Prosecutor: Accused puppy mill owner had filed for court delay, WA February 12, 2009

Source: KomoNews.com, By Casey North & KOMO Staff, Feb 10, 2009

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — The Mount Vernon couple accused of running a puppy mill who failed to appear in court Tuesday morning had filed filed proper paperwork to delay the arraignment, the Skagit County prosecutor said.

Richard and Marjorie Sundberg were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in a Skagit County Courtroom, but neither was present when the judge took roll call.

Richard Sundberg reportedly made arrangements with his lawyer to be arraigned at another time. But it was not immediately known why Marjorie Sundberg had failed to show up.

“She did not appear, and we don’t know why. Frankly, we’re a little surprised she didn’t appear,” prosecutor Rich Weyrich said Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday afternoon, the prosecutor learned Marjorie Sundberg had made similar arrangements as her husband, but her papers arrived late. The Sundbergs’ arraignment will be rescheduled for some time next month, the prosecutor said.

The Sundbergs have been charged with four counts of animal cruelty. The charges are based on the poor health of four of the rescued dogs, including a poodle who lost an eye and 13 teeth. The prosecutor said more charges could follow.

Nearly 450 dogs were rescued from their unlicensed Mount Vernon kennel. The charges allege the dogs were found living in inhumane conditions. Detectives said the dogs were kept in tight cages contaminated with feces and urine that sat alongside bodies of dead dogs in unheated spaces.

“The conditions of them were terrible, terrible,” said Austin Gates with Stanwood-based Northwest Organization for Animal Help. “And they weren’t isolated to just one dog. The majority of the dogs were in awful shape.”

Detectives added many dogs had been left without any food or water. Veterinarians later determined some of dogs were suffering from coccidia, an intestinal disease, and many others were pregnant.

The Sundbergs, however, have maintained their innocence, claiming they took good care of the dogs.

The rescued dogs are being nursed back to health in area shelters.

“(This is) probably the first time they’ve ever been in a home,” Gates said, “so the volunteers are taking extra time to help them transition into being wonderful pets.”

The dogs are currently not available for adoption as they are evidence in the criminal case against the Sundbergs.

Police find over 100 feral animals at mobile home, CA January 28, 2009

Source: Associated Press, Jan 27, 2009

TEMECULA, Calif. (AP) — More than 100 feral cats and dogs were euthanized after authorities found them living among the remains of hundreds of other dead animals that had been dumped in trash bags at a man’s rented property.

Temecula police on Friday arrested a 67-year-old man on suspicion of animal cruelty after officers responded to a call that two vicious dogs were running loose at his address, Riverside County sheriff’s spokesman Javier Rodriguez said.

The man had let animals breed and roam freely on his property, Rodriguez said, and the creatures had completely taken over his mobile home. Officers even found animals hiding in cupboards.

“The smell, I can’t tell you how bad the smell was,” said Willa Bagwell, executive director of Animal Friends of the Valleys, which provides animal control services for Temecula.

When animal control officers arrived, packs of dogs were attacking each other and killing one of their own, Bagwell said. About 70 dogs circled officers and threatened to attack, forcing authorities to euthanize them.

“They were just wild animals. They had never been touched,” she told The Press-Enterprise of Riverside. “I’ve never seen this many animals and animals this feral.”

Nine puppies and one dog were saved but authorities had to remove the bodies of 318 cats and dogs, Bagwell said. Outside the mobile home, more than 100 plastic trash bags were filled with animal feces and animal corpses.

Margaret Sturgeon, 82, said she sometimes talked briefly to the man and he seemed normal.

“He said he had three dogs,” she said. “He never acted as if anything was wrong.”

Expert cites links between animal cruelty, child abuse January 6, 2009

Source: Arkansas News Bureau, By Rob Moritz, Jan 5, 2009

LITTLE ROCK – A state child welfare worker investigating suspected child abuse or neglect also should look for signs of animal cruelty because the offenses are interwoven, a psychologist told a legislative task force.

“Understanding animal abuse can strengthen anti-violence policies and programs,” Mary Lou Randour, a psychologist with the Human Society of the United States told the Task Force on Abused and Neglected Children.

