VERY HORRIBLE CASES OF ANIMAL ABUSE and ORGANIZATIONS FOR ANIMAL AND HUMAN SERVICES WORKING TOGETHER FOR SOLUTIONS

"Of all the creatures, man is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot."--Mark Twain

A 13- 14-year-old boy threw fuel at a stray dog and burnt it in front of a silent neighborhood, watching the poor animal’s painful writhing. It was reported that stones were also thrown at the burning dog. Come and sign the petition to help the county help this and other kids:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/animals8/petition.html

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--njbriefs0712jul12,0,879771.
story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

MILLVILLE, N.J. -- Three boys have been charged with animal cruelty for throwing a kitten off a roof and killing another by smashing its head, authorities said.

Authorities said the boys, ages 11, 12 and 14, killed the cat July 5 and buried it in a shallow grave. They dug it up two days later, wrapped the body in toilet paper and set it on fire.

The charges were filed Friday by police and investigators from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Authorities learned of the killing from a resident while investigating an unrelated incident in the neighborhood. The cat's body was later found in a trash can.

The boys told authorities that they each got a kitten from an unidentified woman in a city park and took them to one of the youth's homes. One of the boys tossed another's cat off the roof, and that boy retaliated by killing the second kitten.

The kitten that was thrown from the roof and the third kitten have not been located, authorities said.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/8906335.htm

Posted on Sat, Jun. 12, 2004

Lindsay Semple, Akron Beacon Journal

Laureen Callahan with Cali. In background, Amanda Grosse holds Squeakers next to her grandmother Nancy Ruble.

R E L A T E D L I N K S

• Hot line help

Foster homes provide refuge

Abuse victims don't want to leave their pets behind. Area groups assist in vet care, too

Connie Bloom

Beacon Journal

If a cat can relate the horrors of domestic violence to outsiders, Cali the calico tells the story in blood. The pretty gray-and-white arches her back and bares her teeth, spewing venomous hisses at anyone who comes within 20 feet of her 6-foot cage, digging her claws into their flesh if she can make contact.

You'd think she was feral, but she has bonded to one person, her 11-year companion, Laureen Callahan, an abuse victim who is starting life anew at 44, learning to be whole again, sober.

``Cali is protective of me. I taught her to stay away from everybody, but nobody was mean to her,'' she said. What she means is that no one physically harmed the cat, not that the fiery feline was unaware of her owner's plight. Cats often reflect any disarray in their environment. The cat seems to be speaking for both of them.

If Callahan's other cat, Squeakers -- a sweep of pure white from head to tail -- has complaints, she percolates from within. ``I love my cats. My cats are my kids,'' said Callahan.

Callahan was mired in an abusive familial situation for more than a decade, she said. ``It got to the point I had to make a choice, it became a survival issue. But I couldn't leave my cats. They're my family.''

Her plight is familiar to Linda Nelson, executive director of the Massillon YWCA. Victims of abuse who have pets are loathe to leave their situation for fear the abuser will ``torture or murder them,'' she said.

Animal cruelty link

Much has been written about the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence, a topic that has attracted a great deal of media attention in the last decade. Indeed, the Humane Society of the United States points out that animal cruelty is domestic violence.

Randall Lockwood, vice president of research and educational outreach for the national organization, said that batterers threaten, abuse and/or kill animals to demonstrate power and exact control, to isolate the victim and children, to force the family to keep violence a secret, to perpetuate the context of terror, to prevent the victim from leaving or force her to return, to punish and to degrade. Domestic violence does not always mean spousal abuse, but can involve other members of the family.

Nearly 330 women and children sought refuge last year via the Stark County Domestic Violence Project Inc., which operates shelters in Canton and Massillon, according to Barb Blevins, executive director.

Locally, the number of victims with pets is small, she said. ``But if you're one of them, these animals are the whole world to you. For the people who need help, it means everything. Laureen really loves those animals. They are her life, essential to her emotional well being.... But only Laureen can pick up that cat.''

