Another Example of the Link Between Animal Cruelty and Violence to Humans

It has been nine years since the brutal slayings of Margarita Ruiz, 72, and her daughter Esperanza Wells, 42, in the small Sumter County community of Tarrytown, Florida.

The crime appeared to be a random act of violence — no one could think of a reason anyone would want to hurt Ruiz or Wells.

No one knew who could do such a thing.

Six years later, authorities connected the double homicide to a man in Wisconsin serving time in a mental-health hospital for cruelty to animals. Now, suspect Bill Marquardt finally will be making his way to Florida to stand trial for the killings of Ruiz and Wells.


Read More... 

Middle School Teacher Starves her Two Cats Because of Long Work Hours and Social Life

Investigators said the Congress Middle School teacher's cats clawed up the apartment in a frantic search for food as they starved for up to a month before they died. The corpses then rotted in the filthy apartment about a month before an apartment manager found them.
Prosecutors upped the charges to two counts of felony cruelty to animals, saying her actions caused "excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering." The new charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.


Mike Edmondson, spokesman for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office, said the agency would not elaborate on why the charges were upgraded.


Efforts to contact Allison Dinsmore, 26, on Monday were unsuccessful despite phone calls and messages to the number listed on the crime report. A phone message and an e-mail to her Miami-based attorney, Jordan Lewin, weren't returned.


Dinsmore told police in February that she had been working long hours at her school and spent a lot of time at her boyfriend's house. Police said she also went on a family camping trip while the cats starved.


She said she couldn't remember the last time she had been home, but thought she had left food and water for her cats.


Dinsmore is not teaching this week because schools are closed for Spring Break, school district spokeswoman Vickie Middlebrooks said. She couldn't say whether Dinsmore would be permitted to return to the Boynton Beach middle school when classes resume.
"The school district will open up a personnel investigation based on the state attorney's action," Middlebrooks said. "The district will examine all of the facts."
Dinsmore has worked at Congress Middle since August 2007 and has a clean employment record, according to the district. Her salary is listed as $36,100.


The two cats were found dead Feb. 23 by a manager at Boca Sol apartments. Police said Dinsmore hadn't paid rent, and a manger went to her home to talk to her and check out the apartment. The manager found the two dead cats, signs of a frenzied search for food and water, and feces and urine everywhere, according to police.
The smell was so bad, an officer had to cover his mouth with a rag when he first went inside, the report said.


A necropsy determined the cats suffered neglect for weeks or months before dying a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration.

Why not drop this fine example of a human being a note at work:

dinsmore@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

I'm sure she'd love to hear from all of us.

Here's the email address of her principal (Kathy Harris) as well:

HarrisK@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

The internet has exploded with cat lovers and "cat lover" haters giving their two cents.  
Here's a guy who says cat lovers need to get a life and tells us to save our anger for human abuse.  Click here to read his rant.

Sources:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/15383/FL/US/RSS/



http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story/Teacher-arrested-for-starving-cats-to-death/cmw2gc4dSUi3O2mdT5VW2A.cspx



http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/03/31/0331cats.html?cxntlid=inform_sr

Miami-Dade county passes anti-tethering law

Miami-Dade County, in Florida, has passed a law that now makes it a crime for owners to leave their pets chained when they are not present.  The law, which is an amendment to Chapter V of the Miami-Dade County Code, will go into effect in April.

Pet owners will be warned for the first violation.  For the second violation, the owners will face civil penalties of $100 for cruelty and $500 for additional offenses.

$20 Spay $10 Neuter in Florida for the month of March only!

Gulf Shore Animal League, a 501(C)(3)non-profit organization, is dedicated to expanding the Trap-Neuter-Return programs in Manatee County so that the dream of becoming a No-Kill community by 2012 may be realized.

We realize that without an effective TNR program to control the over-population of cats we, as a community, will never be able to stop, or effectively curb, the appalling practice of killing healthy cats and kittens at Animal Services as the method of population control.

Our focus must then be to turn off the production at the source. We will not spend limited resources on warehousing or sheltering cats and kittens.

Get your female cat fixed for only $20

and male cat for only $10

during the entire month of March

Appointments are made at 747-2284 or www.gsalinc.org.

