California: Convicted of animal cruelty, puppy mill breeder/hoarder Emma Harter, 73, ordered to pay $371,090 in restitution to Los Angeles County

CALIFORNIA -- A 73-year-old retired school cafeteria manager convicted of felony animal cruelty for keeping more than 200 Chihuahuas at her home was ordered Friday to pay $371,090 in restitution to Los Angeles County.

More than 95 percent of the charge is to cover what county officials said were their costs to keep the dogs at a county animal shelter between their confiscation in November 2002 from Emma Harter's Acton home and their release to a Chihuahua rescue group in August 2003.

"I'm pleased it's finally resolved," Deputy District Attorney Steve Heller said. "I believe the restitution award is something the county had a right to recover, and I hope they do."

Antelope Valley Superior Court Judge Lisa Chung ordered Harter to provide financial information to the county probation department, where a financial evaluator will determine how much she must pay monthly during her five-year probation, Heller said.

 

"Whatever she can't pay when the probation ends, Animal Control could assert a civil judgment right to collect the money," Heller said.

The county could pursue the funds through property liens or going after wages, Heller said. Heller said he understood that Harter and her husband also own a house in Granada Hills.

Harter was convicted in March 2004 of one count of felony animal cruelty, and four misdemeanor counts: battery on an animal control officer, failure to separate sick animals, keeping animals in unsanitary conditions, and animal endangerment.

Harter avoided time behind bars at her sentencing last July but was barred from owning or possessing any animals for five years.

Harter has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County over her 2002 arrest and the search of her home. The probation sentencing report said Harter said that her animals were in "prime condition" and that she lived by the Ten Commandments and would not hurt animals.

Los Angeles County animal control officers said they found dead and dying dogs among packs of half-wild Chihuahuas living inside her house. The dogs had dug burrows in the walls and furniture and formed feral packs that preyed on weaker dogs, they said.

Animal Control Lt. Sheri Koenig testified at the restitution hearing Friday that 235 Chihuahuas were seized, along with 61 birds. There also were 32 dead animals, mostly dogs, she said.

The cost of impounding a dog is $10; a dead animal, $10; and birds, $2. The county's boarding fee is $7.50 per animal per day, Koenig said.

Of the 235 dogs seized, some died or had to be euthanized or were placed with other rescues, leaving the 174 that were released to a Burbank Chihuahua rescue group, Koenig said.

EMMA HARTER WAS HOARDING DOGS AS FAR BACK AS 1982
Harter said she began breeding Chihuahuas in 1982 when she was living in Granada Hills, where she got into similar troubles with Los Angeles city animal control officials.

She then moved to Acton in 1992 and obtained a kennel license. Within three years, she was caught with about 40 Chihuahuas living inside the home in squalor.

Harter was convicted in 1995 for operating an illegal kennel (probably the only thing close to an animal cruelty charge - back then they didn't know how to prosecute for cruel confinement), but that conviction was overturned on appeal.

(LA Daily News - Feb 26, 2005)

Earlier:

• California: Puppy mill breeder/hoarder Emma Harter, 64, avoids jail by hiding most of her 40 Chihuahuas
• California: Animal rescue groups want ownership of vicious, feral Chihuahuas seized from breeder Emma Harter
• California: Puppy mill breeder/hoarder Emma Harter won't sign over dogs until she can wiggle out of the $500k she already owes the shelter
• California: In court, Emma Harter pleads not guilty to felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty
• California: Judge's Ruling Saves 170 Dogs - The Chihuahuas, taken from an Acton breeder last year, are to be released to a rescue group based in Burbank early next week.
• California: Feral dogs seized from an Acton breeder Emma Harter, accused of animal cruelty, are being released to rescue groups this week
• California: Chihuahua Animal Cruelty Case involving puppy mill breeder/hoarder Emma Harter, 72, to go to trial
• California: Emma Harter's animal cruelty trial begins as her attorney says she has raised Chihuahuas for 20 years and runs a commercial operation
• California: Emma Harter, 72, convicted of animal cruelty toward more than 230 dogs and 60 birds she forced to live in squalor
• California: Emma Harter, 73, Gets Probation for Forcing More Than 230 Chihuahuas and 60 Birds to Live (and Die) in Squalor

Illinois: Lydia Chaplin, 14, cause of death has been determined

ILLINOIS -- An autopsy Friday on the body of a 14-year-old Erie girl revealed a frightening tale about how the Erie High School freshman died.