The Massillon Y has placed the pets of five domestic violence victims in foster homes in the last two years, working with the Coalition for Animal Concerns, which networks between rescue groups and individuals in need. ``We take the obstacle out by finding a foster home for them,'' said Nelson.

Finding foster homes

Placement is a complex bit of business. Not only is a foster home sought, but the pets must be cleared for diseases before they are taken there, where they will expose the family pets to anything contagious from feline leukemia to fleas. That means a trip to the vet to treat any conditions and inoculate the pets if shots are needed, and when there is no proof of inoculations, begin the process anew.

Cali the calico hated the turmoil of Callahan's decadelong ordeal. Her abuser threatened to put the cats out. Callahan drank over it, she said.

``Alcohol put me in a mess. It was my comforter. I used it to run away from a lot of issues.'' She got a couple DUIs, became familiar with the inside of a jail, hit bottom and got sober.

``I met a lady from AA who's been a real inspiration for me,'' she said. She gathered strength and 10 months of sobriety, which gave her the courage to get help. ``I decided I'd take my cats and take it one day at a time.''

Meanwhile, Domestic Violence, the Massillon Y and the Coalition coordinated efforts to place Cali and Squeakers with coalition member Nancy Ruble of Greentown. Callahan put her possessions in storage and entered a shelter in April. She had her sobriety, her cats, a sponsor and a job as a press operator at Sun Plastics, which thankfully, she hadn't lost.

``I moved out, moved the cats out. I was through. It was finalized, done,'' she said. She plunked down the rent for an efficiency apartment of her own this week and will soon collect the hissing Cali for the big move, attitude and all. ``She is temperamental like me,'' said Callahan, who has a few deep scratches herself. She's hoping to add Squeakers to the mix in the next few weeks.

By sharing her story, she hopes to help other women in her situation, especially those with pets and/or alcohol issues. ``I am exhausted,'' she said. ``I'm in for a long journey. I'm still in a lot of pain. It's hard for me to open up. I have a lot to come to terms with -- 44 years of issues. I can easily get discouraged, frustrated, impatient, overwhelmed. I have been lightening up, making progress, learning to be more independent through AA.''

Only time will tell whether Cali the calico will settle in and find peace. ``Calicos are different, they can be stinkers,'' said foster mom Ruble. ``I have one and she's a witch. But I've never had a cat I can't touch.''

<hr size=1 width="100%" noshade color="#cccccc" align=center>

Connie Bloom is an Akron Beacon Journal staff writer. You can reach her at 330-996-3568 or cbloom@thebeaconjournal.com.

Joanna Toms

Cruelty Caseworker

www.pet-abuse.com

jtoms@pet-abuse.com

717-404-7199

_________________________________________________________________________________--

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cape Gazette

by Jim Cresson

SPCA agents are following all leads to find who tortured Rob Wolhar's pet
dog, March 25, tying her behind a four-wheel ATV and dragging the pet a
quarter mile down a tar and chip road.

Wolhar said his family pet, Shadow, a 2 y.o. mixed breed black and white dog
got out of the house on Heritage Road west of Jefferson's Crossroads about
5PM
and was last seen by neighbors shortly before dark.

He made up 50 fliers describing his lost pet and six posters with her
picture
on them. He taped the posters on poles at local intersections and put lifers
in all his neighbors mailboxes in an effort to find Shadow as soon as
possible. He and his fiancee and their 2 young children adored Shadow, and
Wolhar was bound to find her.

He was unsuccessful, despite driving around the neighborhood until nearly
11PM.

The next morning, the SPCA received a call from a lady who said she had a
badly wounded black and white, mixed breed dog outside her house and didn't
know where it came from or who it belonged to. Agents responded to the call,
took
the dog back to their Georgetown facility and determined that it had all the
grisly signs of having been dragged down a road.

The dogs paws had been shredded to the bone. Her front toe nails had been
ripped from her feet. She had bad abrasions all over her legs and thighs. Dr
William Wade of Seaford Animal Hospital verified the SPCA's initial
determination.Wade treated the dog and applied wet bandages to its four
paws.

