UTAH -- This is my 8 yr old daughter Haelo. While on vacation in Vegas my daughter Haelo was bitten by a family pit bull.
She was immediately rushed to Sunrise Children’s Hospital to get treated. Words can’t explain what I seen or felt at that moment and as a mother I never thought something like this could happen!
Haelo had to have a 4 hour trauma surgery to her face and mouth which lead her to be sedated in PICU for 8 days straight.
To see your child in this condition and not able to do anything but pray and hope everything will be ok.
She still is swollen, bruised and swollen in her mouth. Doctors say she will recover at a percent. But mentally and physically there will be a long road ahead of us! We are still in Vegas at the hospital waiting for a release date for Haelo.
I wasn’t going to do a go fund me page, but with me out of work, medical bills will start coming in and the physical therapy sessions and maybe needing one more surgery, I decided to make a page for Haelo. All monies donated will be directly paid towards Haelo’s medical bills and all surgery’s that has to be done!
Mahalo, for reading and thank you for all your help
GoFundMe
Created January 11, 2018
Daina Dela Cruz
Medical
MIDVALE, UT
UTAH -- A woman from Roy, Utah survived a violent pit bull attack after her friend came to the rescue.
Jillian Quick and her brother have ridden cross-country with their dad, Bob Quick, to raise money for charity.
Quick was training for another ride when she was attacked by her friend's Pit Bull Tuesday.
She said he jumped up on the wall and initially grabbed her upper arm and she thought the dog was playing. However, it didn't let go. It had clamped onto her arm and, like a vice clamp, increased its bite pressure crushing her arm. Note: This is where the phrase "locking jaw" comes in. Apologists say that a Pit Bull doesn't have an unusual type of jaw that allows it to "lock". OK, that is true. However, they do not attack like other dogs either. Other dogs will bite, release, bite again whereas Pit Bulls clamp and crush.
She began screaming for help and her friends beat and punched the dog to get it to release. A friend grabbed a knife and began stabbing the Pit Bull to get it to release.
The Pit Bull finally released Quick, but then re-directed onto the friend and began attacking her. Thankfully, her friend still had the knife and stabbed the Pit Bull to death to protect herself.
"If I don't run he's going to kill me!" Quick said, reflecting on the scary attack.
Quick's friend took her to her dad's house. Bob Quick, an Army veteran, said it was the scariest thing he'd ever had to deal with - his daughter in such horrible agony.
The doctors expect Quick will need plastic surgery and likely a year of recovery from the attack. Note: The article is very short so I added some details after watching the video clip. More info is in the video below.
UTAH -- A five year old Ogden girl is recovering after suffering a dog bite to the face on Friday.
“That was where it was scary for me, when they sedated her and watching my little girl on that table,” said Miranda Stewart, Peyton Garza’s mother.
Peyton was sedated while doctors at McKay Dee hospital put in eighteen stitches on her forehead, nose and eyebrow.
“Me as a mother, of course I panicked cause there was just blood everywhere,” said Stewart.
She would like to see the dog, a pit bull named Buddy Bear, be put down.
“I was staring at him and he bite me,” said Peyton.
Ogden Police are investigating but no charges have been filed and no citations have been handed out. Per state law, Buddy Bear is being quarantined at home for ten days while the investigation continues.
Fox 13 News spoke to the owner of Buddy Bear. She said Peyton regularly came over to the apartment and was welcomed inside. She doesn’t know exactly what happened because she did not see the bite. Nor did anyone else. Police report the same fact, no one saw the actual bite or the moments just before.
There was another pit bul named Penny in the apartment as well. Peyton’s mom says her daughter is certain it was Buddy Bear who inflicted the injury. The dog’s owner, is not so sure.
There is a gofundme account setup to help pay for Peyton’s medical costs.
On October 20th, 5 year old Peyton Garza was was bitten by her neighbors Pit bull. She received several stitches on her face and has been through so much during this whole ordeal.
Any donations will go towards Peyton's medical bills and pain and suffering expenses. Thank you! Anything helps!
UTAH -- A 51-year-old New Holland man has been charged with cruelty to animals after allegedly injuring a cat on August 21, according to New Holland Police.
Jeffrey McKinney is accused of striking the cat, causing it to hit a refrigerator. The cat was brought to a local veterinary clinic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured spine. The cat had to be euthanized, police say.
McKinney was arrested on August 26, according to police.
