Glendale man, 76, faces 90 days behind bars, probation in dog-fighting case September 30, 2008

Source: By Melinda Rogers, The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/30/2008 12:40:47 PM MDT

A 76-year-old Glendale man who pleaded guilty to felony dog fighting charges was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail.

John Clinton Smith was also ordered by 3rd District Judge Deno Himonas to not own or possess any dogs.

Himonas also placed Smith on probation for 36 months and ordered him to complete 75 hours of community service and undergo counseling programs ordered by Adult Probation and Parole.

The punishment brings closure to the controversial dog-fighting case against Smith, who has maintained his innocence throughout court proceedings.

In 2003, animal control officers seized six pit bulls and dog-fighting equipment such as treadmills from Smith’s home. Videotapes and dog magazines were also found in the home, according to charging documents.

Smith was originally charged with six counts of dog-fighting felonies and six misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, but most of those charges were dismissed in exchange for guilty pleas in July to three counts of third-degree felony dog fighting.

The case drew outrage of animal rights organizations, in particular because Smith’s criminal history includes previous animal neglect charges.

Anne Davis, executive director of the Animal Advocacy Alliance of Utah, said her organization was dismayed by Smith’s sentence. Each felony dog-fighting charge carries the potential for up to five years in prison.

“I think it’s a shame on the system and shame on him,” said Davis, noting some of Smith’s dogs that were involved in fighting had to be euthanized.

Defense attorney Edward Brass had argued on Smith’s behalf that he struggles with dementia and a “mental condition,” which was a factor in his behavior.

Smith told news reporters at previous hearing that he didn’t train dogs to fight and that “everybody uses treadmills to get dogs in shape.”

At St. Paul apartment, girls watched as ‘doggie went boom’ September 29, 2008

Source: Pioneer Press, By Tad Vezner
Article Last Updated: 09/26/2008 10:17:11 PM CDT

With his 6-year-old daughter and two other girls playing in the room behind him, a St. Paul man threw his ex-girlfriend’s dog from her third-story balcony, injuring it so badly it had to be put to sleep, according to police.

On Friday, police charged Donald Dornseif, 44, with felony animal cruelty.

A pair of neighbors who had been standing on the balcony below said they saw 3-year-old “Precious” plummet to the ground outside an apartment complex in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood, where she moaned until authorities arrived about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Cynthia Hayes — whose 5-year-old daughter was in the apartment with Dornseif — was standing below him when she said she heard him say “I hate animals.”

“I told him, ‘You hate animals because you are an animal,’ ” Hayes yelled up.

“Do you want to see the dog hit the sidewalk?” Dornseif allegedly replied.

Seconds later, “the dog came out flying,” said Debbie Bailey, who had been standing beside Hayes. She didn’t see Dornseif throw Precious, a stout English bulldog. But Hayes said her daughter did; the young girl described to police how Dornseif propelled the dog with both arms.

Two-year-old Elizabeth Mabry — who was being watched by Hayes and Bailey — later described what she saw to her mother, Andrea Mabry, who also lives in the building.

“Doggie went boom,” the girl said, throwing her arms wide.

Dornseif’s ex-girlfriend, Sara Goff, said she got a call from Bailey after the three girls — her daughter, Mya Dornseif-Goff, 6; Hayes’ daughter, Cameryn Hodges, 5, and another 10-year-old girl from the building — ran frantically down to Bailey’s apartment.

“I said, ‘What did you do to my dog?’ He said, ‘I didn’t do nothing to her. She jumped,’ ” Goff said.

Goff, 25, said Dornseif had “popped by,” and she left the apartment to go to the store. She and her daughter had received the dog as a gift from a new boyfriend, and she claimed Dornseif never warmed to it because of that. She and Dornseif had split several years ago, but their daughter lived with her full time.

Dornseif told police he hadn’t talked to the neighbors, though he had been drinking, according to a criminal complaint. He said he bent to pick the dog up, but “before he could even get it up right, the dog jumped out of his arms, over the railing.”

But police said it was impossible for the short, 60- to 70-pound dog — which fell 20 to 25 feet down and a full 8 to 10 feet out from the balcony — to have jumped that far out without being thrown. The balcony has a 4-foot railing that the dog cannot squeeze through.

Precious broke her leg and neck and suffered other internal injuries. She was later euthanized.

“This morning my daughter still insisted the dog’s in the hospital,” Hayes added. “I had to tell her that the dog’s in heaven now.”

