tagged w/ Puppy Killed
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(please see my old CurrentTV) news postings tagged under 'Karley' for more info
Update!
On January 26, 2010, Glynn Johnson, a former L.A. County assistant fire chief, was found guilty of felony animal cruelty after he used a 12-pound rock to beat Karley, a mixed breed shepherd puppy, outside his Riverside, California home last year. Karley’s injuries from the vicious attack were so severe that she had to be euthanized. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8 and could serve up to four years in state prison.
Why would a grown man, a leader in his community, purportedly beat a puppy so viciously that the dog would have to be euthanized? The Toole family has been asking this question since November 2008, when a neighbor repeatedly punched their six-month-old puppy, Karley, and struck her in the head with a large rock, shattering her skull.
Authorities have charged Karley’s alleged attacker, Glynn Johnson, with felony animal cruelty for an assault witnesses say was unprovoked. They testified in a pre-trial hearing that after the puppy had run across his yard, Johnson, an assistant fire chief with Los Angeles County, discovered neighbor Travis Staggs taking Karley to the Toole’s home on the other side of his own property in an unincorporated area of Riverside, Calif. The defendant offered to walk Karley back to the Tooles himself, so Staggs turned the German shepherd mix over to him. “Then something in his head snapped and he started beating the dog,” Staggs told the court. He said that Johnson punched Karley with a closed fist about a dozen times and then beat her with an 11-inch rock, adding that he tried to stop the attack, but Johnson pushed him away.
Staggs said Johnson finally stopped hitting Karley after her body went limp; she then managed to stumble to a nearby ravine. The Toole’s teenage children, Brandon and Heather, rushed Karley to a veterinarian and later an animal intensive care unit, but her injuries were too extensive. In addition to her skull being cracked in three places, Karley lost an eye and suffered a broken jaw, crushed nasal cavity and a collapsed ear canal. “I’ve never seen a dog come in with that level of head injury,” says Angela Howard, DVM, one of the veterinarians who treated Karley. “I’ve seen pets who have been hit by cars and they were thrown by the car and suffered fractures to the nose or skull, but I’ve never seen a case where their head was that badly damaged.”
KARLEY'S LAW
Toole says she was shocked to discover that the law considers animals to be property. “Animals are not chairs or tables,” she says. “They are living, breathing beings with feelings, and they are part of a family. Sadly, there is no civil law for the victims of animal cruelty in California.” She and her family are dedicated to changing that, not only to honor Karley’s memory, but to aid future victims of abuse. Stephan Otto, ALDF’s legislative director, worked with the Tooles to draft “Karley’s Law,” a Civil Right of Action for Cruelty to an Animal, which will give parties whose animals are subjected to acts of cruelty the opportunity to bring a civil action against the perpetrator for the full range of their loss.
The law won’t change an animal’s legal status as property, but if a plaintiff prevails, it will give courts the authority to order a judgment for all actual and reasonable damages proved, such as the monetary value of the animal, veterinary expenses, emotional distress, loss of companionship, court costs and attorney’s fees.
Karley’s Law will also provide punitive damages of at least $1,000 for every intentional act to which the animal was subjected, as well as give courts the authority to issue restraining orders and other injunctive relief as they deem warranted.
“As it stands now,” says Otto, “collecting an animal’s market value ― what it would cost to replace him or her — is generally all that’s available to plaintiffs in the state, so Karley’s Law would be a real step forward. It doesn’t guarantee any damages, but it will allow animal guardians their day in court to argue for the full extent of their loss.”
... please follow link for rest of article
http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1164(please see my old CurrentTV) news postings tagged under 'Karley' for more... more
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SIOUX CITY -- Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings said Tuesday his office has filed charges against a man who is accused of beating his puppy to death last week.
Meanwhile, the Siouxland Humane Society board has initiated a campaign urging people to lobby Jennings and his office through a letter-writing campaign to seek the toughest penalties allowed by law.
