Firefighters save horse stuck in mud pit

OREGON -- Firefighters helped get a 2-year-old mare out of a deep mudhole on Friday.

The frightened horse was held out of the water and comforted by Sgt. Chris Melgard with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, who had also responded to the scene.

The firefighters fashioned a sling system around the horse's body and used manpower to pull the exhausted horse out of the mudhole.  They gave the horse oxygen and used portable lamps, normally used for interior scene lighting, to warm the shivering and exhausted horse.

Tricia Dennis, who breeds Appaloosa horses on the 28-acre property located at 2311 Cole Road, S., said she realized the horse was missing at feeding time and went looking for the mare. 

A veterinarian was called to the scene to check out the horse.  The mudhole was created by the root ball of a fallen tree.

(KARE - Dec 30 2006)

Virginia:Tammy Sajdak pleads guilty to charges after she was accused of ordering her two dogs to attack woman who was mauled and scalped

VIRGINIA -- A Hampton woman's scalp was partially ripped off five months ago. The dogs' owner could face up to 20 years in prison.

An attack by two dogs that ripped part of a woman's scalp from her head could send the dogs' owner to prison for up to 20 years.

Tammy Sajdak, 34, of Hampton was convicted Wednesday of one count of malicious wounding in the May 21 mauling of her friend, Tracie Wesson.

Sajdak was originally charged with aggravated malicious wounding, which nets a life prison term if convicted, but she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.

Sajdak will be sentenced on Jan. 8.

Evidence presented by prosecutors was that Wesson and Sajdak were hanging out at a friend's house at 2408 West Weaver Road when they got into an argument.

When things cooled down, Sajdak's husband persuaded her to leave, which she did, said Hampton Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Hoffman. But a short time later, Sajdak returned with her dogs -- a pit bull and a German shepherd -- and another woman, he said.

The women jumped out of their vehicle with the dogs and rushed toward Wesson, who was standing on the porch with the man who lived in the house, Hoffman said. The women began hitting Wesson, and the dogs started biting her, he said.

The dogs continued biting Wesson, 39, while she was curled into a fetal position on the ground, Hoffman said. She suffered bites to her legs, arms, shoulder and head, and the back of her scalp was ripped off.

Hoffman said the man living at the house saw Sajdak and the other woman directing the dogs toward Wesson's head during the attack. The man also saw neither of the women doing anything to stop the dogs, he said.

Wesson spent a week in the hospital waiting for her scalp to reattach itself.

"I'm glad this day happened," Wesson said, standing outside the courthouse after the hearing. "I'm glad because she pleaded guilty, and the judge found her guilty."

Although the women had known each other for about two years, Wesson said they'd never really hit it off. She said she doesn't understand why Sajdak let her dogs attack her.

"I'm doing good," said Wesson, who wears a hat to cover her injuries. "I've got more surgeries and two more skin grafts, and I have to have my tissues expanded to get my hair to grow. It's going to be a four-year process, but I'm handling this the best I can."

Court records show that Sajdak will be in Hampton General District Court on Nov. 15 for a hearing to determine if her dogs are dangerous and should be destroyed.

(Daily Press - October 19, 2006)

Virginia: Judge declares Chris Redd's Pit Bull dangerous and gives it back to him

VIRGINIA -- A canine accused in a James City County attack must be on the state's dangerous-dog list, a judge rules.

After nearly two months of confinement at the James City County Animal Control Shelter, Bud, a 6-year-old pit bull, may finally be headed home to 3649 Marlbrook Drive in Toano.

But a Williamsburg judge's ruling Friday that Bud is a dangerous dog means that his owner will have to jump through a few hoops to keep the pit bull that knocked down an 84-year-old woman and attacked her dog in August.

Christopher Redd, the Pit Bull's owner, didn't oppose the judge's ruling and now must comply with a state law regulating dangerous dogs.

Williamsburg-James City County District Judge Colleen Killilea told Redd that he must obtain a $50 dangerous-dog license within 10 days and add Bud to the state's dangerous-dog registry within 45 days.

Because Bud is now considered a dangerous dog, he must be confined indoors or in an enclosure on Redd's parents' property, and he must be leashed and muzzled at all times when out in public.

Redd must also post signs on his property alerting neighbors to the presence of a dangerous dog.

Police said the pit bull attacked the woman Aug. 24 on Beechwood Drive in the Chickahominy Haven neighborhood in James City County. 

