Humane Society Condones Chaining Dogs and Allowing them to Drown

A dog drowned after it was chained to a stake and left outside during the storm Sunday night.  It happened in Kanawha County, West Virginia.

A volunteer firefighter tells WSAZ.com that the dog was always chained and left alone. It does have a doghouse but she says the dog did not fit inside.

For several weeks, she's complained to the homeowner and the Humane Society but has been ignored.  When flash floods hit overnight the dog was left to fend for itself. The water took over the homeowner's backyard and since the dog was chained and could not escape, it drowned.

The homeowner says he didn't realize it was going to rain that night and he didn't know there was a flood warning.  

The Humane Society does not plan to press charges.  

Contact the local humane association here.

Click here for video.  

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

Rapper DMX convicted of animal cruelty-possibly related to dogfighting.

After receiving an anonymous tip about inhumane conditions for dogs on his property, detectives visited the home of rapper, DMX, and then called one of the rapper's lawyers and told him that the conditions for the animals at the property needed to be improved or deputies would take action. The dogs were not being fed or given water.

Authorities returned to the home days later.

The 36-year-old musician and actor, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was not at home during the raid.

Simmons' lawyer, Murray Richman, said Simmons hasn't been in Arizona for at least two months and was "extremely disturbed" to hear the animals weren't being cared for properly.

"We had a caretaker that wasn't taking care, that's what happened," Richman said. "He loves dogs _ he loves these animals. Those dogs are practically his family."

Richman said he hadn't been notified of problems at the property until he learned of the raid Friday. Sheriff's officials said they had contacted another lawyer who works for DMX.

Arpaio said the deputies who served a search warrant at the home Friday seized 12 pit bulls tied up on the property and took them to an old jail that has been converted into an animal shelter.

Deputies found the buried dogs when they dug up the back yard. One had apparently been burned and the cause of death on the others was unknown because the bodies were decomposing.

Deputies also found a variety of firearms, Arpaio said. Authorities sought additional warrants so they could check the guns to determine if they were legal.


Simmons, 37, was arrested in Miami in August after not reporting to multiple court hearings.  He was extradited to Maricopa County in September and was released on Sept. 13 on a $25,000 bond, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.


DMX has reached a plea deal on multiple drug possession, theft and animal cruelty charges.

A Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner has set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 30.

As part of the plea agreement, DMX cannot possess firearms or own any animals, and must attend an animal-offender treatment program. If he violates probation, he could be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.



For more information on this case, please visit pet-abuse.com 

Dog Frozen to Sidewalk-woman goes to court 12.22.08

A 59 year old woman (her name is not being disclosed for some reason) is charged with a misdemeanor of animal neglect. Her court date is Monday, December 22.  Click here for more information on this case. 

An elderly border collie mix froze to the sidewalk when it was left outside overnight in single-digit temperatures, but the "morbidly obese" dog survived due to insulation from layers of fat, according to the Sheboygan County Humane Society.

The dog, a male named Jiffy, was discovered and its owner arrested on suspicion of animal neglect this morning, said Lt. Tim Eirich of the Sheboygan Police Department. The owner, a 59-year-old woman, lives in the 1500 block of John Court.

The dog is being cared for at the Humane Society and is expected to survive, but it is not clear what long-term effects the overnight freeze may have had, shelter manager Carey Payne said.

"The dog is comfortable right now and is being evaluated for possible damage. We won't know for a few days what the extent is," Payne said. "He was frozen to the sidewalk, so myself and two other employees had to pour some warm water over the dog's back end to get him off the sidewalk."

Payne said the dog can barely move, but shelter workers aren't sure if that's from the incident or the dog's excessive weight. Jiffy is 11 or 12 years old, Eirich said.

The owner told police she tried to get the dog inside but was unable to, and instead checked on the dog every few hours, Eirich said. The temperature dipped to 6 degrees overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Payne said few dogs could survive a night outdoors at that temperature.

"Being insulated as well as he was with the layers of fat he had probably saved the dog's life," she said.

The woman was trying to drag the dog inside when police arrived about 9:15 a.m., Eirich said. Officers responded after a neighbor noticed the dog and called police.

The case has been referred to the Sheboygan County district attorney's office for possible charges. Police are asking for a charge of misdemeanor animal neglect.

Kennel Owners Killed 80 Dogs Instead of Taking Them to the Vet.

