NJ: Animal cruelty charges lodged against pet owners
A Belford woman pleaded guilty to 81 counts of failure to provide proper sustenance to her pets last week, according to Chief Victor "Buddy" Amato of the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
Amato said Marlene D. Sandford was fined $5,000 Dec. 11 in Middletown Municipal Court by Judge Michael Puglisi.
Sandford was charged with 81 counts of animal cruelty on July 23; Amato said MCSPCA law enforcement personnel removed more than 100 dogs from her house. "Several were pregnant. Many dogs died at the shelter," he said.
Sandford also pleaded guilty to seven other charges, including animal abuse, Amato said, and was ordered to pay $7,000, for a total of $12,00 in fines. She will also be subject to unannounced inspections by the MCSPCA and was ordered by the court to comply in a timely manner with all township zoning ordinances regarding kennels.
Amato said most of the dogs recovered were purebred Chihuahuas and that all of the animals removed became the property of the shelter.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
In another case, Amato said a Neptune man was charged with abandoning his dog.
According to Amato, Stephen Wilkerson, of Neptune, came to the Eatontown shelter on Dec. 8 to surrender his female American pit bull.
Amato said he was informed that he would have to make an appointment to do so and that there was a wait of a week. He was also informed that the dog could be surrendered immediately at the Associated Humane Society Shelter on Shafto Road.
According to Amato, Wilkerson left and drove to Old Deal Road in Eatontown, and was seen by a witness allegedly taking the dog into the woods, running back to the car and leaving.
The witness took down the license plate number and called Eatontown police, who intercepted Wilkerson and detained him, Amato said.
MCSPCA Law enforcement personnel and Eatontown police placed him under arrest. Wilkerson was charged with four counts of animal cruelty, one criminal and one civil count for abandonment, and one criminal charge and one civil charge of abuse of a living creature.
According to Amato, the charges carry a minimum of $2,000 in fines. A court date will be set in Eatontown. Amato said the young female pit bull is at the shelter and available for a foster home.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.htmlhttp://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
MO: Teddy Kiriakidis, 3 Others, Sentenced in Largest Dog Fighting Raid in U.S. History
MO: Teddy Kiriakidis, 3 Others, Sentenced in Largest Dog Fighting Raid in U.S. History
By Pete Kotz in Animal Cruelty
Thursday, Dec. 10 2009 @ 6:00AM
In July, a raid by federal agents in seven states broke what they believed to be the largest dog-fighting ring in U.S. history. More than 500 dogs were seized and 26 people busted. The ring spread across Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas.
Now four of its leaders have been sentenced to prison in Missouri. Teddy Kiriakidis, 50, of Leasburg, and Ronald Creach, 34, of Leslie, were each given 18 months in the slam. Michael Morgan, 38, of Hannibal and 56-year-old Robert Hackman of Foley were given a year. They all had pleaded guilt to conspiracy.
Of the 500 dogs seized, 180 had to be put down due to the severity of their injuries.
CA: Chihuahuas crowding California shelters
CA: Chihuahuas crowding California shelters
State’s centers overrun by the little yappers; experts blame pop culture
Dec. 11: Animal shelters in California are reporting a glut of abandoned Chihuahuas, leaving officials scrambling to find homes for all the tiny dogs. NBC’s George Lewis reports.
updated 4:58 p.m. PT, Thurs., Dec . 10, 2009
LOS ANGELES - California has more Chihuahuas than it can handle, and it has Hollywood to blame.
There are so many Chihuahuas at shelters in Oakland, they have started shipping the dogs out of state, said Megan Webb, director of Oakland Animal Services. They have sent about 100 to Washington, Oregon and Arizona, she said, “and as soon as they get them, they are ready for new ones.”
Chihuahuas make up 30 percent or more of the dog populations at many California shelters. And experts say pop culture is to blame, with fans imitating Chihuahua-toting celebrities like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, then abandoning the dogs.
The problem appears to be specific to California — shelters elsewhere would love to share the wealth, said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York City. “We never have enough supply for the huge consumer demand for small dogs,” she said.
One of Webb’s biggest problems is a lack of money to fly the dogs to other states. Buchwald said she would be happy to help. “Nothing is outside the realm of possibility here. We have a supply-demand issue,” she said.
Chihuahuas are the most popular breed of dog in Los Angeles, so it makes sense it is the most abandoned breed, said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. In Oakland, some days, they get 10 of the 5-pound dogs a day, Webb said.
The problem is so bad that shelters all over California that were built for big dogs had to remodel to accommodate the little guys.
Among the reasons for the glut is the breed’s popularity in movies like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and as celebrity pets, said Dave Frangipane, senior coordinator for Chihuahua Rescue of Beverly Hills. A cute puppy can grow up to have adult health problems or become protective and aggressive.
We asked some pet experts to give us the lowdown on what’s true and what’s not when it comes to dog and cat behavior and care.
There are less glamorous reasons, too, like the high vet bills Chihuahuas can bring. And the biggest spikes in California Chihuahua populations are probably due to puppy mills and backyard breeders, Buchwald and Frangipane said.
Chihuahuas are cute, but vulnerable, Frangipane said. “People think nothing of kicking a small, yappy dog. And they can be abused by people of all sizes. A toddler can snap a Chihuahua’s leg in a second,” he said.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34352750/ns/health-pet_health/
State’s centers overrun by the little yappers; experts blame pop culture
Dec. 11: Animal shelters in California are reporting a glut of abandoned Chihuahuas, leaving officials scrambling to find homes for all the tiny dogs. NBC’s George Lewis reports.
updated 4:58 p.m. PT, Thurs., Dec . 10, 2009
LOS ANGELES - California has more Chihuahuas than it can handle, and it has Hollywood to blame.
There are so many Chihuahuas at shelters in Oakland, they have started shipping the dogs out of state, said Megan Webb, director of Oakland Animal Services. They have sent about 100 to Washington, Oregon and Arizona, she said, “and as soon as they get them, they are ready for new ones.”
Chihuahuas make up 30 percent or more of the dog populations at many California shelters. And experts say pop culture is to blame, with fans imitating Chihuahua-toting celebrities like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, then abandoning the dogs.
The problem appears to be specific to California — shelters elsewhere would love to share the wealth, said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York City. “We never have enough supply for the huge consumer demand for small dogs,” she said.
One of Webb’s biggest problems is a lack of money to fly the dogs to other states. Buchwald said she would be happy to help. “Nothing is outside the realm of possibility here. We have a supply-demand issue,” she said.
Chihuahuas are the most popular breed of dog in Los Angeles, so it makes sense it is the most abandoned breed, said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. In Oakland, some days, they get 10 of the 5-pound dogs a day, Webb said.
The problem is so bad that shelters all over California that were built for big dogs had to remodel to accommodate the little guys.
Among the reasons for the glut is the breed’s popularity in movies like “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and as celebrity pets, said Dave Frangipane, senior coordinator for Chihuahua Rescue of Beverly Hills. A cute puppy can grow up to have adult health problems or become protective and aggressive.
We asked some pet experts to give us the lowdown on what’s true and what’s not when it comes to dog and cat behavior and care.
There are less glamorous reasons, too, like the high vet bills Chihuahuas can bring. And the biggest spikes in California Chihuahua populations are probably due to puppy mills and backyard breeders, Buchwald and Frangipane said.
Chihuahuas are cute, but vulnerable, Frangipane said. “People think nothing of kicking a small, yappy dog. And they can be abused by people of all sizes. A toddler can snap a Chihuahua’s leg in a second,” he said.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34352750/ns/health-pet_health/
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