Bobby Loggins, 35, is charged with animal torture, an aggravated misdemeanor, and filing a false police report, a serious misdemeanor.
If convicted of animal torture, Jennings said, Loggins could face a maximum sentence of two years in jail and a $6,250 fine and be required to undergo a psychological evaluation and do community service.
He said he could not comment on the letter-writing effort.
Jerry Dominicak, humane society executive director, said the campaign has merit. "We feel this is something the public can do so the death of this dog was not totally in vain. ... No animal deserves to be treated in this respect and to be abused or tortured, regardless of it was a dog, a cat or any type of animal."
Loggins has disputed police reports that say he punched his dog in the face about 30 times for urinating on the carpet during a party. On Tuesday, he told the Journal, "It was an accident. It didn't happen the way that it was put in the paper. ... I'm hoping for the best."
He said the 5-month-old puppy was an American bulldog but declined to comment further until he could talk to his attorney.SIOUX CITY -- Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings said Tuesday his office has... more
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RIVERSIDE -- This is one fence between neighbors that will never be mended.
Was the beating of a puppy self-defense, or animal cruelty? Now it's up to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office to try to uncover the truth. "I just think he's an evil person. How can any human being just murder a puppy for no reason?" dogowner Shelley Toole says fighting through tears her family can't sleep.
They say Monday, their next-door neighbor, in some kind of violent rage, beat their puppy so badly the dog had to be put down. Karley was a six-month old shepherd mix. What may surprise many people is the fact that the neighbor is Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson.
An online biography lists a stellar 30-year career with the department. It says he's an expert in counter-terrorism, among other areas. But his neighbors of the last ten years have a very different picture of the man. Jeff Toole, Shelley's husband, says he believes Chief Johnson "needs a lot of help." We tried to talk with the public safety official Wednesday night, knocking on his front door repeatedly and calling out for him. But no one answered.
He was home because we later discovered he had called police to tell them to make sure we stay off his property.
Riverside County investigators tell KTLA the fire chief admits to beating the dog -- but says it was in self-defense because Karley attacked him viciously. The Tooles say Monday evening, Karley got out and went to neighbor Travis Staggs' home. He lives on the other side of Chief Johnson's house.
Staggs says he was walking Karley home when Johnson stepped in and said he would take the dog back home. Staggs says he reluctantly handed over the puppy, and that's when it happened in Johnson's front yard. Travis Staggs tells KTLA that Glynn Johnson simply started beating the dog, and that the dog had not attacked Johnson first.
According to this witness, Johnson hit the dog repeatedly with a closed fist, put his hands in the puppy's mouth and tried to break its jaws, and eventually beat the dog over the head repeatedly with a large rock from the front yard. Staggs says he tried to stop the attack but couldn't. The Toole family later decided to have Karley put down because of the extent of her injuries.
"It scares me, knowing I live next-door to this man," says Travis Staggs.
The Tooles say they will take civil action against the assistant fire chief regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigation. Riverside County deputies tell KTLA they are conducting more interviews with witnesses in an attempt to determine what really happened in this case. If detectives find enough evidence that the dog beating was unwarranted, they will hand the case over to the district attorney for a possible animal cruelty charge, which is a felony.
The Tooles say there is a "history of violence" with Glynn Johnson, and deputies say they are looking into these claims as well. "This man needs to go to prison for what he did," says Shelley Toole. She adds, "Karley was my baby, and he took her away from me."
RIVERSIDE -- This is one fence between neighbors that will never be mended.... more
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video:
http://www.kxan.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=3040083&at1=News&h1=Puppy found in dryer
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - San Marcos police and animal control investigators are trying to determine how a 10-month-old puppy died in a clothes dryer inside an apartment.
An investigation is ongoing into whether the death was an accident or a disturbing case of animal cruelty.
"It's very disturbing," said Animal Services Manager Bert Strattemann. "Anytime you see an animal in the condition that this one was, it's very disturbing."
