Sheriff: 4 arrested in 3 separate animal abuse cases
Reported by: Deborah Stocks
Email: dstocks@abc15.com
Last Update: 5:20 pm
MESA, AZ -- Authorities say four people in Maricopa County have been arrested on charges of animal cruelty and neglect.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says the arrests were made in three separate cases after detectives received information from separate sources.
Mesa residents Terrance Carrol, 54, and Debi Carrol, 41, were arrested on four counts of animal cruelty. Detectives made the arrests with the help of Alta Vista Animal Hospital, according to authorities.
Also arrested was Gila Bend resident Jeannetta Berry and Mesa resident Jorge Gonzales. Their ages were not released by officials.
Berry and Gonzales were also arrested on animal cruelty charges Tuesday.
Source: http://www.abc15.com/content/news/southeastvalley/mesa/story/Sheriff-4-arrested-in-3-separate-animal-abuse/k12Wf0z1VUWUfueiCXfftg.cspx
Showing posts with label legal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legal. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
OH: Animal Neglect Case in Columbiana County
OH: Animal Neglect Case in Columbiana County
Humane agents removed 15 dogs from a South Egypt Road residence in Salem township Tuesday morning. All were Australian Shepards that mostly lived in outdoor pens. This follows over a year of efforts by agents to get the owner to improve living conditions for the animals. Ten dogs were removed previously. The owner may face up to 15 charges of animal neglect. Police believe he was breeding the dogs. They will all be placed in foster care. The investigation remains ongoing.
More details here and on our broadcasts as they become available.
Source: http://www.wytv.com/content/news/local/story/Animal-Neglect-Case-in-Columbiana-County/8dOvcTxpj0q_xf7VmAk-Rw.cspx
Canada: Staff return to Toronto Humane Society for first time since November raids
Staff return to Toronto Humane Society for first time since November raids
TORONTO — Toronto Humane Society staff re-entered the facility today for the first time since the animal shelter was raided last month. However, the facility remains closed to the public and there is no word on when that will change.The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals searched the shelter in November and uncovered several alleged cases of animal neglect.
The society's former president, Tim Trow, and four senior employees were arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
THS president Bob Hambley says he is pleased the court has recognized that the "unending occupation of the THS had to stop." He also says in a statement that staff are "very happy to be returning" to the facility to resume business operations. Hambley adds that he will not deal with legal matters in the media but in the courts. A court action was filed last week by the Humane Society accusing the OSPCA of defamation, trespass and negligent investigation.
"This has been a difficult five weeks for all of us as we have been prevented from doing what we always strive to do, which is to treat sick, injured and abandoned animals," said Hambley.
"We look forward to updating everyone on when the THS will reopen to the public again and recommence adoptions.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
OR: Pet Talk: Animal-protection laws put Oregon among top 5 states
Pet Talk: Animal-protection laws put Oregon among top 5 states
By Jacques Von Lunen, Special to The Oregon...
December 29, 2009, 4:18AM
View full size THOMAS BOYD/ Tucker, a Chihuahua mix whose mother was rescued from a puppy mill, and owner Terri Rise attend a March 30 rally at the state Capitol in Salem in support of House Bill 2470. The law, which takes effect Friday, aims to stop puppy mills, in the words of demonstrators' signs. Anyone exploiting, neglecting or abusing animals will have an even harder time in Oregon come Friday. A number of new animal laws will take effect Jan.1 in Oregon, which the Animal Legal Defense Fund ranks among the nation's top five states for going after animal abusers.
This year's legislative session debated 16 bills concerning animals, an unprecedented number. Some bills -- the umpteenth attempt to ban pit bulls, for example -- died on the vine. Some deal only with the finer points of enforcing animal law.
But six of the bills the governor signed are of direct concern to animal owners. Here's a look at the most profound changes.
Puppy mills
Surely the most controversial of the bills debated last spring was H.B. 2470, dubbed the puppy-mill bill. Hotly contested in public hearings, the final legislation didn't contain all the measures its proponents wanted to keep irresponsible breeders from churning out sick, unsocialized dogs.
But it put a number of restrictions on Oregon breeders, all designed to combat the conditions found in puppy mills.
Most controversially, the law limits the number of sexually intact dogs anyone can own. Breeders cannot have more than 50 of such dogs older than 2.
The law mandates the care dogs receive in a breeder's kennel. Dogs must get at least one hour of exercise a day. They must have enough room to turn, sit, stand and lie down without touching the walls or another dog. They can't be kept in stacked cages and they must have solid flooring.
The law requires breeders and sellers of dogs to maintain strict health records.
Within 15 days of a purchase, sellers must offer a refund or a replacement pup to owners whose dogs are diseased. Within one year of a purchase, buyers can get a refund or replacement for a dog with birth defects that limit its life.
Sellers must disclose a dog's origins, including how many litters the breeder sold the previous year. It remains to be seen how effective this law will be. Two states that have such laws show two possible outcomes.
Virginia, first in the nation to enact a similar law a year ago, has barely made use of the new tool, the Waynesboro News Virginian reported. One high-volume breeder was shut down this year, but authorities didn't use the puppy-mill law to bust him. Instead, he was accused of animal cruelty.
Pennsylvania, infamous for having many puppy mills, reports dramatic changes since a new law went on the books last fall. In Lancaster County alone, 52 kennels have either closed or announced they'll do so by the end of the year, the York Daily Record/Sunday News reported.
Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2009/12/pet_talk_animal-protection_law.html
Monday, December 28, 2009
MO: Animal Welfare Groups Propose Ballot Measure to Tighten Rules for Missouri Dog Breeders
MO: Animal Welfare Groups Propose Ballot Measure to Tighten Rules for Missouri Dog Breeders
By Chris Blank
The Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY | Several animal welfare groups are urging Missouri voters to adopt new rules for dog-breeders that cap the number of dogs, require rest periods after breeding and establish care requirements.
Under the proposal, dog-breeders could only have 50 breeding dogs and would be required to feed animals daily, provide annual veterinary care and not breed animals more than twice every 18 months. Breeders also would have to follow rules for the dogs’ living space and house animals indoors with unfettered access to an outdoor exercise yard.
The rules would apply to people with at least 10 dogs for breeding. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.
The Missouri secretary of state’s office Monday approved a ballot summary for two initiative petitions involving dog-breeding. That means supporters can begin collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot. They need about 100,000 signatures by May 2.
The dog-breeding ballot measure is backed by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs — a coalition comprised of the Humane Society of Missouri, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Humane Society of the United States.
Critics said Monday they plan to challenge the petition in court and contend the proposal could harm dogs by creating the same set of rules without considering differences between breeds.
For example, opponents say exercise requirements could pose problems by forcing large dogs with thick coats to be outside during the summer and small dogs with thin coats to be outside during the winter. Also, the mandatory rest periods between litters could lead to dangerous infections.
If approved by voters, the new breeding rules would be called the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.” Animal groups say Missouri is a national leader in “puppy mills” with thousands of inhumane dog-breeding businesses.
Ginger Steinmetz, the executive director for the Missouri Alliance of Animal Legislation, said Missourians want dog-breeding laws strengthened. Steinmetz said Monday that some of the most important changes would be requiring a solid floor underneath dogs and barring the stacking of cages.
“This measure will mean less suffering for thousands of adult breeding dogs, which currently spend their entire lives in wire cages,” she said in a written statement. “As the leading puppy-producing state, Missouri should also lead the nation when it comes to the conditions under which puppies are bred for sale.”
Karen Strange, a leader for the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners that opposes the ballot measure, said Missouri’s existing laws are adequate and should be enforced. Strange said nearly every dog-breeder in the state would need to make changes to comply with the proposed rules and that capping the number of dogs inhibits ownership rights.
“What this measure does is one-size-fits-all,” she said. “There is a huge difference between a Chihuahua and a Great Dane, and one size does not fit all.”
The secretary of state’s office on Monday also approved ballot summaries for several versions of an initiative petition to limit an earnings tax on those who work in cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City but live elsewhere.
According to a cost estimate prepared for the ballot measure, Kansas City expects to collect $199 million from its earning tax this year and St. Louis has budgeted $141 million.
Posted on Mon, Dec. 28, 2009 04:35 PM
Source: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1653334.html
By Chris Blank
The Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY | Several animal welfare groups are urging Missouri voters to adopt new rules for dog-breeders that cap the number of dogs, require rest periods after breeding and establish care requirements.
Under the proposal, dog-breeders could only have 50 breeding dogs and would be required to feed animals daily, provide annual veterinary care and not breed animals more than twice every 18 months. Breeders also would have to follow rules for the dogs’ living space and house animals indoors with unfettered access to an outdoor exercise yard.
The rules would apply to people with at least 10 dogs for breeding. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.
The Missouri secretary of state’s office Monday approved a ballot summary for two initiative petitions involving dog-breeding. That means supporters can begin collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot. They need about 100,000 signatures by May 2.
The dog-breeding ballot measure is backed by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs — a coalition comprised of the Humane Society of Missouri, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Humane Society of the United States.
Critics said Monday they plan to challenge the petition in court and contend the proposal could harm dogs by creating the same set of rules without considering differences between breeds.
For example, opponents say exercise requirements could pose problems by forcing large dogs with thick coats to be outside during the summer and small dogs with thin coats to be outside during the winter. Also, the mandatory rest periods between litters could lead to dangerous infections.
If approved by voters, the new breeding rules would be called the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.” Animal groups say Missouri is a national leader in “puppy mills” with thousands of inhumane dog-breeding businesses.
Ginger Steinmetz, the executive director for the Missouri Alliance of Animal Legislation, said Missourians want dog-breeding laws strengthened. Steinmetz said Monday that some of the most important changes would be requiring a solid floor underneath dogs and barring the stacking of cages.
“This measure will mean less suffering for thousands of adult breeding dogs, which currently spend their entire lives in wire cages,” she said in a written statement. “As the leading puppy-producing state, Missouri should also lead the nation when it comes to the conditions under which puppies are bred for sale.”
Karen Strange, a leader for the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners that opposes the ballot measure, said Missouri’s existing laws are adequate and should be enforced. Strange said nearly every dog-breeder in the state would need to make changes to comply with the proposed rules and that capping the number of dogs inhibits ownership rights.
“What this measure does is one-size-fits-all,” she said. “There is a huge difference between a Chihuahua and a Great Dane, and one size does not fit all.”
The secretary of state’s office on Monday also approved ballot summaries for several versions of an initiative petition to limit an earnings tax on those who work in cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City but live elsewhere.
According to a cost estimate prepared for the ballot measure, Kansas City expects to collect $199 million from its earning tax this year and St. Louis has budgeted $141 million.
Posted on Mon, Dec. 28, 2009 04:35 PM
Source: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1653334.html
MO: Puppy Mill Broker Caught in Insecticide Scam
Puppy Mill Broker Caught in Insecticide Scam
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that Hunte Kennel Systems and Animal Care Inc., a division of Hunte Corporation, the largest U.S. wholesaler-distributor, and also an international broker, of puppies, has agreed to pay a $56,632 civil penalty.Hunte is paying the penalty to settle charges the company illegally sold an insecticide meant for use on cows and pigs as a flea and tick treatment for dogs. Hunte is said to have repackaged and relabeled the insecticide, Prolate/Lintox-HD, and sold it under the name Paramite.
This scam is said to have violated the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
The Hunte Corporation breeds and raises puppies and also buys puppies from puppy mills and sells them to pet stores including to the notorious Petland and has been named as a co-conspirator in a scheme to sell sick puppies from puppy mills to the public. The puppies that even Hunte believes are not well enough or in good enough condition for sale to pet stores are sold thru newspaper ads, the internet or at flea markets. Hunte also sells puppies for research and sends them to other countries for other uses.