Randour cited national studies showing animal abuse occurred in 88 percent of families under state investigation for suspected child abuse and that abused children often come from homes where pets were either abused or killed.

Sometimes pets are threatened to keep children from talking to others about their abuse, she said, adding that up to 71 percent of women admitted to shelters for battered women report their partners either injured or killed their pets.

“Understanding animal abuse can strengthen anti-violence policies and programs,” she said.

The task force, comprised of lawmakers, state employees who work with victims of domestic abuse and child abuse, and representatives from nonprofits that provide services to the victims, has been meeting for more than a year to develop policies and procedures to prevent domestic violence and child abuse.

Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, co-chairman of the task force, said Randour’s presentation shed light on an area that she had not considered.

“It really nails down the links between animal abuse and child abuse,” Madison said. “I think we can incorporate that in some of our child abuse investigations.”

Madison said the state Department of Human Services, which has members on the task force, would be provided Randour’s report, and that the lawmakers may be asked to approve legislation addressing the link between child abuse, domestic violence and animal cruelty.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has said his package for the regular session that convenes next week will include a measure to allow prosecutors the ability to seek an enhanced penalty for torturing or killing a dog, cat or horse in the presence of a child.

The legislation would make torturing a dog, cat or horse a felony on first offense. The measure also would make cockfighting and dog fighting a felony in the state.

Arkansas is one of five states that do not have a felony animal cruelty charge.

Dead pit bulls dumped in N.J. woods January 4, 2009

Source: United Press International, Jan 2, 2009

MILLVILLE, N.J., Jan. 2 (UPI) –

Investigators say that three pit bulls found dead in trash bags in a wooded area in southern New Jersey may have been used for fighting.

The carcasses were discovered late Thursday afternoon by a man walking his dog near Union Lake in Millville. Anthony Cills, a Millville animal control officer, said that whoever dumped them double- and triple-bagged the dogs to conceal the smell.

Bev Greco, head of the Cumberland County SPCA, told WCAU in Philadelphia that the three dogs all appeared to be young, from six months to a year old.

They were all three in a very emaciated state, she said. They had bruising. They had fighting wounds. They had scars as well as fresh wounds.

That area of Millville is known for dog fighting, Greco said, and dead dogs have been dumped in the past. She asked anyone who knows who disposed of the dogs to come forward.

It’s cruel and inhumane, Cills said. It’s a cruelty case that’s going to be investigated.

Charges weighed against Montana dog breeder January 4, 2009

Source: Associated Press, Jan 2, 2009

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A raid that resulted in the seizure of 189 English shepherds from a crowded kennel also turned up 10 frozen dog carcasses and a dead dog found beside the breeder’s bed, authorities said Wednesday.

Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Mark Murphy said a decision on whether to file charges against breeder Linda Kapsa will be made sometime next week.

Meanwhile, authorities were seeking tips into the fate of 50 pugs recently seen at Kapsa’s Shady Lane Kennels but which are now missing.

The dogs seized Tuesday in Ballantine — many of them covered with fleas and feces and at least six that appeared gravely ill — were being held as evidence at the county fairgrounds in Billings.

“The law of the West is you don’t abuse your animals,” said County Commissioner Jim Reno. “Leaving little puppies out in below-zero weather, outside, without obvious food or shelter — that doesn’t make it here.”

Shady Lane Kennels sold dogs over the Internet and had been raided at least twice before, including in early December when 10 dogs were seized and 13 dead dogs were found.

Kapsa did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Authorities speculated that disease or recent subzero temperatures could have killed the 11 dogs found dead Tuesday. Dog carcasses found in the latest raid included six on a manure pile, four in a kennel, and one in Kapsa’s house, beside her bed, said John Fleming, animal control officer for the sheriff’s office.

All the dead animals except the one inside were frozen solid and one appeared to have been half-eaten by other dogs. Temperatures in Ballantine, which is on the outskirts of Billings, dropped to 15 to 20 degrees below zero within the last several weeks.

“We don’t think there were any beatings or anything like that,” Fleming said. “They could be dead of hypothermia.”