About that time, SPCA agents saw Wolhar's posters with Shadow's picture and
contacted him.

The agents explained what had happened to Shadow and turned her over to
Wolhar. They launched an investigation into tracking the dog once it left
Wolhar's house.

SPCA lt. Jerry Linkerhof said the dog had been dragged down Benson Road for
a
quarter of a mile, from an unofficial ATV dirt track at an old landfill site
near Anderson Corner to the intersection of Benson Road and Jefferson Road.

Wolhar later found other evidence of torture to his pet. When Shadow was
released back to his home, he found several places where she had been
burned by a cigarette. He and family members are working on their own to
find out how this
crime happened.

Cruelty to animals is a felony offense.

"We're following every lead we get," said Linkerhof, March 31. "Anyone with
information is asked to call us at 302 856 6361."

Donations are urgently needed to help Shadow the dog who was brutalized on
March 25. Please send donations to

Dr William Wade
Seaford Animal Hospital Inc
22661 Atlanta Road
Seaford, DE 19973
Attn: SHADOW FUND

By: VICKI FISHER , Staff Writer 04/12/2004

DENTON - The couple most known for housing more than 300 cats and several dogs seized last May at their Denton home each pleaded guilty Thursday in Caroline County Circuit Court here.

Linda Favre and Ernest Mills, now of Harrington, Del., each had a separate three-day jury trial scheduled for later this month, said Caroline County State's Attorney Jonathan Newell.

Newell said Mills pleaded guilty to two counts of felony animal cruelty and faces up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Favre pleaded guilty to three counts of felony animal cruelty and faces up to nine years in prison and $15,000 in fines, he said.

Following months of plea negotiations and further investigation, Newell described the final agreement Thursday as "a reasonable disposition to an otherwise surreal case."

Once Caroline County Circuit Court Judge Karen A. Murphy Jensen accepted the couple's guilty pleas, the state dismissed the balance of the charges stemming from the incident. A total of 26 felony and misdemeanor charges were filed against the couple in July.

"My goal, whether by plea or by trial, was to see the defendants convicted of some felonies so that the judge would have the tools to fashion an appropriate sentence," said Newell.

"I think it's fair to say that everybody involved is interested in seeing that the disturbing situation that was uncovered on May 1, 2003 is never repeated. By pleading guilty, the defendants have finally taken the first step in acknowledging that there was a problem."

Outrage! Dogs set on fire; man charged with cruelty

Published in the Ocean County Observer 4/13/04 By BRENDEN SHUR Staff Writer

SEASIDE HEIGHTS -- Members of the New Jersey State SPCA arrested a 36-year-old man they say burned two young dogs after dousing the animals with WD-40 two weeks ago, Investigator Scott Watkins said.

Ronald Fredericks, Franklin Avenue, was arrested following an investigation into the burnings of Poppy, an 18-month-old mixed breed, and Shadow, a 12-month-old black lab. Fredericks was charged with eight counts of animal cruelty and taken to Ocean County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail with no 10-percent option, Watkins said.

The SPCA responded to Fredericks' home after receiving an anonymous call regarding the dogs, Watkins said. Witnesses told Watkins that Fredericks set the puppies on fire on or about March 30 and had not sought medical attention for their injuries.

Both dogs were injured when Fredericks allegedly placed WD-40, a flammable liquid, on their heads and set them on fire, Watkins said, adding that Shadow received the most serious injuries of the two dogs.

"He was burned to the point where he had no ears," he said, adding that he was unable to tell if the dogs had been abused previously because of their current condition.

"They were badly burned," he said. His two puppies were burned so badly. To make matters worse, he did nothing to help these poor puppies and allowed them to suffer in pain for almost 2 weeks before someone finally reported what happened.

The dogs were taken to Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey, where they were treated by Dr. Sherry Podhany.

"They're doing a little better now that they're getting some care," she said. "Surprisingly, considering their injuries, they have good dispositions."