Go here for a look at the USDA's many citations of Hunte for violations of the Animal Welfare Act regulations. (Look at the Breeder and Dealer categories, under H for Hunte Corporation and T for The Hunte Corporation.)
Take a look here at an investigation of Hunte Corporation by the Companion Animal Protection Society.
In 2003 Hunte was cited by the Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources for dumping dead puppies on its property in violation of the state Clean Water and Waste Management law.
In 2006 60 puppies were killed in a truck fire, and in 2007 94 puppies were jeopardized in another truck fire. The puppies were caged in Hunte trucks transporting them to pet stores for sale. Hunte trucks have been caught without air conditioning in the summer and with no windows.
Go here and here for information about franchisees that have brought suit in Ohio for what they claim are Petland and Hunte's sleazy, fraudulent business practices.
Hunte boasts tens of millions of dollars in revenues each year from the sale of 90,000 or more puppies as well as pet supplies such as the faked "flea and tick treatment" for dogs. The company's headquarters is located in Goodman, Missouri, and it is there that Hunte has its facility for puppies. Puppy mills are a big business in Missouri, and the very agency charged with regulating breeders and dealers like Hunte, the USDA, has approved millions in Rural Development loans for the company in the past decade to expand its business. The business that profits from the misery of dogs trapped in puppy mills or bred and sold for research or worse.
Source: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/companion-animal-breeding/article/1126
ID: Few animal welfare laws keep Idaho in the doghouse
Few animal welfare laws keep Idaho in the doghouse
For the fourth year in a row, the state's among the very worst in an Animal Legal Defense Fund ranking.
BY KATY MOELLER - kmoeller@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2009 Idaho Statesman
Published: 12/28/09
Boise animal welfare advocate Virginia Hemingway says some state legislators are glad when Idaho rates poorly regarding animal protection laws. "One told me, 'I'm proud we're on those lists. It shows Idaho is a state that protects individuals' rights,' " said Hemingway, founder of the group Stop Torturing Our Pets. "They are blindfolded about what's happening to the animals."
That's why it's important for Idahoans who want the state to become a leader in animal protection to write, call or visit their state legislators, said Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the private, non-profit Idaho Humane Society in Boise. "Things won't change until the public gets involved in letting lawmakers know that they want animal cruelty taken seriously in their community," Rosenthal said.
"That's what changed everything for drunk-driving enforcement," he said. "It used to be swept under the table. It took MADD to change that. They demanded prosecutors take it seriously."
Stephan Otto, a Portland-based spokesman for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said it's often a series of well-publicized cases of egregious abuse that galvanizes the public. As an example, he cited the recent case of a dog in Cascade whose throat was cut, allegedly the cruel result of a dispute between neighbors. Robert Roby, a 48-year-old Cascade man, was originally charged with four misdemeanors: animal cruelty, malicious injury to property, disturbing the peace and trespass. "The laws have not caught up with society's values," Otto said.
Because of the value of the dog and the cost of injuries in the Cascade case, Valley County Prosecutor Matt Williams was able to add a charge of felony grand theft and upgrade the malicious injury to property to a felony (damage exceeding $1,000).
But Idaho animal welfare advocates say they feel frustrated. While neighboring Oregon is ranked fourth best in animal protection in the country by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Idaho ranks the fourth worst.
Rosenthal said some in agriculture and animal husbandry are the most opposed to added penalties, including a felony offense for repeat offenders and the most serious cases. "There's a lot of baseless fear. They say, 'Oh god, we absolutely can't have those cruelty laws or we won't have ranching and farming, and you won't be able to breed or even own a dog,'" Rosenthal said.
Idaho is one of four states left in the country without a felony animal abuse statute - and that's what Idaho animal protection advocates are promoting. But it's just one reason why the state ranks so low. Idaho also loses points for having no restrictions on ownership or possession of animals following a conviction or for the lack of a requirement of mental health evaluation and counseling for repeat offenders.
Idaho has passed two major animal welfare measures in the past five years: Dogfighting is a felony crime, and there's a forfeiture/bond law that puts the cost of care for animals that have been seized on the owner - if they don't post bond, the animals may be adopted out. The Idaho Humane Society wrote the drafts of those bills and lobbied for passage. They've been working for eight years to get a felony animal abuse law passed.
Hemingway has been pushing the past three years for a felony animal abuse law that targets repeat abusers and the most serious offenders. She believes Idaho will eventually add it, even if it's the last state in the country to do it. "I may be dead by then," she joked. "You get to a point where you've been banging your head on the wall." As with any legislation, one word can stall, even kill, the bill.
Last year, "it was the word 'neglect,' " Hemingway said. "There was a person who wanted the word neglect taken out of our definition of torture." She's hoping for better success in the legislative session that begins in January.
Lisa Kauffman, Idaho state director of the Humane Society of the United States (not affiliated with the Idaho Humane Society), said her organization is most interested in seeing a felony animal cruelty law and a felony penalty for cockfighting.
She said a recent dispute over an injured dog and her puppies in Jefferson County points out the need for a better definition of neglect and abandonment. In that case, Northwest Animal Companions Executive Director Troy Jackson was charged with felony grand theft for taking the dog and pups to get veterinary care. "Idaho is always close to or the last state to enact proactive laws on most major issues. For once, I'd like to see us get ahead of the game in this area," Kauffman said.
Rosenthal said Idaho needs better animal protection laws, but that's not all. "I've said this ad nauseam - it doesn't matter what's written on paper if we don't have law enforcement that's willing or able to enforce the laws," Rosenthal said. "It doesn't make a bit of difference."
Katy Moeller: 377-6413
Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/1022596.html
NJ: N.J. lawmakers propose charging dog-fighting organizers under anti-racketeering laws
N.J. lawmakers propose charging dog-fighting organizers under anti-racketeering laws
By The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
December 28, 2009, 7:09PM
John O'Boyle / The Star-Ledger
May 2007 photo of a pitbull at the Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City. The dog was dropped off by an owner who said it did not have the temperament for dog fighting.
TRENTON -- Two New Jersey state senators have proposed a bill that would charge leaders of dog-fighting rings under anti-racketeering (RICO) statutes, according to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Under the proposed law by Sens. Van Drew (D-Cape May) and Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union), organizers of dog fighting could face up to 20 years in prison, in cases where violence or guns were involved, the report said. New Jersey would be able to seize profits or property gained from dog fighting, according to the report.
The two senators have also proposed a bill for restraining orders that would protect pets in domestic disputes, the report said.
Source: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_lawmakers_propose_bill_that.html
====================================
Tougher dog-fighting laws proposed in NJ
By Jonathan Tamari
INQUIRER TRENTON BUREAU
The leaders of New Jersey dog-fighting rings could be charged under the same anti-racketeering laws used to prosecute mobsters under a bill proposed by two state senators.
If prosecuted under the state's anti-racketeering (RICO) statute, organizers of dog-fighting networks could face tough new penalties - up to 20 years in prison - in cases where violence or guns were involved. The state also could seize profits or property gained from dog fighting, a penalty that animal-rights groups see as an important deterrent.
"You can judge a society by the way it treats its most vulnerable," said Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D., Cape May), a sponsor of the bill. "Those that abuse animals in this way, in this severe way, are often individuals that go on to commit heinous acts against adults and children."
Van Drew and Thomas Kean Jr. (R., Union), another sponsor of the legislation, also have proposed a bill that would let judges issue restraining orders to protect pets in domestic disputes. While dog fighting already is illegal in New Jersey, the proposed bill would make the state the fourth in the country to bring leaders of dog-fighting rings under RICO statutes, according to the Senate Republican office. Oregon, Utah and Virginia have similar laws.
With gambling and other illegal profits tied to dog-fighting networks, Kean said it makes sense to charge the leading offenders under the laws that most famously exist to combat organized crime. "The RICO charges are really the only true statute that exists that hits the depth and breadth of these dog-fighting rings," Kean said.
Under current state laws, dog fighting carries a penalty of three to five years in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. The range of penalties is the same whether the person gambles on or hosts a fight, or is an active organizer who keeps and trains the dogs. The existing penalties would remain for people who own or train fighting dogs, permit dog fights on their property or bet on dog fights.
Under the Senators' plan, a dog-fighting organizer or financier would face much stiffer sentences: five to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. Because being a leader could trigger the state's RICO laws, the penalty would grow if the organizer was convicted of a violent offense or gun crime in connection with dog fighting.
The state also could seize the profits garnered by dog-fighting leaders. "You've made a half-million dollars and bought a real nice house? . . . The government can take that away from you," said John Goodwin, manager of animal-fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States. The threat of such losses, "can be a very effective tool," he said.
Laws to combat dog fighting have gained momentum since the 2007 conviction of National Football League star Michael Vick, now a backup quarterback for the Eagles.
Goodwin said that 29 dog-fighting laws have been approved since that case wrapped up: one on the federal level, one in Washington, D.C., and 27 in state legislatures.
Matt Stanton, a spokesman for the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said dog-fighting cases in the state have remained relatively steady - 30 to 40 per year - but he suspects that publicity surrounding the crime has driven some organizations deeper underground.
Any steps to toughen dog-fighting laws is helpful, he said, though he noted that the intensity of prosecution varies. Some local police and prosecutors don't crack down on animal cruelty as hard as other crimes, Stanton said, while "others understand it's a big problem."
Van Drew and Kean's bill pertaining to restraining orders in domestic disputes also is aimed at protecting animals. The lawmakers and animal-rights spokesmen said that pets make easy targets in family conflicts. Violence against animals, they added, often spills over into other areas. "If somebody's going to beat up an animal, they don't have a problem throwing their fists around," Stanton said.
Thirteen states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico allow for these types of restraining orders, according to the Senate GOP.
Both the dog-fighting and restraining-order bills were recently introduced, making it unlikely that they will be approved before Jan. 12, when the current legislative session ends and a new one begins. Kean said introducing the proposals will help set the stage for passage in the next session.
Source: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/80232552.html
Sunday, December 27, 2009
OH: Three Dogs Found in Horrific Conditions; Owner Arrested
Three Dogs Found in Horrific Conditions; Owner Arrested
LORAIN, Ohio---A horrific case of animal abuse was discovered inside a home in Lorain. Officers were called to the Eagle Avenue home on Christmas Day.
According to police, a woman asked a neighbor to call police after she claimed her ex-husband kicked in her back door and stole items. While checking outside the house, the officers spotted two adult dogs and a puppy in an outside run. According to police, all three dogs were emaciated and appeared to be starving to death.
The police report states that when questioned about the open wounds on the female Great Dane, the woman claimed the two adult dogs fought over food the last time she fed them. The report also states that the kennel floor was covered with dog feces so thick that the animals had no choice but to step in it. There was no food or water, nor any insulation that I could see inside the kennel itself that would allow the dogs to stay warm
The 27-year-old woman was arrested on three counts of cruelty to animals. She was taken to Lorain County Jail. The dogs were confiscated and taken to a local veterinarian for treatment.
Source:
LORAIN, Ohio---A horrific case of animal abuse was discovered inside a home in Lorain. Officers were called to the Eagle Avenue home on Christmas Day.
According to police, a woman asked a neighbor to call police after she claimed her ex-husband kicked in her back door and stole items. While checking outside the house, the officers spotted two adult dogs and a puppy in an outside run. According to police, all three dogs were emaciated and appeared to be starving to death.
