One month after Scratchy's death

Scratchy has been gone for one month today.  I am still emotional about her death.  I have specific images of her stuck in my mind of the process of her death.  If you don't know about Scratchy's death, please visit my previous posts about her.

Grieving for Scratchy One Week Later
Do Kittens Go To Heaven

I am still angry that we lost her and I still sometimes think there might have been something else we could have done to save her.  That was not the case but I guess I am just wishing it were.  There is no cure for hemophilia.

The entire thing was just so sudden and drastic that I did not have time to comprehend what was going on.  It is still difficult to talk about her.  I like to remember the good times with her.  We have her picture on our table right inside the front door and another frame with 3 pictures of her hanging on the wall.  I don't want to forget her.

I don't regret putting her down.  I still believe that was the right decision.  I just wish she didn't have this in the first place.  The important thing is that she had a loving home and kitty friends for her short time on earth.

California man stomped on kitten resulting in it's death, convicted of felony animal cruelty, sentencing Jan 28.

A 33-year-old man accused of stomping his roommate's daughter's kitten to death in late November appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court on Dec 10.


Jesus Calderon-Franco pleaded no contest to one felony count of animal abuse in a deal with prosecutors that guarantees a penalty of no more than 16 months in prison. He had been facing two felony charges of animal abuse, which could have netted him up to three years in prison.

Calderon-Franco allegedly killed the 4-year-old girl's kitten, named "Pucci," because he was angry she had drawn on the bathroom door, Wagstaffe said.

The roommate and his daughter were out shopping on Nov. 30 when Calderon-Franco became angry about the drawings. The roommate's brother was at the apartment at the time and allegedly witnessed Calderon-Franco grab "Pucci" by the neck and throw the kitten off the second-story balcony, according to Wagstaffe.

He then allegedly shouted that he was going to kill the animal, walked outside to where the kitten was and stomped on it, Wagstaffe said.

The roommate's brother called the roommate, who returned home and confronted Calderon-Franco. He denied attacking the animal, Wagstaffe said.

But the roommate saw blood on the sidewalk and found his daughter's kitten dead in a nearby trashcan, according to Wagstaffe.

A necropsy indicated the kitten died from multiple fractures to the body, Wagstaffe said.

Wagstaffe called the killing "cruel" since the attack not only left the kitten dead but also likely emotionally traumatized the 4-year-old girl.

"You're not just trying to harm the animal, you're trying to harm the child," Wagstaffe said.

Calderon-Franco has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court on Dec. 2, according to Wagstaffe.


Superior Court Judge Clifford Cretan said Wednesday he would keep an open mind to pleas from Calderon-Franco's defense attorney that his client serve out his term on probation rather than spend time in jail or prison, according to Wagstaffe.

Calderon-Franco has no prior convictions in San Mateo County.

Nonetheless, the prosecutor called the plea deal an "outstanding resolution" to the case because the family of the 4-year-old girl will not have to wait long for closure in the criminal justice system.

Calderon-Franco remains in custody in lieu of $20,000 bail. He is expected to return to court Jan. 28 for sentencing.

His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jan 28, 2009

Read more here... 

Fire kills 140 cats, 3 dogs and numerous small animals at animal shelter

A fire swept through the Humane Society of Durham Region shelter early Wednesday, leaving about 180 animals dead, police said.  (The website for the shelter states the number of animals killed are 

In its wake, those who cared for and loved the animals inside were heartbroken. Teen volunteers could only hug each other, sob and place flowers outside the charred, boarded-up building on Wednesday afternoon.

"I was the investigator. I brought in the animals that were abused," said Debby Houghton.

"A lot of these animals were abused in Durham region. They were starving or neglected and came here to be safe," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Another woman noted that many of the animals had to fight to stay alive, only to die from the heat, smoke and flames.

Fire had engulfed the building when firefighters arrived about 2:30 a.m.

Emergency crews managed to save nine dogs, a rat and two cats from the building, located on Waterloo Street in Oshawa. About 140 cats died from smoke inhalation, as did three dogs and about 40 small animals including some rabbits and a guinea pig.

The damage to the building is extensive, police said in a news release.

"The building suffered extensive fire and smoke damage estimated at approximately $250,000," it said. "The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation."

The animals that were saved were sheltered in police vehicles until officers with Oshawa Animal Services arrived to rescue them.

The pets are now at a 24-hour animal hospital in Whitby where they are being examined.