ARREST INFO:
Full name: MARK WILLIAM STOTLAR
City/State: TOQUERVILLE / UT
PCF Number: 241568 Arrest Date: August 31, 2017
Arrest Time: 11:40:08
Agency: Washington County Sheriff
Charge:
ANIMAL CRUELTY-COMPANION ANIMAL
UTAH -- It's one of the hardest decisions you can make: knowing when it's time to put your pet to sleep.
For the Coates family, it was very sad when their dog, Zoey, got sick. The family decided to take her to the vet to be euthanized.
Six months later, the Coates received a big surprise when they found out their dog was still alive.
Last fall, Zoey, a boxer, started having seizures. The dog also had a large mass on her side. The family thought it was cancerous and that it was slowly taking her life.
Tawny Coates, Zoey's owner, said her family had been through a very hard time over the past year. Her husband robbed a bank, the family lost their home after he went to prison, and then the family dog got ill.
"This felt like a final stab." Tawny Coates said. "Like it was just one too many things. I knew it was going to be what pushed my kids to their breaking point."
"I slept with Zoey almost every night," said Coates' 11-year-old son Jaxton. "She was my best friend."
On November 29, 2016, Coates asked her father to do what she could not: take Zoey to Bayview Animal Hospital in Farmington to be euthanized.
Six months later, she thought her family was ready for a new dog just like Zoey.
"I knew we wanted a boxer," Tawny Coates said. "I knew a boxer would help my son heal."
She started looking online and came across a rescue page for boxers. It was there, in the photos, that she saw an image she will never forget.
Note: I don't think Boxer Town had any idea that Mary
Smart was lying to them about this dog.
"I see the Boxer Town rescue page and I'm like, 'That looks like my dog.' Then I thought, 'I'm crazy,' but I click on it anyway and zoom in and say, 'No, that's my dog!'" Coates said.
But it couldn't be, could it?
Zoey had been euthanized and Coates had the paperwork to prove it: a receipt for $215 for euthanasia and cremation, Zoey's medical record, which lists euthanasia, and even a sympathy card from the staff at the clinic.
To figure out how this happened, KSL Investigators sat down with Dr. Mary Smart. She's the vet Zoey was brought in to see.
"From my interaction with Mr. Coates, it seemed pretty obvious to me that they didn't want the dog," Smart said.
Here's where it gets tricky. Smart CLAIMS she told Coates' father, Larry, that Zoey did not need to be euthanized.
"In my professional opinion, this was a dog that had years to live and I didn't want to put the dog down," Smart said. "I was trying to save its life."
Smart CLAIMS she discussed other options that could save Zoey. Surgery, medication, or even "do nothing," but let the dog live.
"Did he seem open to any of your suggestions?" asked KSL TV's Mike Headrick.
"No, no," Smart said. "He kept repeating that he wanted to put the dog down."
I don't believe that for one minute.
Children's grandfather says Mary Smart is a liar
Larry Coates told a different story and called Smart's explanation a "complete falsehood."
He said he did take Zoey in to be euthanized, but claims he was never given any other options that would have saved the dog's life.
Smart contacted a rescue group who was willing to take Zoey. She then took the money for the euthanasia and put it toward a surgery to remove the lump on the dog's back.
A picture of Zoey in Smart's exam room showed up on the rescue group's Facebook page the same day the Coates family thought she was put to sleep.
"Why didn't you call the family?" asked Headrick.
"I screwed up," Smart said. "I should have called the family. Had I any inkling that they might at all be interested in having the dog back, I would have for sure called. But after my conversation with Mr. Coates, it just seemed very obvious to me that they didn't want the dog."
"It breaks my heart because I don't understand why somebody would do this to my family," Tawny Coates said.
The big question for some might be: Did the vet do the right thing? In Smart's words, she was trying to save an animal's life.
For the answer, we went to Dr. Drew Allen, a member of Utah's Veterinary Board.
"A pet is legally classified as someone's property," said Allen. "As veterinarians, we're obligated to follow what we agree to do with that quote, property."
Allen said this is a legal and ethical issue. He said vets are often asked to euthanize an animal even if they don't want to. So, they have a couple choices —decline and send the pet owner to another vet or come up with another solution. But once the pet owner pays for a service, the vet is obligated to do it.
"As much as we are in this profession for the love of the animals, we need to make sure we're not putting just what we think is best for the animal above the owners and the humans involved in the equation as well," Allen said.
