with the beak and legs taped and a couple with broken wings and buckshot in a couple of 'em.”

Nature can be cruel often resulting in death. But this is different. There is nothing natural about this.

 

 

 

“I cannot imagine anybody’s mentality,” says Nazary. “They have to be sick.”

Alabama Fish and Wildlife agents are actively investigating this case. Anyone with any information is asked to call their local law enforcement agency or Fish and Game at 251-441-5787.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WKRG - Oct 19, 2017)

Texas: Dog found abandoned with duct tape around paws, mouth

TEXAS -- A woman who was delivering mail Thursday morning in Gray County, Texas, came across a disturbing sight.

A post on Facebook has people infuriated after a dog was found with duct tape around its mouth and front paws.

According to the person who posted the photo of the dog, the animal was found Thursday morning off County Road 14 near Pampa. The woman who found the dog was able to free him.

The Gray County Sheriff's Office was also called regarding the disturbing incident, but by the time Deputies arrived, the dog was already gone.

GCSO did confirm they responded to the call but since the dog was gone by the time Deputies arrived, there is no information on a possible suspect. However, the GCSO is investigating this incident and asks anyone with any information to contact the GCSO (806)669-8022.

According to a comment on the post, the dog is being taken care of by a citizen.

(KATV - Sept 15, 2017)

Tennessee: Deputies find abused Pit Bull while serving warrant in Wayne County; Melissa Bryant charged with felony animal cruelty

TENNESSEE -- Melissa Jean Bryant, age 38, of Cypress Inn, Tennessee was arrested on Tuesday, September 12th after Wayne County deputies serving her with a warrant for aggravated domestic assault discovered an injured dog tied up on her property at 6355 Fantail Branch Road.

The initial warrant against Bryant was filed by Investigator Dusty Malugen after he took a signed statement from Bryant’s underage child.

The child alleged that Bryant grabbed her by the throat and struck her with a switch several times all over her body.

 

The report stated that pictures were taken of the victim that showed red marks around her neck and bleeding welts on her body. Investigator Malugen filed a charge against Bryant of criminal attempt/aggravated domestic assault.

When Investigator Malugen went to Bryant’s residence on Fantail Branch Road to serve the arrest warrant, he reportedly noticed a pit bull dog lying on his side with his legs tied together and a sheet tied tightly around its stomach.

When deputies cut the dog free, they found an open cut on his side and he had a hard time standing up.

They called Country Road Animal Rescue. The rescue group took the dog to a veterinarian.

Melissa Bryant was arrested on charges of aggravated animal cruelty. She’s being held at the Wayne County Jail on a $60,000 bond.

(WKRN - September 12, 2017)

Florida: Deputies rescue 3 endangered Key Deer bound with twine, in trunk of car. Buck ends up dying from injuries

FLORIDA -- Deputies in the Florida Keys made an unusual discovery during a traffic stop Sunday morning.

They found two endangered Key deer bound with twine in the back seat of the car and another deer in the trunk.

The deer were untied, evaluated and released into the wild to prevent further stress.

According to the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex, two ran directly into the woods. A buck is still in the area and being monitored.

The men in the car were arrested and taken to jail. They face multiple charges including felonies and misdemeanors for injuring an endangered species and animal cruelty.

For some reason, Fish & Game and wildlife divisions don't typically release the name of the people charged. If the media picks up the story, they're usually named because the reporters does a FOIA for the mugshot, but I skip a lot of stories involving wildlife crimes including poaching, etc. because the division does a press release but won't say the person or release their mugshot.

UPDATE 😟

We are sad to report that the injured buck was euthanized this morning.

Although he received daily veterinary care since the incident that included pain medication, fluids, and treatment for a broken rear ankle, he never recovered from the initial stress and "capture myopathy" of being taken by the two suspects arrested on Sunday.

As a result, he never regained the ability to stand up, and his organs were failing. In light of this, with veterinary guidance, we made the decision to end his suffering. The wildlife veterinarian that was assisting us euthanized him peacefully this morning.

His body is being preserved and handed over to the appropriate authorities as part of the ongoing criminal investigation. USFWS continues to coordinate with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on this investigation.