**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Options in Florida-Free for those who qualify, low cost for others

If you live in Pinellas or Pasco County, Florida, you may be eligible for low-cost spay/neuter surgeries:

1,500 Low-Cost and No-Cost Cat Spays and Neuters 
Now Available to Pinellas, Pasco Residents

Palm Harbor - Suncoast Animal League is proud to announce it is a recipient of the Florida Animal Friend Grant. The League was 1 of only 16 groups from around the state selected to receive these funds which are generated from sales of the Florida Animal Friend license plate.

Grant monies will be used to provide spay/neuter surgeries for a total of 1,500 cats belonging to residents of Pinellas and Pasco counties by August 31, 2009.

Under the grant, Suncoast Animal League will offer a total of 1,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats at a cost of only $30 to the owner. There is no income eligibility requirement for these low-cost services.

Owners must reside in Pinellas or Pasco county and provide proof of current rabies vaccine for their cats. Rabies vaccines will be available, if necessary, at a cost of $5.

Grant monies will also be used to provide a total of 500 no-cost surgeries for cats belonging to residents receiving public assistance (i.e. medicare, medicaid, SSI, Food Stamps, etc.).

Surgeries will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information or to schedule a cat spay or neuter surgery, please contact:

Suncoast Animal League
1030 Pennsylvania Ave.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
727.786.1330

A cat "Neuter-a-thon" is scheduled for Saturday, January 31st. More information about that event will be made available shortly.

For more information about the Florida Animal Friend organization, click here.

*****

The Suncoast Animal League is a community supported not-for-profit, no-kill animal rescue agency, caring for abused, neglected, homeless, and unwanted animals.

You can help the League by making a tax deductible monetary donation. Donors are encouraged to make a contribution online at www.suncoastanimalleague.org. For more information 
call 727-786-1330.

**If you read this after the date listed, contact the organization/clinic.  Often times, they offer these services on a regular basis.  If not, these clinics may offer the low cost clinics once a month.  You can use the same contact information listed above.**

Woman fined $650 for feeding cats!

Catherine Bradley, a feral cat advocate in Florida has been fined $650 ($150 for administrative costs and $500 for her second offense) for allegedly feeding feral cats, unauthorized. Town code only allows feeders from Palm Beach to feed the town's feral cats.

Apparently, Officer Adam Zeller had nothing better to do when he stood on his police car to watch Bradley "place three servings of wet cat food on the pavement...around 4:30 am." Bradley claims she is not guilty of unauthorized feeding. She said she had permission of the caretaker to monitor the cats. This is a managed colony, the cats have been TNR'd (Trap Neuter Release). They are fed and given water and monitored for health and given shelter possibly (it's warm in Florida).

In October, she was found in violation of the same law.

If I lived in that town, I would be very upset. A police officer cares so much about this woman feeding cats that he must have been checking up on her or following her. He stood on his police car to watch her. Aren't there murderers and rapists to catch?

This police officer needs to get a life and go out and fight "real" crime. A woman feeding a cat is not a crime. Some towns are archaic and ignorant and do have laws against feeding cats. That is not the case here. The people in this town can feed the cats. The crime this woman "committed" is being from the wrong area in Florida to feed the cats. How ridiculous!



palmbeachdailynews.com

Low cost vaccines in Florida, 10.18 & 10.25

Veterinarian David R. Malone Jr. and M-III Veterinary Services will conduct two low-cost pet-vaccine clinics for dogs, cats and horses:

Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Astor Public Library, 54905 Alco Road. Details: 352-759-9913.

Saturday, Oct. 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Hendrix Feed & Fence Store, 35042 County Road 437, Eustis. Details: 352-589-6393.

Rabies shots are $8.50 for cats and dogs and $15 for horses. All other vaccines will be offered at discounted prices. Flea, tick and heartworm prevention also will be offered. Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier. Details: 352-314-3838.

Chained dog dying in Florida-Needs rescue

(This is a message from a group I belong to-I did not write this)

Please help!! I cannot possibly stress how important
this is!! We have no time to get there! This poor
dog is in really, really bad shape.

Let me explain, my mother is in FL visiting my 80 yr
old aunt. The man next door is a retired Indian man,
who curses constantly, and is extremely violent
towards his dog, and my aunt has known about this, but
is old, alone, and too scared to do anything. My
mother has been there for a week, and has witnessed
many horrors, but it is only today that she told me
about the dog.

Tonight when I spoke to her - she said that the poor
dog could barely
struggle to his feet a couple of times today before
collapsing. Tonight is supposed to be bitter cold, and
he is laying out there in the dirt with no food, no
water, no housing and he is skin and bones. She said
he's dying! I hope he can hang on a little longer so
he can be rescued, and experience some kind human
interaction.