Lydia Elaine Chaplin died of hypothermia after being attacked during the night along a rural county road by a pack of dogs that included three pit bulls and one mixed breed, Whiteside County Sheriff Roger Schipper said Friday night.

Schipper said Lydia suffered several serious injuries due to "multiple dog bites," and that she attempted to "get away from the area where the dogs attacked her."

Her mother and stepfather, Becky and Tony Lopez, filed a missing person's report about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, after discovering she wasn't in her bed.

A Whiteside County sheriff's deputy found the girl's body about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in a ditch on Keeley Road, about a half-mile from the family's home in rural Erie. She was found by the same deputy who went to the home after the parents called, driving along a different road than he had taken to get there.

The dogs involved were impounded Friday morning by the Whiteside County Sheriff's Department with the assistance of Whiteside County Animal Control, Schipper said. Their current location or names of the owner or owners were not released.

A coroner's inquest is pending.

Initially, the sheriff's department believed she had been struck by a vehicle. The Davenport and Bettendorf police departments also became involved, talking to friends of Lydia that she may have planned to meet and examining vehicles.

A few pieces of yellow police tape were all that remained Friday where Lydia's body was found along Keeley Road. The icy gravel road leads the way to a few barns and farm fields near Elston Road, but no homes sit along that stretch.

Schipper said the girl's mother and stepfather are having "a rough, rough time with this."

"It's a terrible, terrible thing," he said. "She hasn't even lived her life yet. She's only 14 years of age. It's not good at all."

(QC Times - Jan 29, 2005)

Oklahoma: Mom Talks About Daughter's Attack by Pit Bull

KANSAS, OKLAHOMA -- Her 2-year-old daughter was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull.

The News on 6 was the first to tell you about the frightening attack Wednesday in the small town of Kansas, Oklahoma.

Thursday, for the first time, the girl's mother talked with News on 6 reporter Steve Berg at St Francis Hospital about what happened.

“It happened so fast."

Stephanie Crittenden says she and her two daughters were at her cousin's... getting ready to go look at houses, because theirs was ruined in a fire a couple of weeks ago.

In fact, a picture of Cianna as a baby is the only one she was able to save. But after that setback, an even worse tragedy was looming. "She ran towards the door, and I said Cianna baby, don't get dirty, we're going bye-bye."

While Stephanie was gathering up her 7-month-old baby, her daughter, two-year-old Cianna wandered next-door where the neighbor's dog, a pit bull mix, was chained to a tree.

Stephanie says Cianna had lost her dog in the fire.

"That's why she thought all dogs were good."

Then Stephanie says she heard Cianna screaming. "That's when I saw my baby getting tossed and turned.”

Stephanie says she ran toward the dog and grabbed the chain.

"And pulled the dog back and it still wouldn't let go of her, and you could smell the blood. And I stuck my hand in its mouth and started pulling back and finally he released her and she fell to the ground."

Cianna had deep bites on her face, head, and neck, which reached her spinal cord.

Doctors thought she might have paralysis.

"She proved them wrong, she's smiling, she's moving her arm."

Stephanie says she doesn't blame the dog's owners, but she also thinks they should have had it inside a fence.

"Right now I've got mixed emotions, and I don't know if that's what I'm supposed to feel. I don't know what I want to feel."

But she knows she's glad to still have her daughter.

"And it happened so fast, but she's strong, she's really strong. She's our Cianna, our ladybug."

Stephanie made a point to thank all the well-wishers who have called and sent cards.

If you'd like to help, the firefighters from the town of Kansas have set up a fund at the local Harvest Bank in Kansas, Oklahoma.