The police report states that when questioned about the open wounds on the female Great Dane, the woman claimed the two adult dogs fought over food the last time she fed them. The report also states that the kennel floor was covered with dog feces so thick that the animals had no choice but to step in it. There was no food or water, nor any insulation that I could see inside the kennel itself that would allow the dogs to stay warm
The 27-year-old woman was arrested on three counts of cruelty to animals. She was taken to Lorain County Jail. The dogs were confiscated and taken to a local veterinarian for treatment.
Source:
WA: Mid-Coumbia's top 10 stories of 2009: 371 American Eskimo pups found
Mid-Coumbia's top 10 stories of 2009
The 371 American Eskimo pups with dirty, matted hair found in deplorable conditions in east Kennewick spotlighted Benton County's animal control problem. Dogs were living in make-shift cages, including boxes, crates and overturned shopping carts, when a deputy responding to an unrelated call stumbled on them.
The sheriff sought help from The Humane Society of the United States and in May dozens of animal rescue volunteers converged on Ella Stewart's two-acre property. Humane Society officials called it one of the largest and worst puppy mills they had seen in the nation.
Some dogs, which were taken to 11 shelters and rescue groups in the Northwest, are still waiting to be adopted.
Stewart, 67, of Kennewick, is awaiting trial on multiple animal cruelty charges.
And Sheriff Larry Taylor has proposed operating an animal control facility for Benton County, ending years of debate over animal control in the rural area. County commissioners approved Taylor's low-kill proposal in mid-August, and Taylor hopes to have the facility operating by late spring.
Source: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/843038.html
The 371 American Eskimo pups with dirty, matted hair found in deplorable conditions in east Kennewick spotlighted Benton County's animal control problem. Dogs were living in make-shift cages, including boxes, crates and overturned shopping carts, when a deputy responding to an unrelated call stumbled on them.
The sheriff sought help from The Humane Society of the United States and in May dozens of animal rescue volunteers converged on Ella Stewart's two-acre property. Humane Society officials called it one of the largest and worst puppy mills they had seen in the nation.
Some dogs, which were taken to 11 shelters and rescue groups in the Northwest, are still waiting to be adopted.
Stewart, 67, of Kennewick, is awaiting trial on multiple animal cruelty charges.
And Sheriff Larry Taylor has proposed operating an animal control facility for Benton County, ending years of debate over animal control in the rural area. County commissioners approved Taylor's low-kill proposal in mid-August, and Taylor hopes to have the facility operating by late spring.
Source: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/843038.html
Friday, December 25, 2009
HI: Hawaii gets low ranking for animal protection laws
Hawaii gets low ranking for animal protection laws
By BRIAN PERRY, City Editor
POSTED: December 25, 2009
PUUNENE - While a California-based animal rights group contends Hawaii ranks among the worst states in the nation in terms of animal protection laws, Maui Humane Society Chief Executive Officer Jocelyn Bouchard says she's not surprised.
Only two or three years ago, after trying for eight years, animal rights groups were successful in lobbying state lawmakers to make animal cruelty a felony, she said. But even that law specifically excluded chickens because of the strength of Hawaii's cockfighting lobby. "We knew it wasn't perfect, but we knew we could get it through (the Legislature)," she said Wednesday. In lobbying for legislation, "you pass what you can, (and) work year after year to get it better and better."
In ranking animal protection laws, the Animal Legal Defense Fund looked at animal abuse laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Its study grouped Hawaii with Kentucky, North Dakota, Idaho and Mississippi as the five worst states. The nation's best states are Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon and California, according to the group.
The group says that Hawaii state law doesn't include felonies for extreme neglect or abandonment of animals or provisions requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse. It also says that Hawaii's animal fighting laws are insufficient and its peace officers have no duty to enforce animal protection laws.
Cockfighting in Hawaii is a "huge obstacle" for animal rights advocates, Bouchard said. Cockfighters are "very organized," and they "speak against any legislation that might affect them," she said.
Bouchard said she'd like to see tougher state laws against cockfighting specifically, but also against dogfighting, which "is starting to become a problem on Maui." She speculated that gaining legislation against dogfighting might be easier to do because laws against the blood sport are "something more people can rally around." Also, current state law bans cruelty against pet animals, such as dogs, cats and caged birds, but it excludes chickens, Bouchard said.
Hawaii law requires those prosecuting abuse to show someone was "willful and intentional" in inflicting pain or disfigurement, she said. Maui Humane Society officials investigate reports of abuse, but need physical evidence, such as injuries to the animal, to successfully prosecute a case.
Bouchard said that animal rights advocates would pursue improved laws during next year's legislative session, which begins in mid-January. Among the measures they expect to seek would be a law making it illegal to tie up a dog 24 hours a day or to use a heavy chain that would injure it. Another measure would put a limit on the number of dogs and cats that could be kept together in a cage, she said. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we're aware of that," she said.
* Brian Perry can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.
Source: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/527063.html
By BRIAN PERRY, City Editor
POSTED: December 25, 2009
PUUNENE - While a California-based animal rights group contends Hawaii ranks among the worst states in the nation in terms of animal protection laws, Maui Humane Society Chief Executive Officer Jocelyn Bouchard says she's not surprised.
Only two or three years ago, after trying for eight years, animal rights groups were successful in lobbying state lawmakers to make animal cruelty a felony, she said. But even that law specifically excluded chickens because of the strength of Hawaii's cockfighting lobby. "We knew it wasn't perfect, but we knew we could get it through (the Legislature)," she said Wednesday. In lobbying for legislation, "you pass what you can, (and) work year after year to get it better and better."
In ranking animal protection laws, the Animal Legal Defense Fund looked at animal abuse laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Its study grouped Hawaii with Kentucky, North Dakota, Idaho and Mississippi as the five worst states. The nation's best states are Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon and California, according to the group.
The group says that Hawaii state law doesn't include felonies for extreme neglect or abandonment of animals or provisions requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse. It also says that Hawaii's animal fighting laws are insufficient and its peace officers have no duty to enforce animal protection laws.
Cockfighting in Hawaii is a "huge obstacle" for animal rights advocates, Bouchard said. Cockfighters are "very organized," and they "speak against any legislation that might affect them," she said.
Bouchard said she'd like to see tougher state laws against cockfighting specifically, but also against dogfighting, which "is starting to become a problem on Maui." She speculated that gaining legislation against dogfighting might be easier to do because laws against the blood sport are "something more people can rally around." Also, current state law bans cruelty against pet animals, such as dogs, cats and caged birds, but it excludes chickens, Bouchard said.
Hawaii law requires those prosecuting abuse to show someone was "willful and intentional" in inflicting pain or disfigurement, she said. Maui Humane Society officials investigate reports of abuse, but need physical evidence, such as injuries to the animal, to successfully prosecute a case.
Bouchard said that animal rights advocates would pursue improved laws during next year's legislative session, which begins in mid-January. Among the measures they expect to seek would be a law making it illegal to tie up a dog 24 hours a day or to use a heavy chain that would injure it. Another measure would put a limit on the number of dogs and cats that could be kept together in a cage, she said. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we're aware of that," she said.
* Brian Perry can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.
Source: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/527063.html
NY: Bird's the Word - Caniglia Receives Additional Criminal Charges
Bird's the Word - Caniglia Receives Additional Criminal Charges
By Brian Rubin
WAWARSING – Juan "Victor" Caniglia, who was arrested on December 4 for 78 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse, has been additionally charged with a felony by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for possessing and intending to sell "protected wildlife consisting of wild birds with a value in excess of $1,500, without having obtained a license or permit from the New York State DEC." The initial arrest and animal abuse charges came after members of the Ulster County SPCA found over seven dozen birds being held in deplorable and unclean conditions in a small, under-heated shed.
Caniglia has pled not guilty to the charges brought against him.
According to Brian Shapiro, UCSPCA's executive director, each of the 78 misdemeanor counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal carry a penalty of up to a year in prison and $1,000 fine. Additionally, the felony charge carries a penalty of one to four years in prison.
The SPCA confiscated the birds that were found, as well as three rabbits presumably being raised for food that were also in the shed. Among the birds were "macaws, cockatiels, and two wild birds; a female cardinal and a tufted titmouse," said a press release issued by the SPCA earlier this week.
Since going into the care of the SPCA, said Shapiro, the birds' conditions have improved dramatically.
"The birds are in improved health at this time," he said. "Compared to how they were in that shed, they're like different animals, and it's really something positive to see. It's, quite frankly, a joy to behold."
The birds will remain in the SPCA's care until they are no longer needed for evidence in the animal abuse case. Shapiro said that the organization would request a bond hearing, which would require the defendant to provide money for the continued care of the animals.
"If [Caniglia] cannot come up with the funds, they have five days to relinquish the animals to the care of the impounding agency," said Shapiro. At this point, the animals would become the property of the SPCA, and once they're no longer required to be held as evidence in the trial, the adoption process would begin.
"Having so many animals has strained our resources," said Shapiro. "We are here to provide humane law services to the community. We're hoping that the community will help us through donations for this effort and other humane law efforts."
To contact the Ulster County SPCA, their phone number is 845- 331-5377, and their address is 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston, NY.
Source: http://www.shawangunkjournal.com/2009/12/24/news/0912243.html
By Brian Rubin
WAWARSING – Juan "Victor" Caniglia, who was arrested on December 4 for 78 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse, has been additionally charged with a felony by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for possessing and intending to sell "protected wildlife consisting of wild birds with a value in excess of $1,500, without having obtained a license or permit from the New York State DEC." The initial arrest and animal abuse charges came after members of the Ulster County SPCA found over seven dozen birds being held in deplorable and unclean conditions in a small, under-heated shed.
Caniglia has pled not guilty to the charges brought against him.
According to Brian Shapiro, UCSPCA's executive director, each of the 78 misdemeanor counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal carry a penalty of up to a year in prison and $1,000 fine. Additionally, the felony charge carries a penalty of one to four years in prison.
The SPCA confiscated the birds that were found, as well as three rabbits presumably being raised for food that were also in the shed. Among the birds were "macaws, cockatiels, and two wild birds; a female cardinal and a tufted titmouse," said a press release issued by the SPCA earlier this week.
Since going into the care of the SPCA, said Shapiro, the birds' conditions have improved dramatically.
"The birds are in improved health at this time," he said. "Compared to how they were in that shed, they're like different animals, and it's really something positive to see. It's, quite frankly, a joy to behold."
The birds will remain in the SPCA's care until they are no longer needed for evidence in the animal abuse case. Shapiro said that the organization would request a bond hearing, which would require the defendant to provide money for the continued care of the animals.
"If [Caniglia] cannot come up with the funds, they have five days to relinquish the animals to the care of the impounding agency," said Shapiro. At this point, the animals would become the property of the SPCA, and once they're no longer required to be held as evidence in the trial, the adoption process would begin.
"Having so many animals has strained our resources," said Shapiro. "We are here to provide humane law services to the community. We're hoping that the community will help us through donations for this effort and other humane law efforts."
To contact the Ulster County SPCA, their phone number is 845- 331-5377, and their address is 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston, NY.
Source: http://www.shawangunkjournal.com/2009/12/24/news/0912243.html
Thursday, December 24, 2009
AL: Drug Search Leads to Three Dog Fighting Arrests, Deputies Say
Drug search leads to three dog fighting arrests, deputies say
By Mark R. Kent
December 24, 2009, 2:22PM
George Tate
MOBILE, Ala. -- What started as a search for illegal drugs in the Happy Hill neighborhood by Mobile County sheriff's deputies Wednesday ended with three men arrested on dog fighting charges, sheriff's spokeswoman Lori Myles said.