"This is a horrific event and our hearts go out to the Humane Society of Durham Region," says Kate MacDonald, CEO of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"The SPCA will be assisting the Humane Society in any way we can during this emotional time."

http://toronto.ctv.ca 

Donate to the shelter or attend one of their fundraisers. 

Ohio man who starved dogs, some to death, to be sentenced Jan 22.

Steven Croley, the owner of High Caliber K-9 boarding and training facility, entered a not guilty plea to animal cruelty charges. After police and humane agents found seven dead dogs, and eight starving dogs at his business earlier this week. 

"Bones, carcasses, decay, it was horrible, it was enough to make you gag and throw up and cry", says Nikole Owen, CEO of Animal Charity.

Twelve of the dogs are now recovering at Animal Charity on South Avenue, while agents try to track down the animal's owners to let them know if their pets are alive or dead.

Meanwhile, Croley's home and business on Coitsville-Hubbard Road has been hit by vandals. The words "killer" and "I kill dogs" spray painted across signs, cars and broken windows.

Croley told humane agents he couldn't afford to feed or take care of the dogs he was training and boarding, but Owen said she spoke with a couple of the dog's owners this week, and they say that's not the case.

"A woman saying that she gave him over four hundred dollars, and another woman paid him over four hundred dollars just last week. So he had money...what he did with it, I don't know, but he was not feeding the animals with it", says Owen.

Another question has to do with the charges. Croley was originally charged with nineteen counts of animal cruelty and neglect, but was arraigned on only four counts in court, and that has the folks at Animal Charity upset. Owen says,



Local prosecutors office:

Joseph "Jay" R. Macejko
4th floor city hall
26 south phelps street
Youngstown ohio 44503
PHONE: 330.742.8791
FAX: 330.742.8794

Judge Robert A. Douglas, Jr.
Youngstown Municipal Court
265 Phelps Street
Youngstown, Ohio 44503
PHONE: 330.742.8857
FAX: 330.742.8725

Email for the Judge's (Judge Robert A. Douglas, Jr.) assistant: lblum@turningpointcs.com

Contact info for the Ohio State Attorney General (Nancy H. Rogers):
PHONE: 877-244-6446
WEBSITE CONTACT FORM: http://www.ag4ohio.gov/Public/details.aspx?s=222


For more information, please visit pet-abuse.com. 

White House Cat Dies at age 18

The first family leaving the White House this month will be without one of its longtime members: the Bush family's 18-year-old cat has died.

The first lady's office said Monday that India, a black American shorthair named for former Texas Rangers player Ruben Sierra, died Sunday at the White House.

Bush daughter Barbara, then 9, named the cat "India" after Sierra, a former major league player, whose nickname was "El Indio." President George W. Bush was a former co-owner of the Texas Rangers.

When Bush daughters Barbara and Jenna went to college, the cat stayed at the White House with the president and first lady. The family affectionately called the cat "Kitty."

http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/whitehousekittydiesatage18-1105 

Man shot family cat with arrow resulting in cat's death

Ajalon Thomas Corcoran, 23, and his father, Bernard Morse Corcoran, 54 are dealing with the law after a neighbor's cat is found shot with an arrow through the abdomen.

Ajalon Thomas Corcoran, 23, was charged with two counts of animal cruelty. One count is a felony for causing the animal's death, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

His father, Bernard Morse Corcoran, 54, received identical charges for aiding and abetting the crime.

According to the criminal complaint brought by the Winona County Attorney's Office, the family saw the cat coming across the street with the arrow sticking out of its side Sept. 17. They were unable to remove the arrow but broke it off to transport the animal to an emergency veterinary clinic.

Because of contamination, the time required to remove the arrow and uncertainty about a successful recovery, the veterinarian recommended against surgery. The cat was put to sleep.

The family confronted the Corcorans about the incident, but they denied involvement.

A deputy with the Winona County Sheriff's Department inquired about it, and Ajalon Corcoran admitted to shooting the cat with a compound bow and a blunt-tipped arrow typically used for small game. He said the cat was a nuisance and thought it was a stray. He told investigators he attempted a lung shot with the intent to kill the cat but did not want it to suffer. Ajalon Corcoran said he had an agreement with his father to kill the animal, according to court documents.


Bernard Allen Corcoran, 55, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the overwork or mistreatment of an animal. He was also assessed $77 in court costs.



His son has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a Jan. 20 jury trial.


Click here for more information on this case.

Grieving for Scratchy...one week later.