She witnessed him laying there hopelessly in the bad
rain storm last night too, barely able to lift his
head to bark, and when he did manage, the man came out
and beat him with a stick. My mother said you could
see how pitifully skinny his entire back end is. I
can only imagine you can count his ribs as well.
Apparently there is no animal control there in the
area, because (according to the police officer my
mother spoke to), no one wants the job.

By the way - the police officer my mother spoke to did
not say anything to this man or make an effort to
uphold the law because I guess he's just another one
who thinks "it's just a dog".

Please I beg you - I would like to keep in close
contact with whatever is happening to him, and if
there is no one that can help him rehabilitate, I will
offer my home as a safe haven for him.

I am a single mom with 4 of my own dogs, but certainly
I can make some kind of provisions for him to see that
he gets better.

I live about 6 hours away, and I tell you, if I didn't
have a little 4 yr old, I'd be in the car right now
driving to get this dog !! God help him!!
I don't even know what kind of dog he is, but I do
know that he needs help.

My aunt lives on the corner of Ingham and South Pine
Street in Hillaird, FL. She says this guy is right
next door to her on South Pine Street.

Please call me if you have any questions. That is all
the information I know of as far as location, I don't
have a house number, but it's got to be the first
house after the corner. My aunt is petrified, and will
not go outside and look at his house for a number. She
is 80 years old and doesn't want any trouble.

Please call me if you have any questions (704)
545-7079. That is my home number.

Thank God there are people like you who reach out so
quickly to see if you can help!!! I am new down south
and don't know anyone here and don't know who to turn
to.

God Bless You,
Thank You!

Sincerely,
Ronda
(704) 545-7079

Chained dog killed by loose pit bulls, owner says

Two loose pit bulls apparently killed a chained chow-breed dog early Monday, and now Jacksonville police are trying to determine their owners.

Ronald Ball, 64, told police one black and one gray pit bull attacked his chow chained in his backyard in the 3000 block of Myra Street off South McDuff Avenue. Police responded about 2:30 a.m. and saw two pit bulls running down a ditch line behind Bell’s property.

The officer then saw them in a nearby front yard, but the owners of the home said they do not have any dogs, according to the Sheriff’s Office report. It’s still possible that the dogs live at that address or are strays, the report said.

Animal Control has been called in.

Ball — who has at least two addresses listed in the incident report, did not include a phone number and is not in the phone book — could not be reached for more details.

North Miami code toughened, but stray cats get a pass

Cats got a reprieve when the North Miami city council unanimously agreed to scale back its stricter animal enforcement guidelines.

At a meeting Feb. 12, the council passed on first reading a new law that makes it easier for the city's animal code enforcer, Tami Fox, to do her job. The new law allows for heftier fines if your dogs run loose or if you feed feral cats on someone else's property and bans keeping fowl.

The council appeased droves of cat lovers, by allowing them to keep as many cats as they want and they can feed stray cats as long as they do it in their own yard.

''We have to do a balancing act between the neighbor who wants to feed the cats and the neighbors who don't want cats in their yard,'' City Attorney Lynn Whitfield said.

Instead of the stricter restrictions for cats, the council said the city should work with cat groups, including The Cat Network, to educate the public on trapping, spaying or neutering the animals and then releasing them.

''We do have a problem in the city with the overpopulation of feral cats that we do have to somehow get some control on,'' Whitfield said. ``So we are going to initially try to do something in terms of public information.''

The news was very exciting for many Cat Network members and residents, who attended the meeting.

''It has to start with educating the public,'' resident Marie Samuel said. ``Not just say it, do it.''

Fowl were not as lucky as cats. Fox said roosters are acting as alarm clocks and residents don't want them in the city.

If the ordinance passes on second reading Feb. 26, Fox will be able to issue a $100 ticket on the spot if she sees someone with a live fowl.

Whitfield, along with Fox and Public Works Director Mark Collins, have been working on updating the outdated, 1958 code for months. An ordinance came up for approval in October but was deferred.

Whitfield said it was time to get something in place to make it easier for Fox to clean up the city. Whitfield said she believes stricter fines might encourage people to be more careful when it comes to animals. For example, under the old code, a ticket for letting a dog run loose could cost $50-$100; with the new code, it could be $150.

''This is a step in the right direction,'' Mayor Kevin Burns said. ``I'm glad to see we are working with the right groups.''