Owners of malnourished dog charged by CCPD, TX October 2, 2008

Couple charged with cruelty to animals; dog was found with collar growing into skin

Source: Caller Times By Stuart Duncan, Originally published 09:00 a.m., October 2, 2008
Updated 09:00 a.m., October 2, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI — Police arrested the owners of a neglected German Shepherd that died recently.

The owners of the malnourished dog, named Shepp, were arrested Wednesday and taken to the Criminal Detention Center, police said.

Animal Care officers picked up the German Shepherd from a home in the 4700 block of Cheryl Street on Sept. 16 after they discovered that it had been severely malnourished, according to police. The dog, tied up behind the home and apparently abandoned, also had a large wound around the neck where the collar had grown into its skin, police said. Despite attempts to save it, the dog later died.

Norma Luna, 45 and Daniel Luna, 44, of Corpus Christi were charged with cruelty to animals with a $500 bond, captain Tim Wilson said. That misdemeanor charge can lead to up to one year in jail, Wilson said.

Starving dog case ‘appalling’ October 2, 2008

Source: By DEAN CALCOTT – The Press | Friday, 03 October 2008

The actions of a dog owner who left a female doberman dying from malnutrition in a snowdrift were “truly shocking and appalling”, a judge said yesterday.

Judge Jocelyn Munro fined Rodney John Burt $3800 and disqualified him from owning a dog for three years.

The Christchurch District Court was told that the dog, Sheba, was within a week or two of death when it was found by a member of the public.

Burt, 50, admitted charges of deserting a dog while making no provision to meet its needs, and failing to meet the needs of an animal he owned.

The judge ordered the fine be paid to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

SPCA prosecutor Richard Raymond told the court that on June 8, an emaciated dog was found lying in snow on the side of a road between Burnham and Springston.

At 15.9kg, its weight was at least 50 per cent below optimum. It had no discernible body fat, a loss of muscle mass, and widespread pressure sores.

The dog was traced to Burt’s ownership, and after initial denials, he ultimately admitted abandoning it.

“It is right at the extreme end of appalling animal treatment,” Raymond said.

Burt told inspectors that the dog had been left with a relative to look after, but he knew her condition was not good, that inspectors had already visited, and he was embarrassed about being found out. He then decided to make a late-night trip to dump the animal in the country.

Owner fined for starving and dumping dog October 2, 2008

Thursday Oct 02, 2008

Fines totalling $3800 for starving and dumping a dog on a snowy night have been imposed in a case described by counsel for the SPCA as “at the extreme end of appalling animal treatment”.

Lawyer Richard Raymond said: “A message needs to be sent with a stern fine, and for the court to give some teeth to the legislation and send a signal to bring home to this offender that it is simply unacceptable conduct.”

A veterinarian said the dobermann, Sheba, was within a week or two of death when it was found.

Rodney John Burt, a 50-year-old builder’s labourer from Christchurch, today pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to charges that as the owner of the dog he failed to provide for its health and behavioural needs, and deserted the animal.

Judge Jocelyn Munro fined him $800 on the first charge and $3000 on the desertion charge.

“To have found the dog was in an emaciated state and close to death and then to have dumped it on the side of the road is truly shocking and appalling and there can be no excuse whatever for that,” she told Burt.

“A dog is a defenceless animal that depends on its owner to be cared for.”

The judge also ordered that all the fines be paid to the SPCA which has treated the dog, and nursed it back to health. It is now with another owner who loves it, the court was told.

Burt said he was deeply sorry for what he had done. He had left the dog with a relative and provided food but they “never fed the bloody dog”.

The relative is also facing a charge, and that case has been adjourned.

Mr Raymond told the court that an SPCA inspector went to the property to inspect two dogs at the relative’s house but it was dark and she said she would return to complete the inspection in a better light.

Burt told the SPCA he then received a text message and knew of the dog’s poor condition. He was embarrassed about being found out and late that night he collected Sheba and left her on a quiet road in the country south of Christchurch. It was a snowy night in June.

The dog was found by a Selwyn District Council animal control officer and taken to the SPCA.

It weighed just 15.9kg which was at least 50 per cent below her optimum weight.

Three days after the initial visit, the SPCA inspector returned to the original address and found one dog was missing. Burt would not say where it had gone, but Mr Raymond said inquiries and information from the public led to him being interviewed.

He finally admitted dumping the dog.

After six weeks on a balanced and controlled diet, Sheba increased in body weight by 64.1 per cent to 26.1kg, which is still about 2kg less than ideal.

Burt has another dog, but Judge Munro today made an order that he is not allowed to own or exercise authority over any dog for three years.

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.

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.

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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