(WFLA - July 3, 2017)

Louisiana: Isaac Grant, 68, arrested and charged with Felony Animal Cruelty. Dead horse found among starving horses with chains wrapped around necks

LOUISIANA -- A 68-year-old Leesville man has been arrested following the discovery of neglected and abused horses on his property.

Isaac Grant (aka Issac Grant) is charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

According to Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft, photographs were circulating on social media platforms of these horses with chains around their necks.

 

 

 

The chains appeared to be cutting into their necks, while the horses also looked to be malnourished.

Sheriff Craft said the photos were legitimate.

Five horses were found on the property. Unfortunately, by the time authorities arrived, one of the horses had died. Four surviving horses were removed from the property by the sheriff's office.

Sadly, one of the horses had to be euthanized after being rescued because the chains had grown into its neck so severely it had reached the horse's spinal cord and there was no way to save its life.

"It was disturbing," said Sheriff Craft. "This type of care was not justified and he has no defense as far as I'm concerned."

 

 

 

As for the other neglected horse, his future is looking brighter thanks to the Swany Creek Ranch.

"When they brought him to us yesterday, he was very nervous, scared," said Ranch Manager, David Corbin. "We got him in the welcome pen and gave him some loving, and gave him his meds. We're giving him some space to let him get used to everything."

 

 

He's in good hands. The ranch has five rescue horses they have nursed back to health.

"I don't see any problem with the recovery," said Corbin. "It's going to be a long process, but with a little TLC, hes going to be a great horse again."

Swany Creek Ranch has set up a GoFundMe page for assistance. They say any additional funds will be given to organizations that investigate animal cruelty.

Bond has not been set for Grant, who remains in the Vernon Parish Jail.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(Today's Country 105.7 - July 18, 2017)

Tennessee: Greene County family's horse tied up and shot to death in their own front yard

TENNESSEE -- A Greene County family is looking for answers after their horse was shot and killed in their front yard.

Owner Kayla Haga said they recently got the 9-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse named Shadow in May.

“This is where we found her at. It’s just unreal to think that someone could be so cruel,” said Haga standing in the front yard.

The horse was found on the ground with her legs bound together.

It was a scene too graphic to show, and one Haga said was still difficult to think about.

“She looked like she was in pain lying there. You knew she was dead, but you could still tell there was pain as she was lying there,” Haga said.

The family is heartbroken.

“We're all huge animal lovers, we take care of our own and we try everything we can do,” said Haga. “I don’t understand how someone could do this.”

The Greene County Sheriff’s Department says the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is helping with the investigation.

“We do involve them probably more than the public realizes. They have their own investigative division, I think it is isolated, and hopefully, we can get this case settled pretty quickly,” said Chief Detective Jeff Morgan.

“The level of cruelty is to the point that any person who is a lover of animals, I don’t think it would do anything but make you angry.”

If you have any information, call 423-798-1800 or 423-972-7000.

Did they tie the horse's legs together, shoot it and try to drag it away -- like those people down in Florida who are stealing people's horses, taking them not even very far from their pastures, killing and butchering them on the spot? Or were they trying to steal him and something happened that angered them so they shot him in the face and fled? That scenario doesn't explain why his legs were tied together though...

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WATE - June 27, 2017)

California: Edward Vantassel Arrested on Animal Cruelty Charges After Bound Dog Discovered in House Fire

CALIFORNIA -- A 37-year-old Lompoc man was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after firefighters responding to a house fire found his dog’s muzzle and rear legs had been bound with rubber bands.

Lompoc police detectives arrested Edward Kyle Joseph Vantassel, whose last name also has been spelled as Van Tassel, on Wednesday outside a Santa Barbara County Animal Services building for a hearing on custody of the dog.

The charges stem from an afternoon blaze on June 6 when Lompoc firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 1400 block of Crown Circle where the man was found outside the residence.

Vantassel told firefighters his dog was still in the residence on the second floor, leading to a search of the building.