Jesse Ree Dixon Jr., 43, was charged with dog fighting, second-degree marijuana possession and use and possession of drug paeraphernalia after deputies discovered that a room inside his home at 751 Dr. Thomas St. had been converted into a dog fighting ring, according to Myles.
George Toriano Tate, 40; and his brother, 31-year-old Jamar
Jamar Tat
Danjelo Tate, were also charged with dog fighting, Myles said.
She said the deputies discovered pit bull terriers that had wounds consistent with dog fighting, and blood was visible in the room used to stage the fights. Myles was unsure how many dogs were confiscated, but they were taken to the city of Mobile animal shelter.
Jamar Tate was released on $3,000 bail, according to records at Mobile County Metro Jail. George Tate and Dixon were in Metro Jail today, records show, with George Tate's bail set at $3,000 and Dixon's set at $4,000.
Jesse Dixon
Source: http://blog.al.com/live/2009/12/drug_search_leads_to_three_dog.html
CA: Pet shop owners plead not guilty to list of charges
CA: Pet shop owners plead not guilty to list of charges
By Brian Hamlin/
Posted: 12/23/2009 01:03:15 AM PST
Updated: 12/23/2009 01:03:15 AM PST
A Dixon couple arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty last week after more than 90 high-priced, purebred puppies were confiscated from their pet shop and home have pleaded not guilty to charges including animal cruelty, grand theft, conspiracy to commit grand theft and illegally operating a lottery in the sale of the dogs.
Defendants Christopher John Ellis and Leeanna Kamp, both 29, of Dixon, appeared briefly before Superior Court Commissioner Barbara James on Monday and entered their pleas. They also were charged with child endangerment, prosecutors said, because of conditions in their home.
Each is being held on $50,000 bail; their attorneys indicated they would be seeking a reduction in bail, but Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marshall told the court that her office would be seeking to raise it.
According to the District Attorney's Office, the pair operated California Pets & Supply on East A Street in Dixon and also had an online business, YorkieAngel.com, which dealt in expensive canine breeds priced from $900 to more than $2,500.
Solano County District Attorney David Paulson said his office received several complaints from people who purchased dogs from the pair only to have the dogs become seriously ill or die within a short time. Responding to repeated complaints about the operation, DA investigators and Solano County Humane Animal Services served search warrants at the pet shop and the couple's Hackman Road home and seized 83 puppies. On Friday, another 14 dogs were located and taken from cages on a lot off rural Fox Road. During the search, investigators reported finding unsafe conditions in the couple's home and shop and temporarily removed their 22-month-old daughter, who later was placed in the care of relatives.
Chief District Attorney Investigator Al Garza said the county had received more than 25 calls on the case by Friday and complaints continued to come in from people throughout the state who had purchased dogs from Ellis and Kamp. Anyone with information about dogs from the couple's businesses, Garza said, can call 784-6859 or e-mail to dacepu@solanocounty.com
The dogs seized over the weekend are being cared for by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Vacaville. According to SPCA president Dave Roth, the puppies were suffering from a variety of problems, ranging from ear mites to ringworm to giardia intestinal infections. Five of them, he said, were seriously ill and fighting for their lives.
The biggest worry, he said, is that there's no documentation that any of the puppies have been vaccinated for distemper or parvovirus and will have to remain under a 21-day quarantine. If parvovirus develops, it could wipe out the pups. "There's no saving them if they get it," Roth explained. "Right now we're keeping the little guys alive. That's our task, keeping them safe."
Because of the unexpected influx of puppies, the SPCA is in need of blankets, towels and cleaning supplies as well as puppy food. To find out what's needed most on any given day, call the SPCA at 448-7720.
Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14054912?nclick_check=1
====================================
Woman Accused Of Selling Sick Dogs Denies Charges
David Begnaud
DIXON, Calif. (CBS13) ―
The woman who is charged with knowingly selling sick dogs from a Dixon pet store denied the accusations to CBS13, and called the additional charge of mistreating her child an "absolute lie."
When CBS13 approached Leanna Kamp after she was released from the Solano County Jail on Wednesday, she immediately recoiled away from our camera and started crying, saying she's financially and emotionally broken. "I love them [the dogs], I do," she said.
Investigators seized more than 100 dogs from her Dixon pet store last week after customers complained that the dogs they bought from the store were sick. April Escobedo told CBS13 she paid $1,200 for a Tea Cup Yorkie that tested positive for Parvo and had to be euthanized just days after she purchased it.
Officers arrested Christopher John Derek Ellis and Leanna Rachelle Kamp last week on charges of animal cruelty and the illegal operation of online lotteries, according to the Solano County District Attorney's Office. Kamp vehemently denied knowing that the dogs were sick when she sold them. When asked about the additional charge of mistreating her child, Kamp said, "That's absolutely a lie." Kamp then said her lawyer advised her not to talk.
Christopher Ellis is still in custody.
The seized dogs are still in quarantine, and there is no estimate on when they will be available to adopt.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://cbs13.com/local/leanne.kamp.sick.2.1389026.html
By Brian Hamlin/
Posted: 12/23/2009 01:03:15 AM PST
Updated: 12/23/2009 01:03:15 AM PST
A Dixon couple arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty last week after more than 90 high-priced, purebred puppies were confiscated from their pet shop and home have pleaded not guilty to charges including animal cruelty, grand theft, conspiracy to commit grand theft and illegally operating a lottery in the sale of the dogs.
Defendants Christopher John Ellis and Leeanna Kamp, both 29, of Dixon, appeared briefly before Superior Court Commissioner Barbara James on Monday and entered their pleas. They also were charged with child endangerment, prosecutors said, because of conditions in their home.
Each is being held on $50,000 bail; their attorneys indicated they would be seeking a reduction in bail, but Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marshall told the court that her office would be seeking to raise it.
According to the District Attorney's Office, the pair operated California Pets & Supply on East A Street in Dixon and also had an online business, YorkieAngel.com, which dealt in expensive canine breeds priced from $900 to more than $2,500.
Solano County District Attorney David Paulson said his office received several complaints from people who purchased dogs from the pair only to have the dogs become seriously ill or die within a short time. Responding to repeated complaints about the operation, DA investigators and Solano County Humane Animal Services served search warrants at the pet shop and the couple's Hackman Road home and seized 83 puppies. On Friday, another 14 dogs were located and taken from cages on a lot off rural Fox Road. During the search, investigators reported finding unsafe conditions in the couple's home and shop and temporarily removed their 22-month-old daughter, who later was placed in the care of relatives.
Chief District Attorney Investigator Al Garza said the county had received more than 25 calls on the case by Friday and complaints continued to come in from people throughout the state who had purchased dogs from Ellis and Kamp. Anyone with information about dogs from the couple's businesses, Garza said, can call 784-6859 or e-mail to dacepu@solanocounty.com
The dogs seized over the weekend are being cared for by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Vacaville. According to SPCA president Dave Roth, the puppies were suffering from a variety of problems, ranging from ear mites to ringworm to giardia intestinal infections. Five of them, he said, were seriously ill and fighting for their lives.
The biggest worry, he said, is that there's no documentation that any of the puppies have been vaccinated for distemper or parvovirus and will have to remain under a 21-day quarantine. If parvovirus develops, it could wipe out the pups. "There's no saving them if they get it," Roth explained. "Right now we're keeping the little guys alive. That's our task, keeping them safe."
Because of the unexpected influx of puppies, the SPCA is in need of blankets, towels and cleaning supplies as well as puppy food. To find out what's needed most on any given day, call the SPCA at 448-7720.
Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14054912?nclick_check=1
====================================
Woman Accused Of Selling Sick Dogs Denies Charges
David Begnaud
DIXON, Calif. (CBS13) ―
The woman who is charged with knowingly selling sick dogs from a Dixon pet store denied the accusations to CBS13, and called the additional charge of mistreating her child an "absolute lie."
When CBS13 approached Leanna Kamp after she was released from the Solano County Jail on Wednesday, she immediately recoiled away from our camera and started crying, saying she's financially and emotionally broken. "I love them [the dogs], I do," she said.
Investigators seized more than 100 dogs from her Dixon pet store last week after customers complained that the dogs they bought from the store were sick. April Escobedo told CBS13 she paid $1,200 for a Tea Cup Yorkie that tested positive for Parvo and had to be euthanized just days after she purchased it.
Officers arrested Christopher John Derek Ellis and Leanna Rachelle Kamp last week on charges of animal cruelty and the illegal operation of online lotteries, according to the Solano County District Attorney's Office. Kamp vehemently denied knowing that the dogs were sick when she sold them. When asked about the additional charge of mistreating her child, Kamp said, "That's absolutely a lie." Kamp then said her lawyer advised her not to talk.
Christopher Ellis is still in custody.
The seized dogs are still in quarantine, and there is no estimate on when they will be available to adopt.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://cbs13.com/local/leanne.kamp.sick.2.1389026.html
MO: Rogersville Man Pleads Not Guilt to Felony Charges
MO: Rogersville Man Pleads Not Guilt to Felony Charges
A Rogersville man who pleaded guilty to an animal abuse charge in 2003 pleaded not guilty Dec. 21 to a class D felony animal abuse charge for allegations he neglected to care of 13 dogs -- leading to their death.
William B. Padgett, 56, was arrested Dec. 18, after the Christian County Sheriff's Department discovered dogs living in a vehicle at Missouri 125 and Smyrna Road in Rogersville.
According to a probable cause statement, deputies found 13 dogs inside a Chevrolet Suburban with no food or water, walking in their feces. The deputy noted "urine running out the doors of the Suburban and freezing to the bottom of the Suburban." The dogs were thin, with rib cages and hip bones showing, the deputy wrote in the statement. Padgett told the deputy the dogs had been in the Suburban for five days.
A veterinarian determined animals had to be euthanized due to their medical condition. Padgett was released on a recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear Jan. 26 in Christian County court.
A Rogersville man who pleaded guilty to an animal abuse charge in 2003 pleaded not guilty Dec. 21 to a class D felony animal abuse charge for allegations he neglected to care of 13 dogs -- leading to their death.
William B. Padgett, 56, was arrested Dec. 18, after the Christian County Sheriff's Department discovered dogs living in a vehicle at Missouri 125 and Smyrna Road in Rogersville.
According to a probable cause statement, deputies found 13 dogs inside a Chevrolet Suburban with no food or water, walking in their feces. The deputy noted "urine running out the doors of the Suburban and freezing to the bottom of the Suburban." The dogs were thin, with rib cages and hip bones showing, the deputy wrote in the statement. Padgett told the deputy the dogs had been in the Suburban for five days.
A veterinarian determined animals had to be euthanized due to their medical condition. Padgett was released on a recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear Jan. 26 in Christian County court.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
ID: Animal advocates decry lax laws
Animal advocates decry lax laws
Jesse Nance
jnance@idahopress.com
Updated 12 hours 56 minutes ago
TREASURE VALLEY — Officials at local animal shelters say Idaho's soft animal-cruelty laws do little to deter would-be offenders — and may even attract animal abusers from other states.
Animal cruelty, which can result in a felony charge in many other states, is most commonly a misdemeanor offense in Idaho.
"I think all of us wish that there were stronger laws in Idaho that are comparable to the rest of the U.S.," Karly Cantrell, spokeswoman for the Canyon County Animal Shelter, said.
Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society, said lobbying efforts from the agriculture industry, as well as from the state's sizable hunting and rodeo industries, have routinely impeded efforts to toughen laws currently on the books.
Animal welfare advocates have consistently proposed changes in recent years, but the vast majority of these proposals have gone nowhere, Rosenthal said.