Podhany said the dogs are on pain medication and should be fine, although Shadow is missing the tips of his ears. She said the dogs will be treated and it will be up to the SPCA to determine if the dogs are given back to their owner or put up for adoption.

Because of the severity of the injuries, the animal cruelty charges were upgraded to the fourth degree, meaning Watkins faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

from the Ocean County Observer

Published on April 13, 2004
http://www.injersey.com/observer/story/0,2554,943344,00.html

> I contacted you earlier today by phone and I thank you for your
quick
> response back. I called a few shelters in PA but no one seems to
> return my calls. I know of this Golden Retriever dog who lives a
very
> sad life. I know the dog is older but not sure of his exact age.
This
> dog lives in Sweet Valley PA . The dogs name is Rufus. I know the
dog
> well because I would go up and visit my father who lives around
North
> Lake, on Sunnyside Dr. and the dog is always there chained to a
small
> dog house with a door too small for him to get shelter from the
> horrible weather! He is on a rusted chain year round without any
> walks or relief from this chain that always gets tangled and he
gets
> caught. I also noticed sores in the dogs mouth and very horrible
> natted coat with poor teeth. I also know this poor dog sometimes
> goes days without food or water! I am very concerned and would
like
> to get this poor dog a better home and help, but want to do so
> annonymously because of my father being the neighbor we don't want
> any conflict and so I would like to do this with no names
involved. I
> know he speaks with his neighbor from time to time and he seems to
be
> a pretty nice man, but if he does not take care of his pet then he
> should not own him. The Dog is located right next door to my
fathers
> house and is very well tempered and has a big heart and I know he
> deserves a better life!

Here's the link to a story about a man who tried to crop his 4 month Doberman pup's ears with scissors. The pups agonized screams caused neighbors to contact police. When the man couldn't stop the bleeding, he poured gasoline on the pups head to try to stop the flow of blood. This only made things worse.

The pups is safe now, recuperating and on antibiotics and pain medication. The man is behind bars.

www.sfnewmexican.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43481&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=&S=1<http://www.sfnewmexican.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43481&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=&S=1>
Letters may be sent to:

District Attorney Henry Valdez
1st Judicial District Attorney's Office
P.O. Box 2040
Santa Fe, NM 87504

FAX (505) 827-5076
Phone (505) 827-5000

Please ensure that your letters are well thought out and carefully worded. Please ask that the extreme animal cruelty charge be given serious weight. It is a 4th degree felony, but I don't think any case has ever received much more than a slap on the wrist. A 4th degree felony carry warrant an 18 month prison sentence. A fine of up to $5000 could also be imposed. However, since this involved an animal and no human death was involved, judges can impose whatever they want.

It is time that animal cruelty is taken seriously in New Mexico. Of course, being one of the only two states that still allow cock fighting, the odds are against us for any real justice to be imposed.

Let's pray that the dog is NOT returned to the owner.

Boni Galarneau
Doberman Rescue of NM
Abby & Basco (the doberkids)
Cricket & Dancer (the rescue minpins)
Rio Rancho, NM

More than 200 arrested in Barrow County raid

By SAEED AHMED
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/19/04

More than 200 men, women and children, some from as far away as California, were arrested during a raid at a property in Barrow County Sunday where they had gathered to drink and bet on roosters and pit bulls as they fought one another to death.Eight hours after the 2 p.m. raid at the 11-acre property on Hancock Bridge Road in Winder, officials were still processing the suspects on the scene and taking them to the county courthouse.

There, they hoped enough of them would be able to make bond so as not to further overcrowd the 90-bed county detention center which already houses 160 inmates.Officials from the Division of Family and Children Services were called in to help place the children whose parents would spend the night in custody.The raid, one of the biggest in the county's history, was the culmination of an eight-month investigation into a gambling event that met on most Sundays.