According to an animal control report, the dog tackled and scratched the woman before grabbing and holding her 12-year-old miniature pinscher in its jaws. 

The woman suffered injuries to her knee, elbow and left hand, while the pinscher lost two teeth in the attack.

Killilea said the declaration of the dog as dangerous was a civil matter but warned Redd that if there were future problems with the dog, he could face criminal penalties.

Sara Redd, his sister, was fined $200 Friday for allowing the dog to get loose the day of the attack.

SARA REDD = IN DENIAL

Sara Redd said after the hearing Friday that she understood the fine for Bud getting loose but was disappointed that her brother didn't fight the dangerous-dog designation. She regrets what happened but insists Bud was "playful", not vicious.

"At least he gets to come home," she said. "That's all that matters."

(Daily Press - October 14, 2006)

Foal at death's door after dog mauling

TENNESSEE -- A 5-month-old miniature horse foal was one of three horses mauled by a pit bull and at least one other dog early Tuesday morning, according to Frederick County Division of Animal Control.

Animal Control Officer Robert Uttermohlen went to a farm in the 11000 block of Old Annapolis Road on Tuesday and found a Welsh pony and a large gray horse with bite wounds on their legs and a foal that was severely injured, according to Harold Domer, animal control director. He said the attacks took place late Monday night.

Karin Walden's 5-month old miniature horse foal named Dot
received sutures on her head and three legs from a veterinarian
after being attacked by a stray pit bull dog. The same horse also
received serious bites on three legs and in the lower
abdomen. The horse' full name is "Oreo's Pretty Little O."

"She was ripped from head to toe," said owner Karin Walden of the foal. "One of the dogs actually jumped on (the Welsh pony's) back and bit her rump."

The foal, named Dot, had bite marks and puncture wounds on three of its legs and a deep cut on its head that went all the way to the bone, Ms. Walden said. A veterinarian stitched up the leg and head wounds, but was not able to suture a deep gash on the foal's belly due to swelling and the possibility of bacteria, she said.

Animal Control officers captured a brown and white pit bull that was running loose in the area, Mr. Domer said. Officers set traps to try to catch another dog described as a collie mix that might have been involved.

Ms. Walden knew something was wrong Monday night when she looked at her television monitor and saw another of her miniature horses doing frantic circles in its stall. The horse is pregnant and about to foal, so Ms. Walden keeps an eye on it by video camera, she said.

"I ran outside in my nightgown and slippers ... There were horses everywhere!" she said.

The panicked animals had broken the fence and gate to the paddock and were running loose in their field. Ms. Walden went to shut the gate and saw the pit bull and the back end of the other dog as it ran away, she said. It took her 40 minutes to bring the frightened foal back up to the barn.

"It was at the very bottom of the pasture. I had to half-carry, half-push it back, uphill all the way," she said. "It was in shock. Then I saw how badly it was injured."

The next two days will determine whether the foal will survive, Ms. Walden said. The other two horses did not require veterinary care other than antibiotics.

Animal Control Officer Rob Uttermohlen trapped this
untagged stray brown and white pit bull roaming free on
a different property on Old Annapolis Road Tuesday
morning. It was captured near where Karin Walden's
horses were attacked and seriously injured.

By county law, the pit bull must remain at the Animal Control shelter on Rosemont Avenue for at least five days to give an owner a chance to come forward, Mr. Domer said. After five days it becomes county property and could be deemed potentially dangerous, he said. Right now the investigation is still open.

Ms. Walden said she hopes an owner does come forward to claim responsibility for the dog. Whoever it is will pay the foal's medical bills, either willingly or by legal order, she said.

(Frederick News Post - October 11, 2006)

2-year-old NC boy mauled, killed by Rottweiler

NORTH CAROLINA -- Authorities say a 2-year-old boy was fatally mauled by a Rottweiler Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff Lemmie Smith says Julius Graham was staying at his grandparents' house when he wandered off and the dog attacked him. Smith says it appears the dog dug a hole under a fence and got out.

Julius was taken to Lenoir Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Smith says several calls came in reporting the incident and officers arrived on scene within four minutes of the first phone call. He says when officers arrived, they found the grandmother sitting with the child.

The Rottweiler was shot and killed by deputies after it started acting vicious towards them.

The owners of the Rottweiler were reportedly out of town.