Officers searched for Dornseif after he left the complex in the 1300 block of Mississippi Street. They were called about an hour later to his current girlfriend’s home in the 1100 block of McLean Ave. The current girlfriend didn’t know about the dog but called police about a separate argument they were having, according to police spokesman Peter Panos.

As for young Mya, her mother found her that night curled up and asleep in the corner where Precious usually rests.

“I don’t think Mya actually wants to believe her dad did that,” Bailey said.

The HSUS Urges Owners of Pets Left Behind During Hurricane Ike to Reclaim Their Animals September 29, 2008

September 24, 2008 * PRESS RELEASE

It has been over a week since Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas, and since that time thousands of stranded animals have been rescued and taken in by humane organizations across the state. Many of these organizations are overwhelmed by the number of animals coming into their shelters. Residents who left their pets behind during Hurricane Ike need to contact their local shelters, and make immediate efforts to reclaim their companion animals.
“It is crucial at this time that residents with pets who were left behind during Hurricane Ike make themselves aware of deadlines set by their local shelters, and begin reclaiming their animals. Each shelter in Texas sets its own deadlines determining how long they will keep these rescued animals, so time limits will vary from one organization to another,” said Lou Guyton, The HSUS’ Southwest regional office director. “It is our number one priority to reunite these animals with their guardians as soon as possible, but many shelters will be forced to transport animals out or put them up for adoption if they are not reclaimed within the specified deadlines.”

Members of The HSUS Animal Rescue team have been on the ground in Texas rescuing animals and providing sheltering support since Ike hit the coast. The team has already rescued hundreds of animals in communities devastated by Ike. The HSUS is currently on the ground offering support to Galveston County Animal Services with its animal sheltering operation, and performing animal rescues on Bolivar Peninsula.

For more information about disaster preparedness, visit humanesociety.org/disaster.

Federal Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Abusive Puppy Mills September 29, 2008

Legislation Seeks to Close Loophole in Animal Welfare Act that Allows Internet Breeders to Sell Puppies without Federal Oversight

September 19, 2008, WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund commend federal lawmakers for introducing bills that will crack down on abusive “puppy mills” in the United States — where breeding dogs are often stacked in wire cages for years to produce litter after litter. The legislation will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that currently allows large, commercial breeders who sell puppies online and directly to the public to escape licensing and regulation.

The legislation — known as the “Puppy Uniform Protection Statute” (PUPS), or “Baby’s Bill” in honor of rescued puppy mill survivor Baby who is the subject of Jana Kohl’s new book A Rare Breed of Love — was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday as H.R. 6949 by Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Terry Everett (R-Ala.). A companion bill, S. 3519, was also introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).

The bills also require that dogs used for breeding be removed from their cages for exercise every day. Female breeding dogs in puppy mills are typically forced to live their entire lives in small cages with no opportunity for exercise, no socialization, and little human interaction.

“Dogs are not livestock, and they shouldn’t be treated like a cash crop,” said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States and president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We are grateful to federal lawmakers for introducing this legislation to curb the worst abuses in the puppy mill industry. It’s a much-needed upgrade to our nation’s laws that protect man’s best friend from cruelty and harm.”

Facilities that breed dogs for commercial resale through pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected under the federal Animal Welfare Act. But thanks to a gaping exception in the law, puppy mills that sell directly to the public are exempt from any federal oversight whatsoever. Unregulated Internet sellers and other direct sales facilities sell thousands of puppies a year to unsuspecting consumers. Due to improper care, their puppies are often sick, leaving outraged consumers with frail, sometimes dying puppies and high vet bills. Meanwhile, the breeding dogs at these facilities often spend their entire lives in constant confinement and deprivation.

“Sadly, finding your puppy online may well increase the chance that you’ll be buying from a puppy mill,” said Sen. Durbin. “Our bill simply requires that breeders obtain a license from the USDA if they raise more than 50 dogs in a 12-month period and sell directly to the public and sets forth reasonable standards of care for commercial breeders. Responsible dog breeders are not the target of this legislation, but hopefully it will put the puppy mills out of business.”

“My work supporting puppy mill regulation goes back to my time in the California Assembly where I championed California’s puppy mill law,” Rep. Farr said. “I think it’s very important that Congress take the time to address issues like animal welfare. These are the kinds of issues that really demonstrate who we are as a society.”