HARRISBURG - Two Berks County kennel operators killed nearly their entire kennel population - 80 dogs - after wardens ordered veterinary exams on dozens of their animals.

After receiving a poor inspection report on July 24, Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot his 70 small-breed dogs and threw them onto a compost pile on his property, according to officials with the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. His brother, Ammon Zimmerman, who operated A & J Kennel next door, shot 10 dogs about the same time, they said.

It is legal for dog owners in the state to put a dog down by shooting it. Gov. Rendell, as part of his effort to improve kennel conditions, is seeking legislation to allow only veterinarians to euthanize commercial kennel dogs.

Elmer Zimmerman, owner of E & A Kennel, said in an interview yesterday that he feared the Department of Agriculture was trying to close him down and that he destroyed the dogs on his veterinarian's recommendation.

"They were old, and we were hearing that they don't want kennels anymore," said Zimmerman, who has held a commercial kennel license since at least 2003. "The best thing to do was get rid of them."

Ammon Zimmerman, reached yesterday by phone, told a reporter his decision to destroy his dogs was "none of your business."

Aguirre, who had cited Zimmerman for multiple dog-law violations and ordered vet checks on 39 dogs for flea and fly bites, told him he didn't believe he had shot the dogs. Zimmerman then got out the backhoe and uncovered the bodies of dogs - among them poodles, shih tzus and cocker spaniels - that had been thrown onto the compost pile, she said.

More...

PETsMART Suspends Bird Sales Until Spring

Thanks to everyone who has written to PETsMART to urge a ban on the sale of birds and other live animals. Your efforts are making a difference!

We recently learned that PETsMART has extended its original suspension on the sale of birds in approximately 775 stores in 46 states across the U.S. until at least April. In late 2007, birds in 43 PETsMART stores tested positive for avian chlamydiosis (also called psittacosis) — a disease that is transmittable to humans.

As we told you in an earlier alert, PETsMART was also recently in the news, in a Today show segment alleging animal mistreatment at one of its major suppliers.

Born Free USA united with API continues to call on PETsMART to discontinue its sale of birds and other live animals. If you have not done so already, please let PETsMART know that you won’t be shopping at its stores until live animal sales cease.

Now is the time to keep the pressure on to help turn PETsMART’s temporary suspension of sales into a permanent change!

To find out more and take action on this alert, click here.

10 dogs neglected, emaciated, one found dead » Friday, Feb 29, 2008: sentencing

Incident Date: Monday, Sep 18, 2006
Friday, Feb 29, 2008: sentencing


Chenango County Court Case # 2006-92

Douglas Arthur Haslett: CONVICTED

A Chenango County man has been convicted of abusing his animals. Sheriff's deputies say Douglas Haslett had a number of dogs at his home that were not being fed and didn't have proper shelter.

Deputies, along with animal control officers, found nine emaciated dogs and took them to an animal hospital for treatment. Deputies also found a dead dog at Haslett's home. The dog died of starvation.

This is his sentencing, please contact the judge in this case and ask for harsh sentencing.

Chenango County Office Building
5 Court Street
Norwich, NY 13815

607-337-1825
Fax 607-337-1834
e-mail: cschell@courts.state.ny.us

Chenango County Judge
Hon. W. Howard Sullivan

Hoarding-animals found dead in freezer-nearly 200 counts of animal cruelty

A preliminary hearing was delayed on Feb 12, 2007 for a Uniontown couple facing nearly 200 charges related to cruelty to animals.

Tim and Joyce Swaney of 51 Bierer Ave. were each charged Dec. 18 with 68 counts of cruelty to animals, eight counts of failure to dispose of animal carcasses and 19 counts of failure to have pets vaccinated.

Officers Jamie Speelman and Elizabeth Davidson from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had to wear biohazard suits and breathing masks to enter the Swaney home last November where dozens of animals were found living among several carcasses of dead animals.

After the house was completely searched, the officers reported finding 27 living animals, including 15 cats, four rabbits, a turtle, six ferrets and a dog. Officers also found eight dead animals in different areas of the house, including three cats, three kittens, a ferret and a bird.

Some of the dead animals were found in a freezer in the basement of the home. One cat was discovered dead underneath a mattress in the couple's bedroom. A dead kitten was also found in an empty cat food can.

Officials described the home as being "full of feces and debris" and said that animal carcasses were found in several rooms of the home.