Scratchy died a week ago yesterday.  It was a very sad day where I had a few emotional outbursts of tears and sobbing.  Throughout the day, I was remembering what was happening at specific times on the day she died.  I was feeling bad for myself for what I went through and the loss of Scratchy.  I felt increased sorrow at 5:15 pm when Scratchy had been gone for one week.  

I am still very distraught and filled with grief and most times when I talk about Scratchy, I still tear up.  Throughout the week, I experienced numbness where I was matter-of-fact and tried to stay occupied to distract myself.  I felt deep sorrow and grief where I would sob uncontrollably and depression where I didn’t really talk or interact with anyone.  I also felt denial that she was even really gone-even though I saw her die.  It does seem to get better with time but I feel that there is a certain amount of grieving that I will have to do before I can let her go.

I am not a grief expert and I haven’t even really dealt with death before.  I read about ways to help myself cope and let myself cry whenever and where ever, I needed to.  I was kind to myself and did not blame myself or anyone else for her death.  I understood now, and at the time of her death, that this was a rare occurrence and there was nothing anyone could do to save her.  I accept that it was an illness that she could not recover from.  I am just left with why her? Why me?  

It is painful and strange to not see Scratchy sleeping in her favorite spots and jumping on our laps for a belly rub.  She had certain things that she did regularly.  When I changed the litter boxes, she always wanted to watch me.  She would try to sit on my lap or right next to me.  In the morning, I would go into the bathroom and when I opened the door, there was Scratchy waiting for me next to the door-in the same spot everyday.  I would always pick her up and carry her into the kitchen where I would start the coffee maker.  At night, I give the cats a small amount of wet food and now I have to get one less plate each night.  When I give them dry food, I give them one less scoop.  

All through the day, there are reminders of her not being here.  It is getting easier as my new circumstances become normal-but it is still difficult.

I have been concerned about the other cats grieving.  I have 3 cats living in a separate part of the apartment and we were going to begin transitioning one of them to be out here on the day that Scratchy ended up passing away.  Of course when we planned to do this that Saturday, it was because I was not doing adoptions and I could be here all day to monitor the situation and to see how the cats were responding to each other.  When we made this decision, Scratchy was healthy.    

So, I have been concerned about how the cats would respond to Scratchy’s absence and then Jackson’s appearance.  I have not brought Jackson out to meet the others yet.  I am still monitoring the other cats to find the right time to introduce Jackson.  I might try it in another week or so.

Out of all of the cats here, I think that Ramses is grieving in a way that I can see.  The others might be hiding their grief, I am not sure.  Ramses has definitely been more clingy and needy.  He wants to be near us more and sit on our laps more.  He also comes into our bed more at night.  He is a little vocal normally and I think that has increased a bit.  He goes into rooms and meows, possibly looking for Scratchy, maybe just crying out because he knows she is gone.

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went to the pet cemetery where Scratchy’s ashes were spread with other animals who have passed away.  It was a very peaceful area in the country with lots of trees.  Some areas have actual tombstones, that like of a human cemetery.  The area that her ashes are in do not have any tombstones, it is the designated place for ashes only.  

Before we went, we bought 3 baby pink balloons.  The number of 3 has no real meaning to me but maybe subconsciously I chose 3 because she was with us for 3 months.  I didn’t want just one balloon, so I chose 3.  They were baby pink with baby pink ribbon.  We had the option to buy a weight and I did so that I could take that home with me to remember that day and Scratchy.  

We drove about 4 miles into the country and saw the white picket fence that surrounds the area.  We drove down a short, winding road into the cemetery.  As we drove in, we saw a small pond with a fountain in the middle with all kinds of geese swimming around it.  There were small statues with angels holding animals or of animals alone strewn about the trees and tombstones.  

We drove a little more and got to the office and parking area.  This cemetery, called Rolling Acres, was the first in Kansas City, created in 1973.  It is a small operation and the area showed that.  It did not feel “commercialized”.  I felt better that is felt so quaint and caring.  

We got the balloons and walked to the area where Scratchy was.  We walked through the snow and ice and very cold winds.  The winds were bitterly cold.  The high was 11 degrees and the low was -1 degrees. We dressed in layers so that we could be as warm as possible while we stood out on that hill remembering Scratchy.  

We chose a spot to stand in and my boyfriend said some kind words, remembering Scratchy when she was alive and talking about how she would feel if she could talk to us now.  She was in a peaceful place and we had done the best for her, while she was alive and making the decision of her death.  