Also seized Tuesday were 27 chickens. Nine horses and 10 cockatiels found on Kapsa’s property were left behind. At least some of those animals also appeared to be getting inadequate care, said Dave Pauli, Northern Rockies director for the Humane Society of the United States.

Blind, deaf dog shot, beheaded, Ulster County, NY December 31, 2008

A local story for me…… very, very sad….

Tuesday, December 30, 2008 3:06 AM EST

Source: By Paul Kirby, Freeman staff

A 50-year-old Stanfordville man has been accused of shooting a Great Dane to death and then hacking the dog’s head off, according to police and the dog’s owner, Tracey Sturgess of Woodstock.

Stanley Jablonka was arrested in the early morning hours Sunday and charged with misdemeanor violation of the New York state Agriculture and Markets Law, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

Sturgess said her pet was an all-white albino Harlequin Great Dane named Humphrey. She bought the male dog, which was deaf and blind, in California nearly four years ago at 6 weeks old for $3,500.

He was a gift to her 16-year-old daughter.

“He just needed someone to love and care for him,” Sturgess said Monday. “It hurts so much to even talk about this. This dog was my hero.”

Deputies said that Jablonka apparently felt that the dog was aggressive when it was barking at his brother “so he took it upon himself to shoot and kill the animal,” according to a press release from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said that the suspect also cut the dog’s head off.

“He thereafter decided to decapitate the animal as he believed this was customary and needed if one wishes to have a rabies test done on a dog,” the press release says.

Sturgess said she had brought Humphrey to Jablonka’s Stissing Street home because her car needed repair. She said Jablonka is an acquaintance of hers and is a mechanic.

Sturgess said she was sleeping at Jablonka’s house at the time her dog was killed, which she believes was sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday. She said one of the witnesses to the killing woke her up and told her, “Something happened to the dog and it ain’t good.”

Sturgess said she went to a garage and found blood splattered at the end of a chain that was attached to a wall. She said Humphrey was chained up to protect him and any visitors who might surprise the blind and deaf animal and him to react.

The woman said that witnesses told her the dog was shot while chained up and then “dragged out and his head was hacked off with an ax.”

Sturgess said that witnesses told her the dog was shot with “some kind of rifle.”

A deputy at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office could not be reached Monday to confirm the use of an ax or rifle.

Sturgess told people there that she was calling the police. Jablonka, she said, told her she could be shot.

Another person replied, “‘It won’t be as easy to shoot her because she wouldn’t be chained to a wall,’” Sturgess said.

She said there was at least 10 witnesses to the killing, including children, one of whom is 12 years old.

Sturgess said the killing of Humphrey is probably the saddest moment of her life. During an interview, she broke down in tears several times.

Sturgess said she was in the process of writing a children’s book, “The Adventures of Humphrey, the Handicapped Canine,” to help educate people about those with disabilities.

Crews rescue 100 dogs from alleged Ont. puppy mill, Canada December 4, 2008

Source: ctvtoronto.ca,  Dec. 02 2008

Investigators from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued 100 mistreated and sickly dogs from an alleged puppy mill in the province’s Georgian Bay region, northwest of Toronto.

The OSPCA rescued the small-breed canines, ranging from puppies to elderly dogs, from a home in Meaford, Ont., near Owen Sound on Monday night.

The house was covered in “feces,” Ontario SPCA spokesperson Alison Cross told CTV Toronto on Tuesday.

One veteran investigator said it was the worst odour she had ever smelled.

Many of the severely matted dogs were suffering from open wounds and possible infections along with a host of other complications, Cross said.

The 100 pups were all brought to the York regional SPCA facility in nearby Newmarket, later that same night. The dogs are receiving much-needed medical attention, Cross said.

It is expected that many of the dogs will require long-term veterinary care.

It’s still too early in the investigation to put dogs up for adoption, but the SPCA promised to let the public know when it’s time to find the pets a permanent home.

“I saw this on CTV News last night…I knew there was a great need for support and help so I’m here to do whatever is necessary,” Linda Weir, a local volunteer, told CTV Toronto on Tuesday.

The rescue was one of the largest ever made by OSPCA. The organization said it was tipped off by a concerned citizen.

The names of the homeowners have not been released and charges are pending in the ongoing investigation, Cross told ctvtoronto.ca on Tuesday.