Court date for woman charged with neglect of chained dogs--please attend if you can!

The picture above is one of the dogs' necks.

(Click on the pictures to see a larger image)

These were two males that the outreach program came across a few months ago. Their situation was pretty bad and we put in a call to AC. They eventually confiscated the dogs and charged the owner with neglect. When the dogs were removed, it was discovered that they were in even worse shape than we first thought.

There has been one court date so far, this is the second. At the first one, the woman pled not guilty.

Kansas City Municipal Court (courtroom G)
case name: Danita Hudson
9 a.m. Feb. 21
1101 Locust
11th & Locust, downtown KC MO
immediately east of City Hall
parking to the north

Officers find skeleton of chained dog

Animal control officers found a dog skeleton chained to a concrete block and a dead puppy wrapped in a garbage bag at a condemned house in Decatur this week.

Animal Services Director Mindy Gilbert said officers rescued two other adult pit bull dogs and three puppies from 1302 Pisgah Road S.E. on Monday afternoon. The two adult dogs will probably be euthanized because of health problems, she said.

Gilbert said she didn’t know how long the animals had been abandoned, but their owner, 23-year-old Lakenya Elliott, will face criminal charges.

“This is somebody who abandoned the dogs there and knew they were there,” Gilbert said. “One of the dogs was the skeletal remains of an adult dog chained up in the backyard. ... It was pretty much a skeleton. There was very little left but bones.”

Gilbert said it’s possible the puppies had gnawed the remains of the dead dog.

“The other dead one was a puppy wrapped in a garbage bag sitting on the lawn,” she said.

Elliott signed the live animals over to the shelter, Gilbert said.

“The two adult dogs that we have are in pretty debilitated physical condition, which indicates to me that this is an ongoing situation,” Gilbert said. “Both tested positive for heart worms and intestinal parasites and are malnourished.”

Gilbert said she believed the puppies could be nursed to health.

All the dogs were found outside the residence. The owner left the adult animals tethered and the puppies running loose, Gilbert said.

“You know how cold it’s been lately,” she said. “One dog did have a barrel. There was a beat-up doghouse that had holes all around, so it wasn’t providing shelter. They were without food and water.”

Gilbert said that because Elliott cooperated in turning the animals over to authorities, she will be summoned to court for arraignment rather than arrested on warrants.

“I think they’re going to be looking at multiple charges,” she said.

11 dogs neglected, abandoned in home

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
County: Gibson

Alleged: Lasandra Lavern Lemons

Humboldt police have arrested a woman accused of leaving 11 dogs behind without food or water when she moved out of her house.

Lasandra Lavern Lemons, 30, has been charged with 11 counts of cruelty to animals, according to a press release from Humboldt police.

Police and the city's animal control officer went to Lemons' former home at 2201 Gibson Wells Road on Tuesday morning after receiving a complaint about the dogs, the release says. They found three dogs inside the house and eight chained outside, all of which appeared to have gone without food and water.

Many of the dogs were diseased and had cuts and sores on their bodies, according to police. The release also says they had been starved to the point that their ribs were visible through their skin. One dog could not walk.

Three of the dogs had to be put down at the house because of their severe condition, police said. The other eight were taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

After her arrest, Lemons was taken to the Gibson County Correctional Complex and posted $11,000 bond.

If she had enough money to post $11,000 bond, she had enough to feed, water and give shelter to those dogs--she CHOSE not to.

Hundreds of animals found in home, including 89 frozen ferrets

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Authorities say they removed nearly 200 animals from a Virginia Beach home, including 89 frozen ferret carcasses.

Police spokeswoman Margie Long says animal control agents found more than 100 live ferrets, a dog, a bird and three cats, most of them suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. Long said the frozen bodies of 89 ferrets, a cat, a rat and an otter were discovered in freezers in the house and garage.

Sixty-one of the live ferrets had to be euthanized because of poor health.

Rottweiler Found Chained to Tree, Arizona Man Arrested, Dog Euthanized Due to Very Poor Physical Condition

A 30-year-old Buckeye resident was arrested Tuesday after allegedly neglecting his dog.

The Maricopa County Sherriff's Office received a tip on the sheriff's animal abuse hotline, which led deputies to Kane, a black and tan Rottweiler chained to a tree.

According to authorities, the bare tree offered no shelter due to lack of foliage. Kane was covered in mud, and in extreme, poor physical condition. Investigators found his ribs, spine, and hips were predominant, likely due to a lack of nutrition and care.