We stood together, holding hands and hugging, then decided it was too cold to stand outside any longer.  I held the balloons and let them go when I was ready.  For some reason, I was hesitant to let them go.  It had some kind of meaning for me to let those balloons go up into the sky.  I don't know what that meaning was.  It was another way of letting her go, I guess.  

We watched the balloons rise into the sky and continue to go right into a large tree!  The wind must have changed directions right before I let them go because we both thought they were going to go in a different direction.  

This entire experience has been very painful and emotionally draining.  Some people don't seem to understand my grief, which makes it even worse.  

Some things I did or plan to do to remember Scratchy:

I made a short video slideshow (click here to watch it) and sent it to everyone I knew.  We went to where her ashes were on the week anniversary of her death and released balloons.  I am making cat toys and blankets for the cats at the shelter in her memory.  I am going to have a pet tag engraved with her name and put it on my key chain.  I am also putting her picture in a nice frame and hanging in on the wall in a prominent place.  I am also going to put her picture on a coffee mug (through cafepress or another service like that) because I drink a lot of coffee and it is another way to remember her.  

We miss you and love you so much, Scratchy!

Hartz brand for cats and dogs RECALLED

With the recent recall of its Vitamin Care for Cats and a previous
recall on its Flea and Tick Drops, consumers should be ware when
purchasing products produced by the Hartz Mountain Corporation.
Numerous reports from cat and dog owners have claimed that such
products caused the deaths of their pets. There is even a website
devoted to the victims of Hartz, where owners share their personal
stories of their experience from using Hartz products.

Hartz is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin
Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have
been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz recalled a
specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to
similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC
(USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November.
However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers
prior to their having been removed from distribution.

The product involved is 739 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats,
lot code SZ 22771, UPC number 32700-97701. While normal testing
conducted by Hartz and UFAC has not revealed the presence of
Salmonella in any Hartz products, recent sampling conducted by the FDA
did detect the presence of Salmonella.

Previously, in December of 2002, thousands of illnesses and deaths in
cats and kittens led to a recall of some of Hartz' flea and tick
products. Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea and Tick Drops Plus for Cats
and Kittens and Hartz Advanced Care Brand Once-a-Month Flea and Tick
Drops for Cats and Kittens was pulled from shelves after numerous
accounts of pets suffering from adverse effects from the products.
Complaints included minor problems such as skin irritation or hair
loss at the application site to more serious effects on the nervous
system, such as tremors, convulsions and sometimes death.

Despite countless complaints, the Environmental Protection Agency
(regulatory body) will not close down the Hartz Mountain Corporation.
Therefore, a website has been created to allow pet owners to share
their stories of using its products and to educate the public on the
risks of using its products. Please visit their website at www.hartzvictims.org.

Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.

You may also contact them at:

Consumer Relations Department
The Hartz Mountain Corporation
400 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ 07094 USA
1-800-275-1414 consumer hotline
questions@Hartz.com
legal@Hartz.com

Cat microwaved to death during robbery in Canada-Trial for 13 year old and three 15 year olds begins 4.3.08

Four Alberta teens have been charged with animal cruelty after a cat was found dead in a microwave.

It's alleged that three 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old broke into a Camrose home on Dec. 30, and put the family cat named Princess in the microwave.

Police say the incident happened while the homeowners were out of town. A friend who checked on the home made the grisly discovery, finding the cat inside the microwave. She said she found the words, "Nice cat, look in the microwave" scrawled in felt pen on the kitchen window and on the glass of the kitchen cabinets.

Police say the microwave had been turned on-resulting in the cat's death.

"Obviously, it's very disturbing. We're used to dealing with property crime but when you go and do something like this it's upsetting," said Camrose Police Service Insp. Lee Foreman.

The incident has left the community in shock.

Three die trying to save their dogs

Authorities yesterday recovered the body of a 42-year-old Berkeley woman who was swept out to sea Saturday when she jumped into the ocean to try to save her dog on California’s Sonoma coast -- one of at least three such deaths in recent weeks.

According to a San Francisco Chronicle story, witnesses saw the woman, identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department as Molly Keane, go into the water near the Sonoma-Mendocino County line. The body of her dog was later found washed up on the beach. Keane's death was the second fatality in five weeks of a would-be dog rescuer swept off the Sonoma coast.

On Jan. 12, 19-year-old Ann Madden of Petaluma and her fiance were walking along an overlook at Portuguese Beach with their two dogs when large waves engulfed the two animals. Her fiance jumped in to rescue the dogs, followed by Madden.