A roommate of the dog's owner found the 12-pound miniature pinscher dead inside the dryer early Wednesday morning, police said. Witnesses tell investigators someone let the dog inside from the patio at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. The puppy, Bentley, was found dead in the front loading dryer three hours later. The owner was asleep in a nearby bedroom.
"We are trying to determine if this was intentional or an accident," said Strattemann.
Four male roommates, including the puppy's owner, lived in the apartment at the Cabana Beach complex in San Marcos and shared the laundry facilities. Investigators are talking to all of the residents and guests who may have been inside the apartment Wednesday morning.
"At this time, it's an ongoing investigation," said Strattemann. "We're pursuing it heavily."
A necropsy performed by a local veterinarian determined the puppy died from trauma caused by being inside the dryer. If investigators determine this was not an accident, the suspect could face animal cruelty charges.
video:... more
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Authorities are offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for stabbing Pogo, a three-legged puppy to death in San Francisco.
Pogo, a seven-month-old pit bull pup, was out for a walk with his foster parent last week at Ocean Beach when he disappeared behind a sand dune.
Pogo's body was discovered Tuesday, dumped across town in the Bayview. He weighed about 40 pounds and had white around the nose. He was wearing a red collar.
"Because this dog was killed with multiple stab wounds and this is something that is uncommon here in San Francisco, that's why we're investigating this to the fullest. So we're asking anyone who has any information to give our emergency dispatch a call," said an officer working on the case.
PLEASE HELP! $6,000 REWARD!
Anyone with information is asked to call (415) 554-9400.
The reward for any information leading to an arrest has jumped from $2,000 to $6,000. If you would like to help give to the Friends of San Francisco Animal Care: http://www.helpacc.org/index.htmAuthorities are offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of... more
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San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO -- The Animal Defense League is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in a string of recent animal cruelty cases.
The incidents involve the burning of two dogs and a cat and a young dog hung from a tree.
The most recent case was on Wednesday, when a passerby found a dog named Parker with burns on his back that ADL officials said was probably caused by car battery acid.
The dog was treated and adopted out.
Anyone with information on the cases is urged to call 210-655-1482, extension 111.
http://www.adltexas.org/ San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO -- The Animal Defense League... more
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VIDEO:
http://www.ktbs.com/news/Puppy-mistakenly-euthanized-at-Caddo-Animal-Services-14347/#
Lost in the system, but found in a freezer. That's what happened to a little puppy accidentally killed by Caddo Animal Services.
When Shreveport Police Officer Ron DeBello rescued the puppy from under a house on Henderson Avenue, he immediately fell in love with it.
So did his wife and kids after he showed them pictures of it. The little beagle-mix, believed to be just a few weeks old was taken to Caddo Animal Services to be checked out. DeBello made arrangements to adopt it if nobody claimed it in a week. No one did, so DeBello went to pick up the puppy, but it was no where to be found.
DeBello says by the time they did find the puppy, it was too late, the animal was in a freezer. It had been euthanized by mistake.
Director Matt Pepper says as unfortunate as it sounds, the puppy somehow got lost in the system. Pepper says it's one of many regrettable issues he's addressed since he's taken over. He says he's already implemented new practices that will hopefully keep this from happening again.
VIDEO:... more
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PHOENIX - Police are looking into a particularly violent case of animal cruelty.
It all began when Humberto Medina's family came home from vacation on Saturday and found their puppy cut in half. Someone had been watching the dog but some time between his last feeding and Medina's return, the dog was attacked.
Medina says it did not look like another animal had anything to do with it and now he is asking why. “If they have something against us, they can come confront me, not kill my dog. It's a little dog, it's a chihuahua, it doesn't hurt anybody.”
Police believe someone intentionally hurt the 8-month-old chihuahua.
No word yet on any leads or suspects.
News Video: http://www.azfamily.com/pets/animalnews/stories/Phoenix_local_news_070608_severed-chihuahua-half.2cf6516a.htmlPHOENIX - Police are looking into a particularly violent case of animal cruelty.... more
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