"The knee-jerk response from lobbyists and various agriculture associations is to just oppose everything, and it's really unfortunate because I think it ultimately does more harm than good for their organizations as well," Rosenthal said. "And typically every year there are a couple bills that animal welfare advocates like the Idaho Humane Society have to play defense on,"
Officials at the Canyon County Animal Shelter and Idaho Humane Society, which oversees animal control in Canyon and Ada counties, see some of the effects of the state's relatively lax animal cruelty laws.
"We'll have a case one year, and three years later we'll see the same individual doing the same thing all over again," Rosenthal said. "All people get is community service and a small fine, maybe a misdemeanor charge."
But Rosenthal said some positive strides have been made in recent years. The state's strong animal forfeiture law allows the shelter to step in and take custody of abused animals in many cases, Rosenthal said. Organized dog fighting was also made a felony in Idaho, though cockfighting is still a misdemeanor.
But Rosenthal fears Idaho's soft cruelty laws could still attract offenders from other states.
"We're worried because one of the things that can happen is that in certain states that improve their laws, some of their rotten apples could leave those states and move into states with weaker laws," Rosenthal said. "And we certainly don't want this to be a safe haven for mass puppy or kitten breeders."
Rosenthal believes stiffer animal cruelty laws should be just the first step.
"The laws are just one part of the big picture," Rosenthal said. "The other parts are attitude, training and resources — in particular, resources to house and care for animals."
Source
Jesse Nance
jnance@idahopress.com
Updated 12 hours 56 minutes ago
TREASURE VALLEY — Officials at local animal shelters say Idaho's soft animal-cruelty laws do little to deter would-be offenders — and may even attract animal abusers from other states.
Animal cruelty, which can result in a felony charge in many other states, is most commonly a misdemeanor offense in Idaho.
"I think all of us wish that there were stronger laws in Idaho that are comparable to the rest of the U.S.," Karly Cantrell, spokeswoman for the Canyon County Animal Shelter, said.
Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society, said lobbying efforts from the agriculture industry, as well as from the state's sizable hunting and rodeo industries, have routinely impeded efforts to toughen laws currently on the books.
Animal welfare advocates have consistently proposed changes in recent years, but the vast majority of these proposals have gone nowhere, Rosenthal said.
"The knee-jerk response from lobbyists and various agriculture associations is to just oppose everything, and it's really unfortunate because I think it ultimately does more harm than good for their organizations as well," Rosenthal said. "And typically every year there are a couple bills that animal welfare advocates like the Idaho Humane Society have to play defense on,"
Officials at the Canyon County Animal Shelter and Idaho Humane Society, which oversees animal control in Canyon and Ada counties, see some of the effects of the state's relatively lax animal cruelty laws.
"We'll have a case one year, and three years later we'll see the same individual doing the same thing all over again," Rosenthal said. "All people get is community service and a small fine, maybe a misdemeanor charge."
But Rosenthal said some positive strides have been made in recent years. The state's strong animal forfeiture law allows the shelter to step in and take custody of abused animals in many cases, Rosenthal said. Organized dog fighting was also made a felony in Idaho, though cockfighting is still a misdemeanor.
But Rosenthal fears Idaho's soft cruelty laws could still attract offenders from other states.
"We're worried because one of the things that can happen is that in certain states that improve their laws, some of their rotten apples could leave those states and move into states with weaker laws," Rosenthal said. "And we certainly don't want this to be a safe haven for mass puppy or kitten breeders."
Rosenthal believes stiffer animal cruelty laws should be just the first step.
"The laws are just one part of the big picture," Rosenthal said. "The other parts are attitude, training and resources — in particular, resources to house and care for animals."
Source
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.
Friday, November 13, 2009
NM dog-fighting case dismissed against brothers
NM dog-fighting case dismissed against brothers
Posted at: 11/13/2009 8:36 AM
By: The Associated Press
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - A judge has dismissed all charges against twin brothers who were accused of running a dogfighting breeding operation in Chaparral. Tuesday's order by state District Judge Lisa Schultz dropped 50 combined counts of dog fighting, animal cruelty and conspiracy against Daron and Duryea Scott of El Paso, Texas.Since the charges were dismissed with prejudice, prosecutors cannot refile the case. The dismissal came after the state Court of Appeals in September upheld an earlier district court ruling throwing out all evidence in the case.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Susan Riedel says that without the evidence - including the dogs and photographs - there is no case.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1251187.shtml?cat=504
===========================
Scott brothers getting dogs back
By Diana M. Alba Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/14/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES -- Pit bulls seized more than two years ago from twin brothers Daron and Duryea Scott of El Paso will be returned to them over the next two weeks, said the Doña Ana County-Las Cruces animal shelter director last week. Of the 18 dogs housed at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley, 10 are scheduled to be picked up by the Scotts on Tuesday, shelter director Beth Vesco-Mock said late Friday. They'll get the remaining animals a week later, she said.
Charges that the Scotts had used the animals for dog fighting were dropped last month, after the New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling that a search warrant had been obtained improperly. As a result, the evidence seized in the case remained suppressed in the case. District Judge Lisa Schultz on Nov. 10 ordered that the state return the dogs within 30 days.
Apparently up until mid-afternoon Friday, when the dogs would be returned was still up in the air.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Riedel said a condition on the court order was that the animals be returned only when the Scotts could show they wouldn't be violating any ordinances by possessing the dogs. For instance, she said, the city of Las Cruces and Do-a Ana County restrict the total number of animals a person can have.
But Riedel said sheriff's department investigator Robyn Gojkovich, who's handling the release of the dogs, hadn't heard from the Scotts until Friday. She said the owner of seized property is responsible for claiming it, once a case is over. "I think everybody is trying to work together to make sure these animals are properly cared for," she said. "Returning evidence that's a live animal is not as easy as returning evidence that's a bunch of papers."
Around 1 p.m. the same day, Jose Coronado of Las Cruces, attorney for Duryea Scott, said he wasn't certain how long it might take before the animals were transferred. He said the delay stemmed from "some issue with coordinating the right people to meet -- Robyn Gojkovich to meet with the Scotts." In addition to the dogs, Coronado said investigators also must return documents taken from the Scotts' homes.
The animals were initially seized from four properties, two in El Paso and two in Chaparral, in August 2007. The Scotts have maintained the dogs were part of a show dog breeding operation. Vesco-Mock said the 18 dogs, being housed one per cage because of their aggressiveness toward other dogs, have been taking up valuable shelter space. News that the animals are being returned is welcome, she said. "It will do a lot; it will open up 18 runs for us to house more adoptable animals," she said. "It helps out greatly."
Authorities are keeping about a dozen dogs from the case at an undisclosed location.
The Scotts in August filed a lawsuit against county officials and prosecutors contending their civil rights were violated because a number of their dogs have been lost or mistakenly killed while in the custody of law enforcement, which is documented in a police report. In the complaint, they contend just 17 of the 57 dogs seized remain in the county's custody. The lawsuit was filed in state court, but it has since been moved to federal court.
Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_13992024
===================================
El Paso brothers pick up pit bulls
By Ashley Meeks Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/16/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES - As scheduled, Daron and Duryea Scott began picking up the pit bulls seized from them more than two years ago, said county animal control director Curtis Childress. The El Paso twins picked up 12 of their 17 dogs from the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley on Tuesday, all of which shelter director Beth Vesco-Mock said "were in very good health when they left."
"They claimed they didn't own five of them," Childress said. "They were their dogs, but the problem of it is, we've had the dogs for three years. Some of the dogs were puppies, so they obviously look different and I'm not going to stand around and debate with them whether or not they're their dogs or not."
The Scott brothers told authorities the dogs would be going to Virginia, Houston, El Paso and Mexico, Childress said.
The remaining dogs will be spayed or neutered if they are able to be adopted out, Vesco-Mock said. "We will hopefully, maybe be able to adopt them out," she said. "They're very shy. They came in as puppies and they're very, very shy, so we're going to hopefully be able to find them a home."
Charges that the Scotts had used the animals for dog fighting were dropped last month, after the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled the search warrant had been obtained improperly, and District Judge Lisa Schultz on Nov. 10 ordered that the state return the dogs within 30 days. The Scotts have maintained the dogs were part of a show dog breeding operation.
A condition on the court order was that the animals be returned only when the Scotts could show they wouldn't be violating any ordinances by possessing the dogs. Their eight remaining dogs will be returned next Tuesday at 1 p.m., Childress said.
Ashley Meeks can be reached at ameeks@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5462.
Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14006568
====================================
Group to protest dogs' return to owners
By Diana M. Alba Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/22/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES - A group of animal welfare advocates plan to hold a demonstration in front of the Do a Ana County-Las Cruces animal shelter today as twin brothers Daron and Duryea Scott of El Paso pick up the remainder of their pit bulls. Michel Meunier, who helped organize the event, said the group will hold signs directed to the Scotts and to the public at large.
"It's geared toward (the Scotts) because they're taking and removing these dogs that have been at the shelter for years," she said. "Some have gone literally kennel crazy, a lot of them are very dog-aggressive, and it's geared toward them in the sense that we may be holding signs saying, 'Please don't send them back to dogfighters' or things like that."
The Scotts were charged with dog fighting, but the case was dismissed after the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled the search warrant used to obtain evidence against them had been obtained improperly. The twins have maintained the dogs weren't involved in a fight dog breeding operation. The demonstration is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m., while the Scotts are slated to pick up the dogs around 1 p.m.
Do a Ana County authorities believe about 12 dogs belonging to the Scotts remain, said Curtis Childress, animal control supervisor for the county. But he said the Scotts contend they don't own three of those animals.
Meunier said she doesn't know how many people will participate in the demonstration, but likely at least five to 10 will show up. She said participants will be "independent no-kill advocates." She said they'll be careful not to violate any rules, such as blocking access to the shelter. The event, Meunier said, is also aimed at raising awareness about the plight of pit bulls across the country, and the "consequences of dogfighting and ill-breeding, especially in this type of dog."
"Millions of pit bulls are neglected, abused and put down in shelters," she said. "Some shelters have a total no-pit bull policy. They see a pit bull and kill it immediately, without assessing the dog individually, just because of the prejudice against the breed." Meunier said the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley doesn't have such a policy.
Animal shelter director Beth Vesco-Mock said Monday she'd heard about the plan for a protest but declined to comment about it. Vesco-Mock said she's been told that 12 of the Scotts' dogs will be brought to the shelter from foster families and from a county holding facility.
Childress has said the Scotts have indicated they'll first take their dogs to El Paso, but could send them to other cities after that. Childress said there's no limit on the number of dogs residents in El Paso can possess, unlike in Do a Ana County. "Once we turn the dogs over to them, what they do with the dogs after that is up to them," he said.
A week ago, the Scotts picked up the first of their dogs - 12 in total. But they denied ownership of another five animals. The fate of the five dogs remained uncertain.
Meunier said demonstrators also want to advocate on behalf of the five dogs, to make sure they're given the best chance at survival. "We ask that they be evaluated by a trained professional behaviorist before being put down and given a chance at rescue," she said.
Vesco-Mock said county animal control officers removed the five dogs from the shelter Monday morning.
Childress said that was done to make more room for the additional dogs that will be transferred to the Scotts today. He said animal control will seek a disposition from the court about the dogs, and "hopefully then we'll be able to do something with them." "Probably, first thing done is we need to do an assessment to find out if they're adoptable or not," he said. "If it shows they're adoptable, we may be able to find homes for them. If it shows they're not adoptable, they may be euthanized."
The dogs have been in the custody of authorities since August 2007, when they were seized from two Chaparral properties and the Scotts' two El Paso homes.
Diana M. Alba can be reached at dalba@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5443.