"What she did was very, very heroic, but that’s the kind of person she was. We’re not surprised at all that she jumped in to save her fiance or the dogs," her mother said in an article in the Reading Eagle. Madden's fiance and two dogs survived.

In Buffalo, N.Y., police believe Anthony Dashner, a 51-year-old corrections officer, was trying to retrieve his parents' dog when he fell through the ice on the Buffalo River and died. Police pulled his body from the river Saturday afternoon, an article in the Buffalo News reported.

Dashner was last seen Wednesday morning, when he left his home to look for his parents' dog. Police believe Dashner was following the dog when he broke through the ice. Dashner worked at the medium-security Gowanda prison in southern Erie County.

Cat microwaved to death during robbery by teenagers in Canada

Upcoming Court Dates:
» Thursday, Feb 7, 2008

Incident Date: Sunday, Dec 30, 2007

Four Alberta teens have been charged with animal cruelty after a cat was found dead in a microwave.

A 13-year-old and three 15-year-olds are facing a number of other charges after a break-in occurred over the weekend at a home in the central Alberta community of Camrose, about 90 kilometres from Edmonton.

Police say the incident happened while the homeowners were out of town. A friend who checked on the home made the grisly discovery, finding the cat inside the microwave.

Police say the microwave had been turned on.

"Obviously, it's very disturbing. We're used to dealing with property crime but when you go and do something like this it's upsetting," said Camrose Police Service Insp. Lee Foreman.

The incident has left the community in shock.

"I get a little disturbed when I hear of things like that going on," one resident told CTV News Edmonton. "That's just senseless and stupid," he said, petting his dog.

Other residents said they're also concerned that young people have been charged.

Several thousand dollars of electronics were also taken during the robbery. Police say they have recovered most of the stolen property. The teens will appear in court in February. They cannot be identified because of legal restrictions.

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/12908/AB/CA/

**UPDATE**

A group of anti-animal cruelty protesters stood outside court in Camrose, Alta., as a judge put the case of several teens accused of using a microwave oven to kill a family cat over until March 6.

It's alleged that three 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old broke into a Camrose home on Dec. 30, and put the family cat named Princess in the microwave.

They were charged with unlawfully killing an animal, unlawfully causing pain or suffering to an animal and various break and enter offences.

The protesters have been lobbying for Ottawa to pass effective legislation for crimes against animals.

A neighbour who walked into the vandalized home has said she found the words, "Nice cat, look in the microwave" scrawled in felt pen on the kitchen window and on the glass of the kitchen cabinets.

The protesters carried pictures of Princess when the cat was alive and signs that said "Killers often torture animals when they are young".

Teens Charged in Extreme Animal Mutilation and Cruelty Case

Animal cruelty charges have been filed against a 16-year-old boy and his 14-year-old friend, for what experts say is one of the worst cruelty cases they've ever seen.

Local 12's Rich Jaffe says the attack on the tiny animal began last Wednesday night and continued into the next day.

The horrific case came to light when two Reading Junior/Senior High School students began bragging to classmates about what they'd done.

Harold Dates, SPCA Cincinnati: "I can refer to the Ohio Revised Code. It says no person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal, almost all of the things in that specific section of the code were done to this cat."

One of the boys told investigators he punched the cat, a family pet, in the face Wednesday night, then bragged to classmates about spraying it in the face with insecticide and lysol. Coming home from school Thursday, he and a 14 year old friend are accused of literally beating the life out of the already injured animal.

"Confronted by the allegations of what they had done by an investigator from SPCA Cincinnati, the two teens admitted to it, and then they took her to a side yard where they had buried the mutilated animal."

"The skull of the animal is totally crushed, there's not an identifying bone there, the cervical vertebrae...they've been crushed too, the scapula or shoulder blade is crushed..."

In addition, the cats eyes were popped out, legs broken, a stake driven into it, and its brain removed.

Dr. Tamara Goforth, Veterinarian: "Most of the trauma was on the front end, but on the back end there is a pelvic fracture, and there is a fracture here on the rear leg that is probably about a month old."

"My main concern is that this individual is helped in some way shape or form so that these acts don't continue and escalate to the next easiest victim."

Both teens are facing the stiffest possibly cruelty charges.

School officials at Reading tell us both teens are still in school, and they are working with the families to see that the children get counseling.

Teens Charged In Animal Mutilation