A single-wide mobile home stood at one end of the property. Elsewhere, a ring had been set up where some participants let loose their roosters and pit bulls while others slapped down big money to wager which animal would win.In Sunday's raid, officials rescued more than a dozen animals while several others lay dead or injured around the property. Ninety-three cars, some with tags from Florida, South Carolina and California, were seized.Authorities still don't know how much money they recovered."We're still counting," said Sheriff's Maj.

Murray Kogod at 10:30 p.m.It took six hours for law enforcement officers from 10 agencies to flush out the dozens of people who fled into the woods. The participants face cruelty to animal charges along with others.The raid was the second major gambling-and animal-fighting bust in Georgia this year. In January, more than 100 people were arrested during a raid at a Newton County house where pit bulls fought to a winner-take-all pot of $50,000.

Derek Sheppard
Sun Staff

April 19, 2004

BREMERTON, WA. -- A man allegedly told police he kicked and beat his small puppy
because the dog had bitten him on the hand, police reports said.
Neighbors in the 100 block of Baer Boulevard heard a puppy yelping from
about 150 feet away and called police.

The responding officer saw the man pin a small puppy between his heels and a
couch, kicking it rapidly with his heel about five times, police reports said.
He then got up and stomped on the puppy's back as it tried to crawl away.

The 26-year-old Bremerton man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree
animal cruelty and booked into Kitsap County jail.

The man, who appeared drunk, allegedly told the officer he was going to kill
the dog because it had bitten him on the hand, reports said.

Animal Control took custody of the puppy.

Donations to assist The Kitsap Humane Society may be made to the special
needs fund to assist in veterinary costs and care of abused animals.

9167 Dickey Rd. Silverdale WA. 98383
698-9654 ext #118

Coalition of Immokalee Workers leader Lucas Benitez was arrested Wednesday and charged with chaining his dog behind a van and dragging it through the street after the dog had run away from him earlier in the day.

Benitez, 28, of 218 W. Main St., Immokalee, was charged with animal cruelty and booked into the Immokalee jail on $1,000 bond.

Benitez, the 2003 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award winner and a well-known leader of the farmworkers rights coalition, told Collier County sheriff's deputies that the dog smelled and he didn't want to put the animal in the van with him.

On Wednesday morning, a deputy stopped at a stop sign spotted Benitez driving a brown, full-sized van traveling north on South Third Street at a slow speed. The deputy saw that a brown dog was chained to the van's trailer hitch.

The van was traveling around 5 mph and the dog was trying to free itself from the van by pulling away from the vehicle, the deputy said.

The dog was falling forward and rolling onto its right side and then onto its back. The dog was dragged about 50 feet while rolling from its back, onto its side and then back to its feet. The dog repeatedly tried to break free from the chain.

Concerned for the dog's safety, the deputy turned on his emergency lights to stop the van. Benitez pulled over in front of the coalition office on West Main Street.

When the deputy told Benitez why he had stopped the van, Benitez told him that it was his dog. The dog had run away in the morning and he'd just found it. He said the dog smelled "really bad" and that he did not want to put it inside his van. That's why he secured it to the rear of the van.

He said he didn't know the dog was struggling back there and said he was going slow so that the dog could keep up.

After Benitez was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, members of the coalition confronted the four deputies then at the scene.

Deputies were waiting for Domestic Animal Services officers to come take the dog.

A woman had offered to translate for Benitez, but deputies said that he spoke English clearly enough to communicate with the officers.

That woman accused the deputy of arresting him because of his ethnic background. Benitez came to the United States from Mexico.

"(...The woman) relayed to me that Benitez is an upstanding member of the community and for this reason I should release Benitez and just issue him a court date," the report says.

Other members of the coalition tried "to become confrontational." The deputy said he remained calm and gave the coalition members his name and identification number.

A Domestic Animal Services officer photographed the dog and said the dog had black tar from the pavement on its fur and visible injuries. The dog was going to be checked out by a veterinarian.