(KOTV - January 26, 2005)

Oregon: Suspected dog fighter and Portland Trail Blazers basketball player Qyntel Woods pleads guilty to animal cruelty; fellow player Zach Randolph gives statement of support but says nothing about the Pit Bull that Woods tortured

OREGON -- Qyntel Woods' troubled tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers ended Friday with the team waiving their suspended forward after he admitted mistreating his dog.

Woods appeared in Clackamas County Circuit Court to plead guilty to first-degree misdemeanor animal abuse. He was sentenced to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service.

Woods had been under investigation for more serious charges related to dog fighting. His female pit bull is in protective custody.

Within an hour of the court hearing, the Blazers waived Woods for "material breaches of the contract'' with the team and breaking team rules.

Woods, who had been suspended indefinitely without pay since Oct. 12, by the team after allegations of animal abuse was to make $1.1 million this season, the final year of his contract.

"I've tried to be a responsible pet owner all my life. Because of that, I am very sorry and saddened that my dog, Hollywood, was injured,'' Woods said in a statement read by his attorney, Stephen Houze. "I also deeply regret the concern this has caused other pet owners and citizens in our community.''

Woods did not comment directly, and the statement made no reference to dog fighting.

"For whatever reason, sometimes things happen and it becomes a sad situation,'' Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said after the team's practice. "This is one of those sad situations.''

Investigators from the Oregon Humane Society and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office searched Woods' Lake Oswego home Oct. 11 and again Oct. 15 following a television news report alleging he had abandoned Hollywood and that she appeared to have bite wounds. 

Court records showed that investigators found bloody paw prints in a room above Woods' garage. 

First-degree animal abuse, a misdemeanor, is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine. However, no one ever gets a year in the county jail for animal cruelty. Even when they violate the terms of their probation, rarely do they ever get sentenced to spend the rest of their sentence in jail (judges threaten it to defendants but rarely carry out the sentence when they VOP).

Woods' community service must be served within nine months and he must work a minimum of 8 hours a day for 10 days.

As part of his probation, Woods is not allowed to have pets.

Woods' agent, Raymond Brothers, said his client would also make a $10,000 donation to the Oregon Humane Society.

ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH A FELONY, PROSECUTORS DROPPED IT DOWN TO A MISDEMEANOR

Woods had faced a more serious charge of dog fighting, a felony in Oregon. Promoting or conducting dog fighting is punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to five years in jail, under state statutes.

Woods had appealed the suspension to the players' union.

The Blazers selected Woods in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft out of Northeast Mississippi Community College. He played in 115 games with the Blazers, averaging 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds.

He has had other brushes with the law, most notably in 2003, when he was stopped in Portland for speeding. He was cited for marijuana possession and driving without insurance and a suspended license. He paid a $1,000 fine for possession.

The Blazers' swift action in waiving Woods is no surprise. The team has been trying to rebuild an image tainted for the past several years by player arrests and misconduct.

Before the start of last season, the team issued a 25-point pledge to fans that promised to "establish a player code of conduct and hold our players accountable for their actions both on an off the court.''

"It is an unfortunate day. You have a young man that has a lot of potential and because of a dozen incidents over the past 18 months, he's ruining his career,'' Patterson said.

ZACH RANDOLPH = APOLOGIST FOR ANIMAL ABUSERS

Forward Zach Randolph, who said he had spoken to Woods the day before, said he was glad the protracted process was finally resolved and Woods could get on with his life.

"This is my good friend. I love him to death, and I wish him the best of luck,'' Randolph said. "The storm will pass over. He's a great basketball player and a great guy and I look forward to seeing him get back on the court.''

Notice Zach Randolph had nothing to say about the animal that was abused by his "good friend". Typical behavior by sports players to dismiss the seriousness of animal and domestic violence abuse. 