“I’m proud to join with Congressman Farr and representatives of The Humane Society of the United States today as we continue our efforts to ensure that commercial dog breeders are appropriately regulated,” added Rep. Gerlach. “Our bill, the PUPS Act, will close a loophole in current law that allows large breeding operations avoid any and all oversight. I am confident that this bill will not hinder the operation of reputable and responsible breeders. Instead, it is aimed at protecting dogs and making individuals who are motivated by profit over the fair and humane treatment of dogs accountable for their actions.”

The legislation will close the loophole in the AWA that allows thousands of commercial breeders to go unregulated. It will require the following changes to the AWA:

* All dog breeders who sell more than 50 puppies per year directly to the public will be federally licensed and inspected; and
* Dogs at commercial breeding facilities must be given the opportunity to exercise for 60 minutes a day.
* The bill will not affect small breeders and hobby breeders who sell fewer than 50 dogs per year directly to the public, but is crafted to cover only the largest commercial breeding facilities.

Public concern about the inhumane conditions typical in puppy mills is at an all-time high, due to coverage on national television and several large-scale cruelty investigations and rescues from puppy mills this summer that The HSUS and local shelters spearheaded. Earlier this year, the Farm Bill passed by Congress included a new provision to ban the importation of puppies under six months old from puppy mills in China, Russia, Mexico and other foreign countries.

Dogtoberfest helps dogs find forever homes, Prescott, AZ September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008, PRESCOTT – Sunday was a good day to be a dog in Prescott.

“Thank you, Lord, for dogs,” Father Rich Wozniak intoned at the beginning of The City of Prescott’s second annual Dogtoberfest and Pet Adopt-a-Thon. Wozniak led dogs and people in the “Blessing of Animals” ceremony in tribute to St. Francis of Assisi.

Throngs of current and would-be dog owners socialized with dogs of all shapes and sizes at the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza. About 40 volunteers walked and watered dogs and welcomed people.

“This is all about getting the focus on adopting dogs,” Ann Herrington, Stears Group spokeswoman and publisher of “The Prescott Dog” magazine, said. The magazine debuted this month.

In addition to learning about the dire need for dog adoptions, visitors could watch a variety of events including the most glamorous and ugliest dog contests, adoptable dog parades, dog and owner look-alike contest and the Air Major Flying Frisbee Dogs.

Television viewers may recognize Bill Watters, owner and trainer of “Air Major, The Flying Dog,” from talk shows and Miller Lite commercials. Watters’ Frisbee-trained dogs performed acrobatics that usually ended with a Frisbee clinched in the dog’s mouth.

“This is my first time performing at the Dogtoberfest,” he said. “I’m ready to rock the crowd.”

Some dogs are Frisbee-challenged and never will get it, Brian Heuett of Phoenix Area Disc Dogs said.

Some pet organizations Sunday would allow potential owners to adopt a dog and take it home, while other groups require in-home visits to a potential owner’s home.

“We do site visits to match the owner’s and dog’s age, temperament and sex,” Ruth Steffes, of Rescue a Golden of Arizona, said while golden retrievers frolicked behind her. “These goldens are not for adoption but are our ambassadors to the public.”

Andy Lloyd, of United Animal Friends.org, said that UAF “always does home visits to match owners with dogs and to be sure the owners qualify to take care of the dog.”

Vendors provided visitors with information and entertainment. They offered tips about nutrition, walking, clipping and cleaning. Dogs could get a new collar, organic biscuits and a massage.

“I want to be a veterinarian,” Kassie Drye said. Kassie is a ninth-grade student at Prescott’s Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy. “I like to talk to dogs. I imagine that I know what they are saying.”

Joe Driskill, City of Prescott Animal Control Officer, said that owners should keep a new dog close to home to allow it to learn its territorial boundaries.

“And never let a dog out without identification tags,” he said. “You should write your name and telephone number on the inside of the collar because tags could fall off.”

The Circle L Animal Hospital, of Chino Valley, offered discounts for rattlesnake vaccinations.

“The vaccine is very effective,” Kat Tobin said. “It’s not a cure, but it buys you time to get to a veterinarian.”

The best cure for a rattlesnake bite is to keep the dog calm and get it to a veterinarian as fast as possible, she said.

Owners should spay, neuter and microchip pets to prevent them from becoming lost or stolen, Cherie Mackenzie of The Lucky Club Rescue Group said.