On the Web: Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley: www.ascmv.org
Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14046793
===============================
Scott brothers raise hackles in shelter crowd
By Ashley Meeks Sun-News reporter
Posted: 12/23/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
LAS CRUCES -- Four pit bulls, one court injunction and more than 20 demonstrators awaited Daron and Duryea Scott on Tuesday at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley.
The El Paso twins left with four of their dogs; relinquished three; allowed one dog, "Bruno," to remain with its foster home; and were prohibited from taking five others by court order, said county Animal Control Supervisor Curtis Childress. The court injunction, filed by Daron Scott's former employer, the Gadsden Independent School District, claims five of the dogs in lieu of a debt of $20,000 in legal bills incurred after the former teacher's contract was not renewed, Childress said. "These dogs have been seized," Childress said.
Dozens of pit bulls were seized from the Scotts almost two and a half years ago as part of an investigation into dog fighting charges. Those charges were dropped last month after the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled the search warrant in the case had been obtained improperly. The Scotts have maintained the dogs were part of a show dog breeding operation.
On Tuesday, the brothers refused to speak with news media or answer questions about the dogs' future from protesters carrying signs, asking "Have you no shame?" and proclaiming "Animal abusers are losers." Some stood quietly -- others shouted accusations of "murderer."
Marilyn Grayson of Las Cruces held a sign urging, "Don't let them get off Scott (sic) free" on one side and a picture of her own pit bull, Ariel, on the other. "They let the Scott brothers get off," Grayson said. Pit bulls, she said, "are loving, caring dogs and the Scott brothers should take care of them like that." Grayson said it was "disgraceful" that the brothers were able to get their dogs back.
Michel Meunier carried a sign spelling out "Pitiful Innocent Tortured Souls" and calling the dogs "one of God's most abused creatures." "We're here for two reasons: To implore the Scotts, the past is past, the dogs are legally theirs, but not to take them elsewhere," Meunier said, adding that the out-of-state locations the dogs are reported to be destined for will result in "further abuse." She continued, "It would be nice if they found appropriate placement for them."
Last week, the Scotts picked up 12 dogs and denied they were the owners of five others at the shelter, which were transported from the shelter by county animal control officers Monday, said shelter director Dr. Beth Vesco-Mock.
Childress said the five dogs covered under Tuesday's injunction will be assessed for adoption and any fees from that process would go against the judgment. "At least we got them to donate one dog," Childress said. "They were at least considering some of the dogs that had been raised with a family, allowing them to stay there. There's one family out there that's going to be happy, that's going to be able to keep its dog."
The court order gave one of the affected dogs' foster families a glimmer of hope, said Do-a Ana County sheriff's investigator Bo Nevarez and his wife, Antoinette Nevarez, who have been raising Billie Jean since 2007. "That's the best Christmas gift I got, being able to keep my dog," said Antoinette Nevarez. "I was crying when they told me they wouldn't take them back (on Tuesday), I was just ecstatic. I was crying, because that's my baby. I raised her as a puppy and she's a beautiful dog. She's not mean."
The Nevarezes keep two teacup Chihuahuas inside and a Rottweiler and a German shepherd outside, she said. Billie Jean, she said, is affectionate with all of them. "That was my biggest concern. She was not raised to be a mean dog at all," she said. "This is my best Christmas ever, just being able to keep her."
Ashley Meeks can be reached at ameeks@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5462.
Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14054140
Monday, November 9, 2009
CA: California cities act to ban cat declawing
California cities act to ban cat declawing
L.A. is among those rushing to prohibit the practice before a state law backed by a group of vets says they can't.
By Maria L. La Ganga and Anne Colby
November 7, 2009
Reporting from San Francisco and Beverly Hills - The law of unintended consequences has seldom been more clearly illustrated than by the catfight unfolding from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Veterinarians who did not want cities meddling in their business persuaded the state Legislature to bar local governments from banning the practice of declawing cats -- beginning in 2010.
Not wanting to be pushed around themselves, nearly half a dozen cities are rushing to prohibit the controversial procedure before the January deadline, striking a blow for rights both animal and municipal.
This week alone, the score was Cities 3, Vets 0.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 11 to 0 on Friday to ban declawing. Beverly Hills voted 5 to 0 on Thursday, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9 to 2 on Tuesday. The cities must finalize their votes in coming weeks.
In the process, city council chambers have rung with testimony about "litter box avoidance" and kitty press-on nails, knuckle amputation and bullying big government.
Just listen to John A. Mirisch of Beverly Hills, where the council voted to ban onychectomy and flexor tendonectomy within its city limits unless the procedures are medically necessary. "Onychectomy, commonly known as declawing, is the practice of amputating a cat's first paw joints, including the claw at the first knuckle," said Mirisch, the councilman who introduced the measure. "Indeed, I find this practice to be a prima facie instance of animal cruelty, and I don't need Big Brother in Sacramento or a veterinary board to tell me otherwise."
Mirisch's sentiments were echoed at the Los Angeles City Council meeting by Paul Koretz, who co-sponsored the Los Angeles motion: "I don't think we should allow people at the state level to dictate to us our local actions."
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6 to 1 in favor of a ban on Oct. 27. Such a prohibition is scheduled for a vote in Berkeley on Nov. 10. Malibu stopped short of banning the procedure but is working on a measure signaling its opposition.
Jennifer Conrad, founder of the Paw Project, which seeks an end to declawing, said California is at the forefront nationwide in banning the procedure. It has been prohibited or condemned in a number of European countries.
About the only thing both sides in the declawing controversy agree on is what the procedure entails: Using a scalpel, clippers or a laser, a veterinarian cuts off the last bone on each toe on a cat's feet. "Because each digit is amputated through the joint, this procedure is painful and requires the appropriate treatment of pain before, during and after the procedure," according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons' website.
Said Koretz, the Los Angeles councilman: "It is an amputation. . . . It often leaves cats crippled and in pain for the rest of their lives." Such pain, he said, can cause cats to avoid their litter boxes because it hurts them to dig. As a result, they often are sent to shelters by frustrated owners.
But the California Veterinary Medical Assn. said that with modern medical techniques -- especially laser surgery -- and appropriate pain management, cats are often up and walking shortly after awakening from anesthesia. "If it comes down to a cat being euthanized, losing its home or losing its claws," said association president Mark Nunez, "being euthanized or losing its home is a worse outcome."
Californians can thank -- or blame, depending on their perspective -- a Persian cat named Alexis Carrington for all the fuss. Alexis, named after the "Dynasty" character, belonged to West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran, who had her declawed "because I didn't want my furniture ruined." It seemed like a good idea, he said, but "I had no idea what I had actually done to my cat." Six years ago, Hernan Molina, his City Hall deputy and an "avid cat person," explained the procedure and asked Duran to push for a ban in their small city.
In 2003, West Hollywood became the first city in America to ban declawing, spurred in part by Duran's "guilt and remorse" over Alexis' missing toes. "Cats have claws and fangs for protection from hunting. Dogs bark because they're pack animals. Birds fly," Duran said in a recent interview. "Why would we want to debark a dog, declaw a cat or clip the wings of a bird? But then, I'm a lefty."
The California Veterinary Medical Assn. took West Hollywood to court to overturn the ban, which was eventually upheld.
This summer, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 762, a law pushed by the veterinarians association to stop cities and counties from regulating the practice of health professionals.
In letters to Santa Monica and San Francisco officials, the association said, "The decision to declaw a cat should remain between the owner in consultation with his, or her, veterinarian on a case-by-case basis."
Veterinary association officials believe that there are times when "declawing may be the only option for a cat owner" and that it should be a "last resort" for destructive cats.
But on Thursday night, a past president of the group told the Beverly Hills City Council that he had second thoughts about his organization's efforts on behalf of SB 762. "I regret it," said William A. Grant II, a second-generation Orange County veterinarian. "Because it's now forcing a lot of local communities to make decisions in a very short time frame that I think are uninformed decisions."
maria.laganga@latimes.com
anne.colby@latimes.com
Times staff writer Maeve Reston contributed to this report.
Source
L.A. is among those rushing to prohibit the practice before a state law backed by a group of vets says they can't.
By Maria L. La Ganga and Anne Colby
November 7, 2009
Reporting from San Francisco and Beverly Hills - The law of unintended consequences has seldom been more clearly illustrated than by the catfight unfolding from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Veterinarians who did not want cities meddling in their business persuaded the state Legislature to bar local governments from banning the practice of declawing cats -- beginning in 2010.
Not wanting to be pushed around themselves, nearly half a dozen cities are rushing to prohibit the controversial procedure before the January deadline, striking a blow for rights both animal and municipal.
This week alone, the score was Cities 3, Vets 0.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 11 to 0 on Friday to ban declawing. Beverly Hills voted 5 to 0 on Thursday, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9 to 2 on Tuesday. The cities must finalize their votes in coming weeks.
In the process, city council chambers have rung with testimony about "litter box avoidance" and kitty press-on nails, knuckle amputation and bullying big government.
Just listen to John A. Mirisch of Beverly Hills, where the council voted to ban onychectomy and flexor tendonectomy within its city limits unless the procedures are medically necessary. "Onychectomy, commonly known as declawing, is the practice of amputating a cat's first paw joints, including the claw at the first knuckle," said Mirisch, the councilman who introduced the measure. "Indeed, I find this practice to be a prima facie instance of animal cruelty, and I don't need Big Brother in Sacramento or a veterinary board to tell me otherwise."
Mirisch's sentiments were echoed at the Los Angeles City Council meeting by Paul Koretz, who co-sponsored the Los Angeles motion: "I don't think we should allow people at the state level to dictate to us our local actions."
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6 to 1 in favor of a ban on Oct. 27. Such a prohibition is scheduled for a vote in Berkeley on Nov. 10. Malibu stopped short of banning the procedure but is working on a measure signaling its opposition.
Jennifer Conrad, founder of the Paw Project, which seeks an end to declawing, said California is at the forefront nationwide in banning the procedure. It has been prohibited or condemned in a number of European countries.
About the only thing both sides in the declawing controversy agree on is what the procedure entails: Using a scalpel, clippers or a laser, a veterinarian cuts off the last bone on each toe on a cat's feet. "Because each digit is amputated through the joint, this procedure is painful and requires the appropriate treatment of pain before, during and after the procedure," according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons' website.
Said Koretz, the Los Angeles councilman: "It is an amputation. . . . It often leaves cats crippled and in pain for the rest of their lives." Such pain, he said, can cause cats to avoid their litter boxes because it hurts them to dig. As a result, they often are sent to shelters by frustrated owners.
But the California Veterinary Medical Assn. said that with modern medical techniques -- especially laser surgery -- and appropriate pain management, cats are often up and walking shortly after awakening from anesthesia. "If it comes down to a cat being euthanized, losing its home or losing its claws," said association president Mark Nunez, "being euthanized or losing its home is a worse outcome."
Californians can thank -- or blame, depending on their perspective -- a Persian cat named Alexis Carrington for all the fuss. Alexis, named after the "Dynasty" character, belonged to West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran, who had her declawed "because I didn't want my furniture ruined." It seemed like a good idea, he said, but "I had no idea what I had actually done to my cat." Six years ago, Hernan Molina, his City Hall deputy and an "avid cat person," explained the procedure and asked Duran to push for a ban in their small city.
In 2003, West Hollywood became the first city in America to ban declawing, spurred in part by Duran's "guilt and remorse" over Alexis' missing toes. "Cats have claws and fangs for protection from hunting. Dogs bark because they're pack animals. Birds fly," Duran said in a recent interview. "Why would we want to debark a dog, declaw a cat or clip the wings of a bird? But then, I'm a lefty."