Update: Of course, there's a saying "birds of a feather flock together"... little Zach is a proven thug:

Former Trail Blazer Zach Randolph's encounters with police started in high school in Marion, Indiana

• 1997: Convicted in Marion, Ind., of battery and sentenced to house arrest.
• 1999: Spends time in an Indiana juvenile detention center for selling a stolen gun.
• 2002: Arrested in Marion on charges of underage drinking.
• 2003: Blazers suspend Randolph for two games and fine him $100,000 for punching teammate Ruben Patterson, fracturing his eye socket.
• 2003: Charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants after police smell marijuana in his car.
• 2006: Police cite a member of Randolph's Hoops Family for street racing in downtown Portland at 3:15 a.m. Randolph, a passenger, carried two legally permitted semiautomatic handguns.
• 2006: Charged with sexual assault, but the case later was dropped.
• 2006: Sued by a man claiming that Randolph and former teammate Qyntel Woods assaulted and harassed him after he implicated Woods in a dog fighting (animal cruelty) scandal.
• 2009: Arrested in Los Angeles on a drunk-driving charge, later reduced to reckless driving.

(NewsOn6 - Jan 21, 2005)

Indiana: Wal-Mart employees, Christopher Anderson, 29, and Jeffrey Hardin, 21, charged with repeatedly shooting a cat with a pellet gun until it died

INDIANA -- Two Wal-Mart employees have been charged with felony animal cruelty after authorities said they followed a manager's orders to shoot and kill a stray cat.

The men, both assistant managers at the store, told police the manager had ordered them to get rid of the animal, which was living in a storage trailer behind their store.

Christopher Anderson, 29, and Jeffrey Hardin, 21, repeatedly shot the cat with a pellet gun from the store until it died, a sheriff's report said.

Wal-Mart conducted an investigation and said it had fired three employees over the incident.

The company did not name the employees.

"We were sickened by this cruelty," Kevin D. Miller, regional vice president for the Arkansas-based retailer, said Thursday.

The company said it planned to donate $10,000 to be shared by the Vanderburgh County and Warrick County humane societies in Indiana.

(Los Angeles Times - Dec 31, 2004)

Illinois: Dawn Sadoff gets probation for stealing Lipizzaner horse

ILLINOIS -- A Chicago woman was sentenced to 2 years' probation Wednesday after she pleaded guilty to stealing a horse from an Old Town stable last year.

Dawn Sadoff, 44, of the 7500 block of North Rockwell Street was originally charged with burglary and theft for stealing a Lipizzaner horse from the Noble Horse equestrian center, 1410 N. Orleans St., in August 2003.

Sadoff pleaded guilty to one count of theft in exchange for probation. She was also ordered to pay court costs of $490 and to enter drug and alcohol counseling.

Sadoff told police she took the horse because she had not been paid in full for another horse she had sold to the stable. The horse was found a few days later at a suburban stable.

In the Skokie courthouse, Cook County Circuit Judge James Epstein told Sadoff to stay out of trouble.

"If you don't want to see the inside of the penitentiary, you will follow every letter of the probation," he said.

(Chicago Tribune - December 23, 2004)

Earlier:

• Illinois: Dawn Sadoff, 43, charged with horse theft held on $90,000 bond

Illinois: New state's attorney John Barsanti doesn't care about animals suffering at the hands of Lynda Smit

ILLINOIS -- In a turn of events brought on largely by the election of a new Kane County state's attorney, Aurora resident Lynda Smith will not face felony animal cruelty charges.

On Nov. 30, former state's attorney Meg Gorecki said Smith faced a possible grand jury indictment after Judge William Brady vacated her July plea to misdemeanor animal cruelty because Smith never signed a waiver of her right to a jury trial on the day of her conviction. Gorecki left office Dec. 1.

The charges stem from Smith's possession of 26 cats and one dog in August and September 2003.

Debra Bree, Kane County assistant state's attorney, said Thursday that she "reviewed the case with John Barsanti, our new state's attorney, and we decided we're not going to take the case to the grand jury for felony charges.

"We've reviewed the evidence, the facts and circumstances of the case and we're just going to go ahead and proceed with a misdemeanor at this time."

Smith said Thursday that she was surprised with the news.

"I'm not guilty," she said, "and I didn't understand how they could do that because I didn't kill animals."

(Chicago Tribune - December 10, 2004)

Earlier:

• Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith, 62, still making excuses as to why she abused and neglect the animals
• Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith found guilty, given probation. She and her husband Larry Smith still in denial
• Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith, 63, appealing her animal cruelty conviction