Deputies say they checked with state prosecutors and advised them of the case

Group helps domestic violence victims and their pets Davis, Melissa Star-Herald

Copyright 2004 Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

April 21, 2004, Wednesday

SECTION: State and Regional

HEADLINE: Group helps domestic violence victims and their pets; Nebraskaland Feature

BYLINE: By MELISSA DAVIS, Scottsbluff Star-Herald

DATELINE: SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.

Two panhandle service agencies are teaming up to help victims of domestic violence leave abusive situations without fearing for their pets' safety.

"Pets are a part of (people's) family," said Domestic Violence Emergency Services (DOVES) Executive Director Hilary Wasserburger.

Since people cannot take animals to shelters, they sometimes stay in an unsafe situation to protect their pets, Wasserburger said. Either the victim is afraid the abuser will hurt the pet if the victim leaves, or the victim fears the abuser will hurt the victim in the same way they have hurt the pet, she said.

The Panhandle Humane Society and DOVES are working together to help ensure the safety of pets as their owners leave violent situations.
While victims are in a shelter, PHS provides free, temporary housing for victims' pets.

"The humane society is very happy to be able to help DOVES with this program," said Deb Schutte, the director of the Panhandle Humane Society.

The organizations are spreading the word about the connection between animal abuse and family violence and how the community can help end both.

April 18-24 was Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week.

According to Humane Society of the United States' 2003 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases, in a recent sample of large domestic violence shelters in the United States, HSUS found that 91 percent of adult victims and 73 percent of children mention incidences of companion animal abuse when they enter shelters.

However, only 18 percent of the shelters surveyed routinely ask victims about their pets. This finding indicates that some domestic violence shelters may be missing an opportunity to help victims find a safe place for their animals.

Animal cruelty involves behaviors ranging from neglect to malicious killing.

Also according to HSUS, many studies indicate that violent offenders often have a history of abusing animals.

"There are individuals out there that do abuse animals," said Schutte. "Often it's younger people who abuse animals that will grow up to abuse children, spouses or become serial killers."

The shelter sees its share of abused animals. Schutte said the staff named one cat "Teflon," because someone had placed the animal in a frying pan.

DOVES seeks volunteers to care for pets or livestock while the owner is in the DOVES' shelter.

>From Oklahoma:

Pets offered shelter if violence erupts
Elliott, Matt
Tulsa World

Copyright 2004 The Tulsa World
Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

April 23, 2004 Friday Final Home Edition

SECTION: NEWS; Tulsa; Pg. A12
HEADLINE: Pets offered shelter if violence erupts
BYLINE: MATT ELLIOTT World Staff Writer

A local domestic violence program provides a safe haven for victims
of all kinds.

Domestic violence doesn't just victimize a family's two-legged
members -- it also hurts those with four legs and whiskers, animal
advocates say.

Occasionally victims will remain in an abusive relationship in order
to protect a pet that a partner has threatened, said Missy Iski,
director of programs and counseling for Tulsa's Domestic Violence
Intervention Services.

"I think a lot of violent people threaten to kill and do kill
animals as an intimidating message to their partner," Iski said.

"Many people who are trying to flee abusive situations are often
very concerned about leaving their animals behind."

Recognizing that problem, DVIS has a program to allow abuse victims
to seek shelter for themselves as well as their animals, thus making
it easier for them to get out of abusive relationships.

Highlighting programs like the one featured by DVIS, the Humane
Society of the United States has named this week Animal
Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week.

Safe havens for animals help fight attempts by abusive partners to
assert control over potentially dangerous relationships, according
to Virginia-Marie Beckett, the manager of the society's First Strike
campaign.

The society hopes to raise awareness of the issue and get more
communities to create the safe havens.

"We're encouraging other communities to start similar type
programs," Beckett said. "We've also developed guidelines on how to
start safe havens for animals."

Animal advocacy groups in Tulsa did not plan anything out of the
ordinary for Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week.

In fact, the Tulsa Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
recently had to lay off its two part-time cruelty inspectors because
of decreasing donations.

"That's a temporary situation," said Laurie Mayes, TSPCA's executive
director, who added that the group will continue to provide its
normal services.