The California Veterinary Medical Assn. took West Hollywood to court to overturn the ban, which was eventually upheld.
This summer, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 762, a law pushed by the veterinarians association to stop cities and counties from regulating the practice of health professionals.
In letters to Santa Monica and San Francisco officials, the association said, "The decision to declaw a cat should remain between the owner in consultation with his, or her, veterinarian on a case-by-case basis."
Veterinary association officials believe that there are times when "declawing may be the only option for a cat owner" and that it should be a "last resort" for destructive cats.
But on Thursday night, a past president of the group told the Beverly Hills City Council that he had second thoughts about his organization's efforts on behalf of SB 762. "I regret it," said William A. Grant II, a second-generation Orange County veterinarian. "Because it's now forcing a lot of local communities to make decisions in a very short time frame that I think are uninformed decisions."
maria.laganga@latimes.com
anne.colby@latimes.com
Times staff writer Maeve Reston contributed to this report.
Source
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MT: Linda Kapsa pleads 'no contest' to aggravated animal cruelty charges
Linda Kapsa pleads 'no contest' to aggravated animal cruelty charges
JAN FALSTAD Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:15 am
Days before her trial was scheduled to begin, Linda Kapsa pleaded no contest Thursday to one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for hoarding dogs and other animals at her Ballantine home.
Appearing before District Court Judge Susan Watters, Kapsa accepted a plea agreement that limits her to owning six neutered companion dogs and imposes a maximum 20-year suspended sentence supervised by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Watters will set the final conditions during a sentencing hearing, after the Department of Corrections conducts a pre-sentence investigation, which usually takes six to eight weeks. A sentencing date has not been set.
Kapsa was charged with neglecting more than 200 dogs, 27 chickens, 10 cockatiels and three cats by not providing adequate medical care, food or shelter. Remains of two dozen other dogs were removed from Kapsa's Shady Lane Kennels, at 2315 S. 14th Road in Ballantine, during raids on Dec. 11 and Dec. 30.
Under the negotiated plea, Kapsa agreed to surrender the estimated 20 dogs and puppies she now keeps at her 10-acre property. The animals escaped seizure in December and have been breeding.
The plea deal limits Kapsa to a maximum of 40 chickens, 20 goats, eight horses, three neutered cats and two cockatiels. She also agreed to allow state officials to visit her property without obtaining a search warrant or giving notice. However, under the agreement, Kapsa's attorneys can still ask Watters to allow her keep up to 20 non-neutered dogs. Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos said once Watters sets the limits on animals, if Kapsa breaks those rules over the next 20 years, she could go to prison.
"We were hoping we could stop the breeding. We have given her some companion dogs, and we are giving the other dogs happier homes to go to and we are stopping the taxpayers from having to fund this," Paxinos said.
In December, county officials seized 189 dogs from Kapsa. About 100 regular volunteers are helping to care for the mostly English shepherd dogs at the MetraPark fairgrounds. "With the ones that are born in our custody, I believe we now have 227 dogs, three cats, 10 cockatiels and 11 chickens," said Yellowstone County Animal Control Officer John Fleming.
Because the dogs were evidence in Kapsa's court case, no animals could be adopted. The bills mounted quickly. Since January, the cost of caring for the animals has topped $157,433, according to the county. That has been offset by at least $43,331 in cash donations, along with donations of food and other supplies.
In addition, other Yellowstone County animal complaints have been getting less attention this year because one of the county's two animal control officers has had to work full time on the Kapsa dogs. "Now we can get back on the streets and serve the public at 100 percent," Fleming said
Kapsa was charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty and four related misdemeanors. She agreed to plead no contest on one felony count. The other charges will be dismissed.
Last month, Watters heard two days of testimony about whether Kapsa was mentally incompetent to stand trial, as her attorneys argued. Billings forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Butz, testifying for Kapsa, said Kapsa believes she has some "special mystical powers" and a "special trust" with her animals.
On Wednesday, Watters ruled that Kapsa was competent to stand trial, and that ruling allowed Kapsa to change her plea. During Thursday's hearing, Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Ingrid Rosenquist read a lengthy summary of the evidence that would have been presented at Kapsa's trial.
Witnesses would have testified that Kapsa's trailer home was covered with feces and a dead dog was next to her bed. There also would have been testimony that there was inadequate food, water or shelter for the animals and that 50 of the seized 200 dogs needed immediate veterinary care. Many of the English shepherds were starving, covered with feces and infected with lice, she said.
Dave Pauli, the Western regional director for the Humane Society, would have testified that Kapsa's dogs amounted to "a small, feral colony of unsocialized animals" and that taking care of them would be a full-time job for 14 people. "As hungry as the dogs were, they were too scared to take food out of the hands of humans," Rosenquist said. After months of care and training, they now look like different dogs, she said, but many of them will regress unless they are with their regular handler.
Under Montana law, the maximum sentence for felony aggravated animal cruelty is two years in prison. However, because Kapsa was convicted on a felony bad-check charge within the past five years, the county attorney's office argued that she was a persistent felony offender. That cleared the way for the county attorney's office to ask Watters to impose a 20-year suspended sentence supervised by the Department of Public Health.
After the hearing, Rosenquist said she was pleased. It's a relief for everyone, including the animals," she said.
The agreement also requires Kapsa to pay an undetermined amount of restitution. Her ability to pay will be part of the pre-sentence investigation.
Kapsa will get to choose the dogs she wants to keep. After Kapsa, the volunteers will get the next choice of the animals they have cared for since January. It could be several weeks before all the remaining dogs and other animals can be released for adoption.
Young animals probably will be adopted first because they generally aren't neutered before four to six months and can be released earlier, Fleming said. A major spay-and-neutering clinic must be scheduled for the adult animals before they can be adopted.
Paxinos urged state leaders to change the laws so that no other community has to suffer through a similar ordeal. Negotiations over the plea agreement started last winter, and the Kapsa case has been the workload equivalent of a major homicide case for his office, he said.
The state's animal cruelty laws were written to protect the ranching community, said Paxinos, who noted that no one anticipated this level of domestic animal hoarding. The situations need separate sets of laws, he said.
"You shouldn't be allowed to have massive amounts of animals with no feeding systems or ways of cleaning up after them," he said.
Contact Jan Falstad at jfalstad@billingsgazette.com or 657-1306.
Source: http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_6816690e-6ca4-11de-a613-001cc4c002e0.html
==========================
The nearly 300 dogs seized from Ballantine breeder are now living in 17 states - 1 year later, Kapsa dogs doing well
KAHRIN DEINES Of the Gazette Staff
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009 12:00 am | No Comments Posted
When Barb Fazio first met Cheyenne, an English shepherd removed from Linda Kapsa’s Shady Lane Kennels along with close to 200 other dogs last December, the dog spent most of her time standing with her nose pressed tightly into a corner of her stall. “It took me three months to get her to go outside,” said Fazio, one of the volunteers who helped authorities care for the animals.
The now 2-year-old Cheyenne went home with Fazio in August. Though she still often seeks to hide behind her new caretaker’s legs when others are present, she has come a long way since finding a real home. On a recent walk with Fazio, every now and then her tail would sway from side to side, and she even let strangers pet beneath her chin. “You’d lift your hand up and it used to be she took off,” Fazio said.
It’s been a year since nearly 300 dogs and other animals were taken from the Ballantine breeder’s property, where they lived in reportedly horrific conditions. Along with the live dogs, authorities removed at least two dozen dead dogs, including puppies.
In July, Kapsa pleaded no contest to a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty for her treatment of the dogs. Under the plea agreement, Kapsa received a 20-year suspended sentence and was required to give up all but three altered dogs.
Today, the shepherds that were seized have new homes in more than 17 states. Some, like Cheyenne, are still settling into life as domestic family pets after spending as many as eight months in legal limbo living in stalls at MetraPark and the old Moore Lane animal clinic. “They don’t know about TVs or the fridge opening or the furnace going on in the night,” Fazio said.
An army of volunteers worked with the dogs while they were held as evidence by Yellowstone County. Many of the dogs went home with these handlers, while others were placed with people all over the country, in some cases joining families on farms and ranches where their natural talents for herding could be put to use.
“(Justice) was sent to us because he had that natural drive to work,” said Michael Bates, who raises goats in Missouri. “When the trainers were evaluating him out there he was trying to herd them.” A pup of two months when he was rescued, Justice had fewer hurdles to overcome than many of the older dogs living on Kapsa’s 10-acre property. He was skittish for a long time, and his affection was not easy to win. But he has flourished as both a companion and working dog.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better dog if we had him built from scratch,” Bates said. “He’s dedicated when he’s out there working, but he’s just as comfortable inside, curling up next to me.”
About one third of the shepherds were placed in homes where they serve as working dogs, said Kathi Tesarz, president of the National English Shepherd Rescue, which the county asked to manage the adoption process. Another 65 were sent to foster families who could give them the extra attention they need to be ready for adoption; about 40 of these are still being fostered. “It was the dogs that were in the survival mode out there for months, years, that have the worst trauma,” Tesarz said.
One of those dogs, formerly called Max but renamed Barry White, now lives on 26 acres in Pennsylvania with Heather Houlahan, a professional dog trainer and training coordinator for the rescue organization. “He was the one with a necklace of (feces) and muddied pendants around his ruff that probably weighed as much as he did, and he was terrified,” Houlahan said.
Barry White, most likely 5 or 6 years old, arrived at Houlahan’s in September on the “barking bus,” a school bus NESR outfitted to carry dogs to their new homes across the country. “When he got here, if I picked up any object larger than a paperback book he skedaddled,” Houlahan said.
Now, Barry White follows her around her small farm and helps keep the livestock in line. He spends at least three hours inside her home every evening, and when the temperatures are low he has been willing to spend the night. Petting, though, continues to frighten him. “He has not learned that a human touch is a good thing,” Houlahan said. “He will submit to it, but he will not ask for it. And when you reach for him, he will shrink away.” Houlahan said she will consider Barry White ready for adoption when he can more easily accept being touched.
Another dog Houlahan is fostering, Cole, came with a different set of problems. He was only about 4 weeks old at the time of the seizure, so he did not have the same mistrust for people as the older dogs. Yet, fighting for resources at Kapsa’s kennel and later at Moore Lane, had made him aggressive towards other dogs. In Pennsylvania, Cole has made so much progress that Houlahan, who is the canine director for the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group, expects him to one day serve as a search and rescue dog.
“It is my hope to get him placed in a home with an experienced handler who deserves a dog this good,” Houlahan said. “In my opinion, there’s the genetic lottery and he won the Powerball.”
Breaking the dogs of their bad habits and timidity has been challenging, especially for those who are not professional dog trainers. But many have found support through an online group the National English Shepherd Rescue started where those with former Kapsa dogs can share advice. “It’s been really a key element in making this a success,” Tesarz said. “Many of these dogs had behaviors that people hadn’t worked with before and just the knowledge that you’re not alone can help.”
Still, despite the challenges, those who have adopted the dogs praised their intelligence and their resilience. “She’s totally exceeded my expectations. Once these dogs got into homes, they just blossomed,” said Rachael Roper, a volunteer who brought home a 2-year-old dog named Shy, who is now called Skye. “It’s just a time thing,” she said. “That’s probably the biggest thing, just patience and time.”
Contact Kahrin Deines at kdeines@billingsgazette.com or 657-1392.
Source: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_6bd1d500-f1e3-11de-8d4a-001cc4c002e0.html
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SECTION (6) LINDA KAPSA, OWNER OF SHADY LANE KENNELS, SPEAKS OUT ABOUT YELLOWSTONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT VIOLENT RAID AND SEIZURE OF ANIMALS
Editor's Note: There are (6) sections to this story. You are now watching section (6).