If convicted, the accused could face up to two years in prison, a $60,000 fine and lifetime ban from pet ownership, she said.

SPCA lays charges against owners of alleged puppy mill in Wahnapitae, Canada November 7, 2008

Source: By Star Staff, Nov 6, 2008

The Sudbury of the Ontario SPCA have charged two people with running a puppy mill in the Wahnapitae area.

In a release Thursday, the SPCA said officers removed 42 small
breed dogs on Aug. 1 following an investigation. It was now says 37 of
those dogs and their offspring are available for adoption.

“In August, the Ontario SPCA obtained a search warrant and
found the facility to be unsanitary and the dogs covered in feces and
urine,” the agency said in a release. “The veterinarian on scene deemed
the animals to be in immediate distress and recommended their removal
from the property.

“The 42 dogs were taken to be bathed and groomed and then
moved to appropriate boarding facilities. The dogs underwent veterinary
examination and received proper medical and dental care.”

Janice Henry, 59, and Cynthia Szymychalski, 48, have been
charged under the Criminal Code of Canada with failing to provide
suitable and adequate care, and causing unnecessary suffering to 13
dogs.

Henry and Szymychalski also face seven charges each under the
Ontario SPCA Act, including confining an animal to an enclosure that is
dangerous to the animal’s health and well-being; confining an animal
with other animals that may pose a danger to the animal; and confining
an animal in unsanitary conditions without adequate space, ventilation
or opportunity to exercise.

Now that the dogs are safe, the SPCA is inviting people to
visit its Sudbury branch on Notre Dame Avenue to meet the dogs and fill
out adoption applications. Many of the dogs are being distributed to
other Ontario SPCA Community adoption centres.

If you would like to make a financial donation to keep the
shelter running, “Cash for the Claws” donations are tax receiptable,
please contact the Sudbury & District Branch at 705-566-9582.

To report animal cruelty, please contact the Ontario SPCA
Provincial Office at 1-888-668-7722, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(8477) or police.

Dogs seized in puppy mill bust being treated, Indiana October 14, 2008

Source: Times Mail, By Marcela Creps, Oct 14, 2008

BLOOMINGTON — Despite years of living in a puppy mill, Pumpkin still rubbed her nose against a city of Bloomington Animal Shelter cage to lick a visitor’s hand.

The 7-year-old black Labrador is one of 11 dogs seized in a puppy mill bust and brought to Bloomington for treatment at the animal shelter.

Representatives of Indiana State Police, the Humane Society of the United States, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies descended on a Sullivan County home Wednesday. Officials found more than 200 dogs, cats, horses and other animals living in horrific conditions. The animals suffered from a number of conditions, including open sores, broken bones, emaciation and rotted teeth, according to Sarah Hayes, CEO of the Monroe County Humane Association.

Hayes said she got a first-hand look at the puppy mill after the raid. She said the dogs were in small cages which were blocked so the animals had to look up to see out. Hayes said many probably had never been outside their cages or felt solid ground beneath their paws.

Local veterinarian Dr. Lauren Bowling of the Bloomington Cat Hospital was among the volunteers who evaluated the animals. The exams showed 67 animals needed urgent care, including 52 dogs, 10 horses, four cats and a goat. The animals have been transferred to a variety of humane organizations, with 11 dogs making a trip to Bloomington for treatment and eventual adoption.

Hayes said Pumpkin was the animal that nearly brought her to tears. When investigators opened Pumpkin’s cage, the dog ran directly to Hayes and buried her snout in Hayes’ lap.

“It’s those moments that can feel good,” Hayes said.

The other dogs include Lilac, a 5-year-old rat terrier with four puppies named Lauren, Anne, J.P. and Jason. Today, the 6-week-old puppies playfully nipped at their mother, who seemed leery of strangers.

In another caged area, a 5-year-old mixed terrier named Grace jumped up to greet visitors. Her three puppies, Sam, Hope and Miracle, had just opened their eyes over the weekend. The all-black puppies were a contrast to Grace’s honey-colored fur, leaving shelter workers to wonder if the puppies were indeed hers.