“Firefighters located the dog inside of an overturned, weighted-down box in a room on the second floor of the residence,” police Sgt. Kevin Martin said. “Firefighters also discovered the dog's muzzle and rear legs had been bound with rubber bands. “

Firefighters got the dog to safety and cut off the rubber bands before providing the animal with water and alerting Animal Services.

The dog named Pooh was transported to a local veterinarian for treatment.

Pooh “is doing much better” and is with a foster family, Martin said.

Lompoc police detectives began an animal cruelty investigation, culminating in an arrest warrant for Vantassel.

He was arrested for suspicion of felony cruelty to an animal, with bail set at $100,000.

Vantassel was transported to the Lompoc Police Department where he was interviewed and booked before being transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, police said.

In 2008, Vantassel protested the Iraq War with a four-hour standoff on La Cumbre Road overpass near Calle Real.

Sporting a ski mask and military-style fatigues, the man eventually surrendered his revolver. Earlier in the protest, he demanded an Obama-Biden sign that was delivered by a bomb squad robot.

Months later, a judge sentenced the man to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service and ordered him to pay $500.

Authorities previously said that Vantassel, an Army veteran, served in Iraq and was seen for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

(Noozhawk - June 15, 2017)

Michigan: Teen Jessica Brown, 18, sentenced to a year in the county jail for binding her Shih Tzu's face and feet with electrical tape and then stomping him to death

MICHIGAN -- A Flint teen will spend up to a year behind bars for stomping a dog to death and binding its face and feet with electrical tape as punishment for urinating on clothing.

On Wednesday, May 10, Genesee Circuit Judge Geoffrey L. Neithercut sentenced Jessica Lou Brown, 18, to spend a year in the county jail -- with nearly two month's credit -- for her role in the dog's death.

Typically, inmates only serve 1/3 of their sentence so knock that 12 months down to 8 months and now she's got 2 months 'time served' so she's now at 6 months. Six months - not in prison but county jail for the horrific torture death of this poor little dog.

 

 

 

 

 

"I've been in this business for 31 years and I was grossed out when I read about all of this," said Neithercut. "It's appalling and sickening, and I don't use strong words like that."

Brown's attorney, Kraig Sippell, told the judge that his client was "minimally involved" in the incident.

Sippell claims that Brown -- who was 17 and a high school student at the time of the incident -- was following the lead of her sister's boyfriend, Nathan Chase McCue, who is also charged in the case.

 

 

Sippell said McCue was already charged with domestic violence against Brown's sister, and that the girl followed McCue out into the woods "under the guise that they were there to let the dog run free."

When they got to the park, Sippell claims McCue began stomping on the 7-year-old dog's neck, forcing the girl to partake in the killing and warned her not to tell anyone about the incident.

JUDGE CALLS TORTURING A DOG TO DEATH "YOUTHFUL FOOLISHNESS"

While Neithercut called the dog's death "sickening," he said that he "also recognized youthful foolishness" and granted Brown two years of probation after her jail time under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act.

 

 

 

The act allows a judge to place a defendant between the ages of 17 and 24 in jail or on probation without a conviction. If the defendant successfully completes the terms of the judge's sentence, he or she avoids having a criminal record.

After receiving a tip from Brown's mother, Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell and his office launched an investigation into the death of the dog, an instance the sheriff called "truly one of the most horrific cases I have seen in my law enforcement career."

In a Facebook post,  the sheriff said that McCue and Brown became upset with Dakota, the mixed-breed Shih Tzu, after the animal urinated on McCue's clothing.

McCue, 21, is also charged with one felony count of killing or torturing an animal. He is currently under forensic investigation for mental health issues, said Sippell, and is scheduled to appear before Genesee District Judge Vikki Bayeh-Haley on Friday, May 12.

(MLive - May 10, 2017)

Earlier:

• Michigan: Police say Jessica Brown and Nathan McCue bound a Shih Tzu's feet and wrapped his entire face in electrical tape and then stomped him to death. His crime? He peed on some clothes lying on the floor.
• Michigan: "I had no idea that my daughter was involved in this. I did not raise a child like this," said mother of Jessica Brown, 18, who is accused of taking her Shih Tzu, wrapping his legs and his entire face in electrical tape then stomping him to death and dumping his body on the side of the road