In the end, the Coates family did get their dog back. Now, they're making up for lost time — time that they ironically have thanks to Smart's choice.
"If I had followed procedure, if I had followed protocol, if I had done what Mr. Coates asked me, they wouldn't have their dog," Smart said. "Their dog would have been euthanized and this family would be without their dog."
So she thinks they're supposed to thank her? For lying, stealing their dog and their money, sending them fake sympathy cards while shuttling their beloved dog off into the 'rescue system' to be sold and possibly re-sold? And what slanderous and libelous things did she say to this rescue about this poor family? I don't have any reason to believe the rescue was in collusion with MARY SMART. I hope not.
The Veterinary Board might look at disciplinary action in Dr. Smart's case, but no official complaint has been filed against her.
Mary Smart needs to be prosecuted for theft. She also needs to be disciplined by the veterinary board. This is outrageous. She can bawl and whine all she wants about how, "But, but the dog's alive. If it weren't for me lying and stealing their money and stealing their dog, it'd be dead!" I don't believe for one minute that this guy was demanding this dog be put down if told the dog could be saved. He knew what the dog meant to his daughter and grandchildren. I think she made a decision that this was a 'bad family' and didn't deserve this dog. This type of behavior is rampant in the rescue community. People who do the right thing and bring their pets to the shelter to drop off (or to a vet to have the animal euthanized) are maligned and vilified for 'abandoning' their pets. I have posted on this issue previously and my thoughts.
There was also a case of a vet who lied to a family and told them he had euthanized their dog when, in reality, he kept the poor dog locked in a cage in his back office to be used as a living blood donor slave. This woman has likely done this before to who knows how many other families and this is just the first time she was caught. She needs to be prosecuted.
UTAH -- A deputy with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor aggravated cruelty to an animal after his canine partner died when left in a hot patrol vehicle.
Deputy Jason Whittier was the K-9 handler assigned to work with Endy, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois.
The Cache County Sheriff’s Office in northern Utah reported on Tuesday that Whittier left Endy in his patrol truck at the end of a shift on July 3 and the dog cooked to death (aka died of heat exhaustion).
If convicted of misdemeanor aggravated cruelty to an animal, Whittier faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Cache County Attorney’s Office issued a press release on Wednesday that states it is working closely with investigators, who are members of the independent Northern Utah Critical Task Force, to gather any additional facts related to this case.
“This tragedy serves as a stark reminder to never leave children or animals alone inside of a car for any amount of time, as temperatures can quickly rise to a deadly level,” said Tony Baird, chief deputy with the Cache County Attorney’s Office.
Because of the ongoing investigation, authorities said they will not have additional comments at this time.
“This is a case attributed to distraction with tragic consequences. Endy’s death serves as a devastating reminder to us all about the importance of eliminating distractions, maintaining a routine, and being vigilant about never leaving children or pets unattended in hot vehicles,” Cache County Sheriff Chad Jensen said in a press release on Tuesday.
When Jensen was notified of the dog’s death, Deputy Whittier was immediately placed on administrative leave and Jensen requested two separate investigations — one to be completed internally and another to be completed by the Northern Utah Critical Incident Task Force.
“My administration has conducted a comprehensive review of our canine program including equipment, care, welfare, daily maintenance, and training,” Jensen said. “I believe our policies and procedures are sound. This incident was a result of human error and protocol violation.”
Administrative action has been taken within the sheriff’s office and included leave without pay and a job reassignment for Whittier.
Patrol vehicles for K-9 officers are equipped with safety features that are in place during a shift when the vehicle is operating. However, after Endy’s death, Jensen said the sheriff’s office is looking into new technology that will require the officer to manually shut down a security system at the end of a shift. If that system is not shut down, it will activate horns, lights and sirens until the dog is removed.
“The loss of Endy was unexpected and heartbreaking, and our officers mourn his loss,” Jensen said. “Endy was a beloved member of our organization and our community. The effects of his loss are felt throughout the Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement throughout Cache County.”
Prior to working with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, Endy was a K-9 at the Logan City Police Department.
The sheriff’s office said, “The Cache County Sheriff’s Office will be holding a memorial service at the Sheriff’s Complex honoring Endy, his service, and the legacy he leaves among law enforcement and residents across the valley. Interment will follow. The community is invited to attend, and details will be announced through our website www.cachesheriff.com and on our Facebook page.”