Stayed tuned as the Montana News exposes photos of what Linda Kapsa says was a blood bath and was done by those who were conducting the raid.
Here is a link to section (1) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13665
Here is a link to section (2) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13690
Here is a link to section (4) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13700
Here is a link to section (5) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13711
JAN FALSTAD Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:15 am
Days before her trial was scheduled to begin, Linda Kapsa pleaded no contest Thursday to one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for hoarding dogs and other animals at her Ballantine home.
Appearing before District Court Judge Susan Watters, Kapsa accepted a plea agreement that limits her to owning six neutered companion dogs and imposes a maximum 20-year suspended sentence supervised by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Watters will set the final conditions during a sentencing hearing, after the Department of Corrections conducts a pre-sentence investigation, which usually takes six to eight weeks. A sentencing date has not been set.
Kapsa was charged with neglecting more than 200 dogs, 27 chickens, 10 cockatiels and three cats by not providing adequate medical care, food or shelter. Remains of two dozen other dogs were removed from Kapsa's Shady Lane Kennels, at 2315 S. 14th Road in Ballantine, during raids on Dec. 11 and Dec. 30.
Under the negotiated plea, Kapsa agreed to surrender the estimated 20 dogs and puppies she now keeps at her 10-acre property. The animals escaped seizure in December and have been breeding.
The plea deal limits Kapsa to a maximum of 40 chickens, 20 goats, eight horses, three neutered cats and two cockatiels. She also agreed to allow state officials to visit her property without obtaining a search warrant or giving notice. However, under the agreement, Kapsa's attorneys can still ask Watters to allow her keep up to 20 non-neutered dogs. Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos said once Watters sets the limits on animals, if Kapsa breaks those rules over the next 20 years, she could go to prison.
"We were hoping we could stop the breeding. We have given her some companion dogs, and we are giving the other dogs happier homes to go to and we are stopping the taxpayers from having to fund this," Paxinos said.
In December, county officials seized 189 dogs from Kapsa. About 100 regular volunteers are helping to care for the mostly English shepherd dogs at the MetraPark fairgrounds. "With the ones that are born in our custody, I believe we now have 227 dogs, three cats, 10 cockatiels and 11 chickens," said Yellowstone County Animal Control Officer John Fleming.
Because the dogs were evidence in Kapsa's court case, no animals could be adopted. The bills mounted quickly. Since January, the cost of caring for the animals has topped $157,433, according to the county. That has been offset by at least $43,331 in cash donations, along with donations of food and other supplies.
In addition, other Yellowstone County animal complaints have been getting less attention this year because one of the county's two animal control officers has had to work full time on the Kapsa dogs. "Now we can get back on the streets and serve the public at 100 percent," Fleming said
Kapsa was charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty and four related misdemeanors. She agreed to plead no contest on one felony count. The other charges will be dismissed.
Last month, Watters heard two days of testimony about whether Kapsa was mentally incompetent to stand trial, as her attorneys argued. Billings forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Butz, testifying for Kapsa, said Kapsa believes she has some "special mystical powers" and a "special trust" with her animals.
On Wednesday, Watters ruled that Kapsa was competent to stand trial, and that ruling allowed Kapsa to change her plea. During Thursday's hearing, Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Ingrid Rosenquist read a lengthy summary of the evidence that would have been presented at Kapsa's trial.
Witnesses would have testified that Kapsa's trailer home was covered with feces and a dead dog was next to her bed. There also would have been testimony that there was inadequate food, water or shelter for the animals and that 50 of the seized 200 dogs needed immediate veterinary care. Many of the English shepherds were starving, covered with feces and infected with lice, she said.
Dave Pauli, the Western regional director for the Humane Society, would have testified that Kapsa's dogs amounted to "a small, feral colony of unsocialized animals" and that taking care of them would be a full-time job for 14 people. "As hungry as the dogs were, they were too scared to take food out of the hands of humans," Rosenquist said. After months of care and training, they now look like different dogs, she said, but many of them will regress unless they are with their regular handler.
Under Montana law, the maximum sentence for felony aggravated animal cruelty is two years in prison. However, because Kapsa was convicted on a felony bad-check charge within the past five years, the county attorney's office argued that she was a persistent felony offender. That cleared the way for the county attorney's office to ask Watters to impose a 20-year suspended sentence supervised by the Department of Public Health.
After the hearing, Rosenquist said she was pleased. It's a relief for everyone, including the animals," she said.
The agreement also requires Kapsa to pay an undetermined amount of restitution. Her ability to pay will be part of the pre-sentence investigation.
Kapsa will get to choose the dogs she wants to keep. After Kapsa, the volunteers will get the next choice of the animals they have cared for since January. It could be several weeks before all the remaining dogs and other animals can be released for adoption.
Young animals probably will be adopted first because they generally aren't neutered before four to six months and can be released earlier, Fleming said. A major spay-and-neutering clinic must be scheduled for the adult animals before they can be adopted.
Paxinos urged state leaders to change the laws so that no other community has to suffer through a similar ordeal. Negotiations over the plea agreement started last winter, and the Kapsa case has been the workload equivalent of a major homicide case for his office, he said.
The state's animal cruelty laws were written to protect the ranching community, said Paxinos, who noted that no one anticipated this level of domestic animal hoarding. The situations need separate sets of laws, he said.
"You shouldn't be allowed to have massive amounts of animals with no feeding systems or ways of cleaning up after them," he said.
Contact Jan Falstad at jfalstad@billingsgazette.com or 657-1306.
Source: http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_6816690e-6ca4-11de-a613-001cc4c002e0.html
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The nearly 300 dogs seized from Ballantine breeder are now living in 17 states - 1 year later, Kapsa dogs doing well
KAHRIN DEINES Of the Gazette Staff
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009 12:00 am | No Comments Posted
When Barb Fazio first met Cheyenne, an English shepherd removed from Linda Kapsa’s Shady Lane Kennels along with close to 200 other dogs last December, the dog spent most of her time standing with her nose pressed tightly into a corner of her stall. “It took me three months to get her to go outside,” said Fazio, one of the volunteers who helped authorities care for the animals.
The now 2-year-old Cheyenne went home with Fazio in August. Though she still often seeks to hide behind her new caretaker’s legs when others are present, she has come a long way since finding a real home. On a recent walk with Fazio, every now and then her tail would sway from side to side, and she even let strangers pet beneath her chin. “You’d lift your hand up and it used to be she took off,” Fazio said.
It’s been a year since nearly 300 dogs and other animals were taken from the Ballantine breeder’s property, where they lived in reportedly horrific conditions. Along with the live dogs, authorities removed at least two dozen dead dogs, including puppies.
In July, Kapsa pleaded no contest to a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty for her treatment of the dogs. Under the plea agreement, Kapsa received a 20-year suspended sentence and was required to give up all but three altered dogs.
Today, the shepherds that were seized have new homes in more than 17 states. Some, like Cheyenne, are still settling into life as domestic family pets after spending as many as eight months in legal limbo living in stalls at MetraPark and the old Moore Lane animal clinic. “They don’t know about TVs or the fridge opening or the furnace going on in the night,” Fazio said.
An army of volunteers worked with the dogs while they were held as evidence by Yellowstone County. Many of the dogs went home with these handlers, while others were placed with people all over the country, in some cases joining families on farms and ranches where their natural talents for herding could be put to use.
“(Justice) was sent to us because he had that natural drive to work,” said Michael Bates, who raises goats in Missouri. “When the trainers were evaluating him out there he was trying to herd them.” A pup of two months when he was rescued, Justice had fewer hurdles to overcome than many of the older dogs living on Kapsa’s 10-acre property. He was skittish for a long time, and his affection was not easy to win. But he has flourished as both a companion and working dog.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better dog if we had him built from scratch,” Bates said. “He’s dedicated when he’s out there working, but he’s just as comfortable inside, curling up next to me.”
About one third of the shepherds were placed in homes where they serve as working dogs, said Kathi Tesarz, president of the National English Shepherd Rescue, which the county asked to manage the adoption process. Another 65 were sent to foster families who could give them the extra attention they need to be ready for adoption; about 40 of these are still being fostered. “It was the dogs that were in the survival mode out there for months, years, that have the worst trauma,” Tesarz said.
One of those dogs, formerly called Max but renamed Barry White, now lives on 26 acres in Pennsylvania with Heather Houlahan, a professional dog trainer and training coordinator for the rescue organization. “He was the one with a necklace of (feces) and muddied pendants around his ruff that probably weighed as much as he did, and he was terrified,” Houlahan said.
Barry White, most likely 5 or 6 years old, arrived at Houlahan’s in September on the “barking bus,” a school bus NESR outfitted to carry dogs to their new homes across the country. “When he got here, if I picked up any object larger than a paperback book he skedaddled,” Houlahan said.
Now, Barry White follows her around her small farm and helps keep the livestock in line. He spends at least three hours inside her home every evening, and when the temperatures are low he has been willing to spend the night. Petting, though, continues to frighten him. “He has not learned that a human touch is a good thing,” Houlahan said. “He will submit to it, but he will not ask for it. And when you reach for him, he will shrink away.” Houlahan said she will consider Barry White ready for adoption when he can more easily accept being touched.
Another dog Houlahan is fostering, Cole, came with a different set of problems. He was only about 4 weeks old at the time of the seizure, so he did not have the same mistrust for people as the older dogs. Yet, fighting for resources at Kapsa’s kennel and later at Moore Lane, had made him aggressive towards other dogs. In Pennsylvania, Cole has made so much progress that Houlahan, who is the canine director for the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group, expects him to one day serve as a search and rescue dog.
“It is my hope to get him placed in a home with an experienced handler who deserves a dog this good,” Houlahan said. “In my opinion, there’s the genetic lottery and he won the Powerball.”
Breaking the dogs of their bad habits and timidity has been challenging, especially for those who are not professional dog trainers. But many have found support through an online group the National English Shepherd Rescue started where those with former Kapsa dogs can share advice. “It’s been really a key element in making this a success,” Tesarz said. “Many of these dogs had behaviors that people hadn’t worked with before and just the knowledge that you’re not alone can help.”
Still, despite the challenges, those who have adopted the dogs praised their intelligence and their resilience. “She’s totally exceeded my expectations. Once these dogs got into homes, they just blossomed,” said Rachael Roper, a volunteer who brought home a 2-year-old dog named Shy, who is now called Skye. “It’s just a time thing,” she said. “That’s probably the biggest thing, just patience and time.”
Contact Kahrin Deines at kdeines@billingsgazette.com or 657-1392.
Source: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_6bd1d500-f1e3-11de-8d4a-001cc4c002e0.html
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SECTION (6) LINDA KAPSA, OWNER OF SHADY LANE KENNELS, SPEAKS OUT ABOUT YELLOWTSONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT VIOLENT RAID AND SEIZURE OF ANIMALS
by MONTANA NEWS ASSOCIATION
by MONTANA NEWS ASSOCIATION
SECTION (6) LINDA KAPSA, OWNER OF SHADY LANE KENNELS, SPEAKS OUT ABOUT YELLOWSTONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT VIOLENT RAID AND SEIZURE OF ANIMALS
Editor's Note: There are (6) sections to this story. You are now watching section (6).
Stayed tuned as the Montana News exposes photos of what Linda Kapsa says was a blood bath and was done by those who were conducting the raid.
Here is a link to section (1) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13665
Here is a link to section (2) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13690
Here is a link to section (4) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13700
Here is a link to section (5) http://www.montanasnews.tv/articles.php?mode=view&id=13711
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