Kane was taken immediately to a veterinarian for a physical examination and because of his poor physical condition, was euthanized.

Wilson was booked into the 4th Avenue Jail on two counts of animal neglect, including failure to provide medical attention and failure to provide shelter.

PETsMART Again Linked to Mistreated Animals

Action Alert:
PETsMART Again Linked to Mistreated Animals

Published 01/23/08

Recently Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute alerted members to the discovery of diseased birds in 23 PETsMART stores that were linked to a distributor in Florida that mass-produces birds for PETsMART.

Now PETsMART is in the news again for allegations of animal mistreatment at one of its major animal suppliers. A story that aired on the Today show revealed appalling conditions that birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other small mammals are force to endure while used for breeding or awaiting shipment to PETsMART stores. Video footage shows sick and injured animals tossed in garbage cans and rabbits being neutered without proper veterinary protocols. View the Today show segment here.

Born Free USA is once again calling on PETsMART to discontinue its sale of birds and other live animals. You can let PETsMART know that you won’t be shopping at its stores until live animal sales cease.

Contact:

PETsMART
19601 N. 27th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85027
customercare@petsmart.com

Council delays decision on dog-chaining law

By Chris Paschenko
The Daily News

Published January 10, 2008
DICKINSON — Saying law-abiding residents shouldn’t be made criminals, the Dickinson City Council decided to postpone enacting an ordinance banning the chaining of dogs, so it could review the language of the law.

Councilmen Mark Townsend and Kerry Neves said Wednesday they’ve had some dogs they’ve had to restrain during loud thunderstorms and temporary restraints were the only way to ensure the canines remained in their backyard fences.

Both councilmen said they would be against a total ban on chaining dogs.

“I had a black lab, and the dog would go nuts,” Townsend said. “He ate up the fence, the wood on the back door. When it thunders, that’s the end.”

Neves agreed, saying his dogs couldn’t be kept in his fence during thunderstorms.

“They go absolutely crazy during thunderstorms and loud noises,” Neves said. “One digs out, and one climbs over. When I’m not home, I restrain them on the porch. They have beds and everything. If I don’t, I’m afraid they’ll become grease spots on FM 517.”

A concerned citizen went to a council meeting last year, asking for members to pass a similar measure adopted in Texas City that prevents the continuous chaining of dogs.

“I understand her point of view,” Townsend said. “But then you’ve got people like Kerry, but if it lightnings, he ain’t the only one going to be in that boat.” If the council passes a total ban, Townsend said, “I think we’ll be making criminals out of law-abiding citizens.”

Neves said the council would likely discuss the matter during a work session as soon as late February or March.

“I guess I agree with it in principle,” Neves said. “It’s just got to be handled in a better fashion. I hate to pass an ordinance that criminalizes good folks trying to do the right thing.”

Neves said paying careful attention to the wording of the ordinance would be key.

“We need verbiage to the effect that it doesn’t apply when restraint is done for the health and safety of the animal, so we don’t criminalize somebody like me,” he said.

Neves said the chaining of dogs could be banned, but animal abuse laws would better serve the public when residents report neglected animals, such as those permanently chained without food, water or shelter.

Copyright © 2008 The Galveston County Daily News

_________________________________________________________________________________

Neves said. “It’s just got to be handled in a better fashion. I hate to pass an ordinance that criminalizes good folks trying to do the right thing.”

I believe this quote to be completely ridiculous! How can someone be so ignorant? "folks trying to do the right thing." Chaining a dog is not the right thing for anyone to do. Who cares so little about their dog that they allow them to be chained outside during a thunderstorm? There needs to be some serious education in this town. It is so sad when these lawmakers consider the people first and the happiness and welfare of the dogs, who actually have to live outside.

Cops say woman hid dog’s body after it froze to death

LIVINGSTON MANOR — A 47-year-old woman was charged with an animal cruelty violation yesterday when police found her pit bull’s body stashed in the woods behind her house.
Police say Daniele Edwards left her pit bull, Blue, outside and without shelter the night of Jan. 4. The temperature dipped to 5 degrees that night, and the dog froze to death, police said.
An anonymous tip led police to the dog’s body. Edwards was charged with failure to provide a dog with adequate shelter, a violation.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/NEWS/80108024/-1/NEWS