Another terrier-mix dog, Irene, was getting spayed today and will be ready for adoption this week. Pumpkin is also ready for adoption, while the other dogs need to get a little older before they can find new homes.

Most of the dogs were suffering some skin disorders and had other issues, according to Laurie Ringquist, director of the city of Bloomington Animal Shelter. While petting Pumpkin, Ringquist showed where the collar had left a mark on the dog’s neck.

“She’s probably had litter after litter,” Ringquist said.

Hayes said officials had been aware of the mill for a long time. The Indiana State Police in Terre Haute acted on complaints and went there with a warrant last week. Hayes said the owner allowed officials onto the property, where they found dogs, cats, birds, goats, miniature ponies and horses.

Ringquist said it is unusual for someone to have so many different types of animals. Puppy mills usually focus on dogs. Of the other types of animals, one pony had an untreated broken hip, but it still was forced to breed. Another horse was missing an eye. The goat was severely malnourished, Hayes said.

Authorities were only able to take the animals who were in serious need. The owner voluntarily relinquished the animals, which speeds up the adoption process. The remaining animals were left with the owner, who has not been charged.

Hayes said Sullivan County is one of 27 counties in Indiana without a humane society or an animal shelter.

State laws in Indiana give officials no right to take animals unless they are deemed neglected and in need of urgent care. Hayes said that because the owner didn’t sell directly to pet stores, there are no inspection requirements.

“The sad thing is, this woman still has plenty of breeding stock,” Ringquist said.

Hayes said puppy mill owners typically don’t view animals the way pet owners do.

“It’s a different mentality. It’s a product,” Hayes said. “This to them is a product. It’s money.”

Hayes said that in order for puppy mills to be shut down, better laws are needed. She encouraged the public to speak out and encourage elected officials to strengthen cruelty codes and laws. She said it is hard to determine how many puppy mills are in Indiana, since many stay underground.

Ringquist also encouraged people to adopt rather than shop. She said someone interested in a specific breed of dog needs to ask lots of questions about the animal’s origins and ask to see the dog’s parents and visit the breeder’s home.

“A reputable breeder is going to be proud of their lines,” she said.

Ringquist said they are seeking foster parents to get the nursing mothers and their litters into temporary homes. She hopes that time in a quiet home will help Lilac come out of her shell. On the other hand, Grace is an exuberant dog who simply needs to wait until her puppies are weaned before she can be adopted.

“She’s been like that since moment one,” Hayes said of the mixed terrier.

Seventy-six dogs seized in Oxford, NY October 14, 2008

Source: By: Melissa Stagnaro, Chenango Sun Staff Writer, Published: October 14th, 2008

OXFORD – Seventy-six Pomeranians were rescued from a property in Oxford on Sunday in a coordinated effort by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department and the Chenango County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Their owner was taken into custody the following day.

At the behest of deputies, SPCA Executive Director Carol Hedlund led a team of SPCA board members and staff into the house at 145 Williams Road in Oxford to retrieve the animals. She described the conditions they found as “horrific.”

Hedlund, who has been involved with a dozen similar seizures including a puppy mill bust in Chenango County earlier this year, ranked it as one of the worst she has seen.

“Everything in the house was covered in feces. We had to wear respirator masks to go get the dogs,” said Hedlund. Those who entered the house also used mentholated rub under their noses to mask the strong odor of fecal matter and urine. Duct tape secured pant legs and boots.

The double-wide trailer was unoccupied with the exception of the dogs. Hedlund reported that bags of food had been torn open and left for the animals. The contents, which were still being consumed by the dogs, had been defecated and urinated upon.

The dogs, which are considered evidence in the case against their owner, were taken to the SPCA where they will remain for the time being.

In addition to the 76 dogs recovered from the house, the remains of more than a dozen more were discovered in a wooded area adjacent to the structure.

“We took out 13 bags with at least one dog in each,” said Hedlund. A more accurate count was difficult because of the decomposition of the remains.

Hedlund stated that she believed the remains had been recently removed from the house, explaining that a cardboard box that held some of the bags did not appear to have been weathered.

The owner of the property, Steven W. Fong, 56, of 405 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn, was arrested on Monday. He was charged with 76 counts of failure to provide for an impounded animal.