(WISTV - Oct 4, 2006)

Man Dies As Dog Attacks In Pen

FLORIDA -- A penned Boxer dog fatally mauled a man in south Miami-Dade County on Monday night, the second such attack in South Florida in 10 days.

Officers found Pablo Fleites, 56, dead inside a dog pen behind a house at 20280 SW 190th St. Also inside the pen: a 5-year-old male Boxer covered in the man's blood, Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Joanne Duncan said. The department's Animal Services Unit took custody of the Boxer.

Investigators say Fleites, who lived at the address, may have been intoxicated when he entered the pen Monday evening and the dog attacked him. The pen also was home to a 6-month-old female Boxer that was not injured.

The property is owned by Daysi, Adelfina and Jesus Ynigo, according to Miami-Dade County property records. No one witnessed the attack, but one of the family members found Fleites' body about 9:30 p.m. and called police, Duncan said.

On Aug. 18, Shawna Willey's 120-pound Presa Canario attacked her while she was giving it a bath behind her Coral Springs home in The Hills neighborhood. In that incident, there was a witness: Willey's 9-year-old daughter.

Willey, 30, also had a 14-year-old son and lived with her boyfriend. She owned the large dog, named Xino, and another Presa Canario because she felt they could protect her from her husband, whom she was separated from.

Coral Springs police officers shot Xino when they found it standing over Willey's lifeless body.

(Sun Sentinel - August 30, 2006)

California: Gert "Abby" Hedengran and his wife, Roena "Emma" Hedengran take plea bargain in case involving loose tiger that was shot and killed

CALIFORNIA -- Despite insisting multiple times that they didn't own the tiger killed in the Tierra Rejada Valley early last year, Gert "Abby" Hedengran and his wife, Roena "Emma" Hedengran, reportedly plan to plead guilty to charges related to the incident, after making a deal with prosecutors.

A federal court hearing is set for Sept. 5.

Tuffy the tiger was shot after it escaped its owners and wandered in the rural region between Simi Valley and the Santa Rosa Valley for about three weeks.

Authorities alleged that the large carnivore belonged to the Hedengrans, who purposely misled LIED TO investigators during a weeklong search in February 2005.

The tiger was eventually found roaming near a city park in Moorpark that borders homes and schools next to the 23 Freeway. It was shot for safety reasons, authorities said at the time.

AFTER BEING ARRESTED IN CALIFORNIA, THEY FLED TO NEVADA

The Hedengrans now live with their exotic cats in Pahrump, Nev., 60 miles from Las Vegas.

The couple was arrested in March of this year and were later released on their own recognizance after they were charged in connection with the shooting.

The couple faced initial charges that could have resulted in a maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison for Gert Hedengran.

Roena faced up to 10 years in federal prison, according to Assistant U.S. District Attorney Joseph Johns, who's been handling the case.

They were due to appear in court recently, but the case was postponed because U.S. District Judge George H. King wanted more time to review the agreement before he made his decision.

"The defendants have signed plea agreements that have been filed with the District Court," Johns said.

"The knee-jerk response of some folks was to criticize law enforcement for killing the tiger instead of trying to tranquilize it with darts," he added.

HOW MANY TIMES DID THEY SHOOT THIS POOR ANIMAL BEFORE IT FINALLY DIED?

But even with such a careful, conservative decision, he said, the first three rifle shots missed the tiger.

"It makes you wonder what might have happened if they had decided to tranquilize the tiger and all of the darts had then missed the target," he said.

Had that been the case, criticism would have been heaped on law enforcement, especially if the tiger had escaped into the chaparral and later killed someone's child, the district attorney said.

 

"Law enforcement did the best they could in a difficult situation," Johns said. "It doesn't take much imagination to think of the terrible consequences that could have resulted from a 600-pound Siberian tiger stalking the purple sage hillsides and oak woodlands of suburban Moorpark."

According to Nye County, Nev. Animal Control Supervisor Debbie Pemberton, housing for the exotic animals was deemed inadequate in April of this year and the Hedengrans were asked to add additional perimeter fencing.

Pemberton said earlier this week that the animals' containment in Nevada is now within county/USDA guidelines.

(Simi Valley Acorn - Aug 25, 2006)

Earlier:

• California: Hedengrans Arrested in Tiger's Escape. The Moorpark animal sanctuary owners denied the cat belonged to them while it roamed suburban areas. Trackers killed it Feb. 23.