"We should be hopefully back up and running by late spring or early
summer."

Instead of investigating complaints, Mayes said, the organization
now refers complaints to law enforcement agencies.

Nearly all animal advocates interviewed underlined a link between
domestic violence and animal cruelty.

Beckett reiterated that "research studies that have been done with
domestic violence victims, they've found that many victims refused
to leave a violent home if they have to leave their pets."

Web sites: www.tulsaspca.org www.hsus.org

Florida Judge Allows Dog Rapist to Walk the Streets

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please respond as soon as possible. As most rapes are not done publicly, chances are he will continue raping animals and not be caught again.

Last February, an Ocola woman caught her then-fiancée, Randol Mitchell, raping her female Rottweiler puppy. Following his arrest on felony charges of cruelty to animals and a veterinarian's reported confirmation of the dog's ensuing injuries, Mitchell apparently confessed that he had a "life-long problem" with such behavior.

Despite prosecutor Lori Henry's reported and well-founded concern that he might again abuse other animals or even fellow human beings, Judge Victor Musleh withheld all five years of incarceration that Mitchell faced and, instead, placed him on probation. Musleh evidently will only imprison the felon should he "mess up."

Please let Judge Musleh hear from you. Inform him that repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers and that this is especially true among so-called "zoophiles."

Politely suggest that His Honor's decision may well have jeopardized the safety of the community at large and its animals.

It is imperative that all correspondence be dignified and polite or our campaign will suffer.

The Honorable Victor J. Musleh
Chief Judge, Fifth Judicial Circuit
110 N.W. 1st Ave., Rm. 4017
Ocala, FL 3475
352-401-6789 (fax)

PA: Angela Holloway Convicted on 26 Counts Owner of Illegal Kennel Convicted on 26 Counts - (New Paris, PA - US) Crime Date: 04/12/2004 Case Status: Convicted http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/2228/

Accused Abuser(s):
Angela Holloway

Case Report
Angela Holloway, owner of the unlicensed Heavenview Kennel at 2192 Rock Lick Road in New Paris, PA, was convicted on April 12th of 26 violations. District Justice Brian Baker fined her $4,725 at the West Providence Municipal Building. Holloway was convicted of previous violations in 2001 and 2003. She was also fined $2,000 by the American Kennel Club and lost her AKC privileges for 10 years for "failure to comply with the rules and regulations for record keeping and identification and failure to maintain her dogs and facilities in a manner acceptable to The American Kennel Club" in November 2003. Holloway is expected to appeal her conviction.

.....................

RE:
> From: ArdensArc@a...
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 4:00 AM
>
> Since you have a lot of traffic to your site and since you have all
breeds, could you please post this info somewhere or try to get the message to the public and other rescue workers? Thanks.
>
> A woman came to my home because she was interested in adopting a
Golden mix of mine. She told me that she recently contacted a breeder but that before she visited the puppies, she saw the following information on the Internet. The information was posted by a Golden rescue, kgrrescue@k... This breeder is now advertising that she is located in Hagerstown, MD. She has Shelties available too. I just wanted to share so that you can possibly warn others and if possible, post this information on your web site, hoping to help put her out of business. It's so sad for those dogs!!
>
> See below:
> Woman is convicted in illegal-kennel case Johnstown Tribune-Democrat
> April 14, 2004 by Kathy Mellott Tribune Democrat Bedford Bureau
>
> EVERETT - A New Paris woman was found guilty of dozens of charges
and fined
> $4725 for running a kennel without a state license and failure to
provide
> proper shelter for 131 dogs at her farm.
>
> Angela Holloway, 35, owner of Heavenview Shelties and Goldens, 2192
Rocklick
> Hollow Road, has 30 days to appeal her conviction

Thank you Pet-Abuse.com http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/stats/

Animal Abuse Crime Database Real-Time Graphical Statistics

Life Cycle of Abuse

Types of Abuse/Case Status

Abuse Connection

Foster homes provide refuge