“I’ve never been around this many dogs at once and it’s not bad,” Prescottonian Martin Kaye, 66, said. “Dogs make me feel relaxed.”

Alleged dog starver dodges court again, New Zeland September 29, 2008

Source: NZPA | Monday, 29 September 2008

A warrant has been issued to arrest a woman charged with leaving her 11-month-old puppy to starve, after she failed to appear at court today.

Paulette Taki, 40, was due to be sentenced at Auckland District Court today on three animal cruelty charges after SPCA officers found a dog locked underneath a house on Christmas Eve.

But Taki did not turn up as scheduled, and a warrant for her arrest was issued as a result.

Auckland SPCA lawyer Jo Wickliffe said Taki had yet to appear at court as scheduled.

“That’s four times out of four that she hasn’t shown up.”

Taki faces charges including failing to provide the dog, known as Eve, with protection from significant injury and disease.

The dog looked like a carcass when found and apparently survived by eating her own faeces at the home in Glen Innes, a suburb 10km east of downtown Auckland.

SPCA inspector Todd Neal, who removed Eve from the property last year, said he was disappointed the case had not been concluded.

“She’s clearly reluctant to face up to her responsibility as a dog owner,” Mr Neal said outside the court.

“Thankfully Eve’s now in a good home. It’s dog heaven really – if anything she’s overweight now.”

DNA test for dog droppings to track owners, Australia September 29, 2008

29 Sep 2008, MELBOURNE: With owners refusing to pick up their dogs’ mess, it has now been decided that a DNA test will be conducted on the animal’s droppings to track down the owner and send them a fine.

The approach has won support from councillors in Sydney, North Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Ashfield and is also being tested overseas.

The idea was generated by Genetic Technologies, Australia’s largest canine testing laboratory, and it wants to implement the DNA testing scheme and is also preparing detailed submissions for councils.

According to them, dogs would be given a mouth-swab while they’re being microchipped at the vet and their DNA stored on a database.

The doggy poo will be picked up by council rangers and samples will be sent for testing to find a database match. Owners would then receive a fine notice for failing to clean up after their dogs.

Ashfield Councillor Nick Adams says dog droppings are an “enormous problem” and has vowed to get the ball rolling on a feasibility study.

“I support this idea and would welcome any initiative that protects the health of my residents and helps clean up the area,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Even Israel has gone forward with the DNA-testing program, and has also started a system of rewarding pet-owners who scoop up their dog’s mess and place it in specially marked bins.

Man is accused of brutalizing dog *UPDATE* Dog left in Salvation Army bin September 28, 2008

Source: By Michael Woyton • Poughkeepsie Journal • September 27, 2008

Sally the dog continued to gain strength Saturday, a day after a City of    Poughkeepsie man was arrested for abandoning her in a clothing bin in Hyde Park.

Garry Lee Rhodes, 28, of Hudson Avenue, was charged with one count each of torturing/not feeding an animal, abandonment of a disabled animal and neglect of an impounded animal, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

All charges are misdemeanors in violation of state Agriculture and Markets Law.

Attempts to contact Rhodes were unsuccessful Friday night.

The terrier mixed breed dog, named Sally by the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, because it was short for “salvation,” was found Sept. 15 in a clothing donation bin in a parking lot of a shopping center in Hyde Park.

Having been in the bin for about a week, the dog was extremely malnourished and dehydrated when found by a worker who came to empty the box of its donations.

The arrest was the result of a joint investigation between the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Dutchess County SPCA Law Enforcement Unit, City of Poughkeepsie Police and the Dutchess County Field Intelligence Group.

Joyce Garrity, executive director of the DCSPCA, said she was proud of the investigative work of Humane Law Enforcement Officers Jami Landry and Stephanie Fitzpatrick, as well as local police agencies, for making the arrest.

“We finally will have justice for Sally,” she said.

Rhodes was released from custody with an appearance ticket. No further court information was available.

When the dog was found, she weighed 16 pounds. Sally was estimated to be about 2 years old. A normal terrier mix that age should weigh about 36 to 38 pounds.

Blood tests indicated no underlying cause for the extremely emaciated state in which Sally was found. Garrity said that means the dog was already starved when it was left in the bin.

The dog has been taken care of by a foster family since she was rescued.

Garrity said veterinarians will determine when Sally has recovered enough to be placed for adoption.

Garrity said the shelter has received many offers to adopt the dog.

“We won’t have any trouble placing Sally in a new home,” she said.

 

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