Category: News

HOORAY: Pennsylvania’s Animal Cruelty Laws Just Got a Whole Lot Tougher

Almost a year after an emaciated, mange-ridden Boston Terrier puppy was rescued after he was abandoned on a Pennsylvania breeding farm, animal cruelty laws in the state are getting a whole lot tougher.

Today Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law HB 1238, which is considered to be the most significant anti-animal cruelty legislation for Pennsylvania in the last 30 years. It includes Libre’s Law, which was inspired by the abandoned puppy, who was later named Libre because he was rescued on the Fourth of July. (Libre put his pawprint on the legislation during this afternoon’s signing ceremony!)

Until now, Pennsylvania had some of the weakest animal cruelty laws in the country. Benjamin S. Stoltzfus, the owner of the breeding farm, initially faced no animal cruelty charges even though he’d intentionally left Libre to die a horrible death all alone. He was eventually charged with a summary count of animal cruelty and only had to pay a $905 fine — basically just a slap on the hand.

Those days have fortunately come to a well-deserved end. The new laws, which go into effect in 60 days, will increase the penalties for those who abuse or neglect animals in the state. It creates a new classification for offenders who cause the death or serious bodily injury of an animal. Those offenders could face third-degree felony charges.

The comprehensive package also includes the following new legislation:

  • Cordelia’s Law, named after a starved horse, would put penalties for animal cruelty crimes against horses on par with those for crimes against dogs and cats. It also provides protections for guide dogs.
  • A law prohibiting pets from being tethered outside all the time or in foul weather.
  • A law requiring those convicted of animal abuse to surrender their pets.
  • Civil immunity provided for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and humane society police officers to prevent frivolous lawsuits against them when they report animal cruelty in good faith.

It’s been a year in the making, but just as little Libre refused to give up, supporters of the bill named in his honor didn’t, either. Congratulations and my deepest gratitude to everyone who worked so hard to make Pennsylvania a safer place for animals.

To find out more about Libre and the wonderful people who helped get this law passed, please check out these stories:

Photo: governor.pa.gov

GRRR: Jury Finds PetSmart Groomer Not Guilty in 2016 Death of Dachshund

Henry was only supposed to get his nails trimmed in May 2016 at a PetSmart store in San Mateo, Calif. But after spending just three minutes alone with groomer Juan Zarate in a back room, the Dachshund ended up with a punctured lung and two broken ribs. As little Henry bled from his mouth and struggled to breathe, an on-site veterinarian tried to save his life — to no avail.

“We know that the dog was brought there with no injuries or no known illnesses of any kind and we do believe that actions taken by the groomer, during the grooming session, is what caused the dog to die,” San Mateo Police Department Sgt. Rick Decker told ABC7 News at the time.

Zarate was arrested at the store and charged with one count of felony animal cruelty, which has a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He was placed on suspension by PetSmart, which issued a statement saying, “Any incident of animal cruelty goes against everything we believe as a company and as individual pet parents.”

A necropsy performed on Henry showed he had died due to strangulation — “thoracic compression leading to asphyxia.”

Thirteen months later, after a four-day trial, a jury has shockingly found Zarate not guilty of the animal cruelty charge.

That’s right, the jury somehow could not be convinced, despite expert testimony, that Henry’s death was intentional.

“We presented the evidence of an expert veterinarian who testified that this was not an accident,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the Mercury News, “but obviously, the jury did not find her persuasive. I accept that.”

No further information is currently available about the trial, but unlike Wagstaffe, I’m having extreme difficulty accepting the jury’s decision. My heart goes out to Henry’s owners, Terrie Peacock and Stefan Zier.

Groomers Not Required to Be Licensed

Henry is not the only dog that has been killed or injured by a groomer at PetSmart (or Petco, or other pet stores). After Henry’s death, his owners filed a lawsuit alleging that although several customers had complained about pet injuries during PetSmart grooming sessions, the company had taken no action to resolve these issues.

You may be surprised to know that pet groomers are not required to be licensed or certified in any U.S. state. They are regulated in New York City and Miami-Dade County, Fla., but not statewide.

New Jersey could become the first state to require licenses for groomers. The proposed Pet Grooming Licensed Act NJ was originally named “Bijou’s Bill” in memory of a 6-year-old Shih Tzu who died during a routine grooming session — at, yes, a PetSmart store.

Until statewide laws are passed, to prevent a tragedy from happening to your own dog, it could be a life-or-death matter to ask the groomer some important questions, especially at PetSmart and Petco stores, where many of the incidents have occurred.

“It would behoove you to find out who your groomer is, how long they’ve been grooming, what kind of track record they have — you need to do this kind of work,” Bijou’s dog mom, Rosemary Marchetto, told CBS New York.

Photo via Twitter

12-Year-Old Aussie Shepherd Survives Being Picked Up by Tornado

The dog’s name is Duke, not Toto, and he lives in North Carolina, not Kansas — but the tornado this 12-year-old Australian Shepherd experienced was a little like something out of “The Wizard of Oz.”

When the tornado passed through Davie County three weeks ago, Duke was “picked up in the mass of the swirling wind, picked up and tossed just like a rag doll,” his dog dad, Lewis Vannoy, told WREG.

Duke was thrown about 1,000 feet, landing in a pasture. Miraculously, the senior dog survived the ordeal. He did have major injuries, including a broken leg and damaged retina, but the lucky guy is expected to make a full recovery. (Amazingly, so is Vannoy’s horse, who was also picked up by the twister.)

Vannoy is thankful to still have Duke and his horse, although his house was pretty much destroyed in just 35 seconds, he said.

“I’ll build another house and we will make more memories,” Vannoy told WREG.

Keep Your Dog Safe During a Tornado

Vannoy urges everyone to take cover, with your pets, when there’s a tornado warning, which seems like really solid advice.

Here are more safety tips from the Humane Society of the United States:

  • Bring your dogs and other pets inside your house.
  • Keep emergency pet supplies in a tornado-proof room or basement.
  • Make sure your dog is microchipped and wearing a collar and identification tag at all times.
  • Practice getting your dog into a tornado-safe area.
  • Make sure that the area is dog friendly by removing dangerous items like tools or toxic products.
  • If you have to evacuate, take your pets and their emergency supplies with you.
  • After the tornado, take special care of your dog and other pets. Keep your dog on a leash and don’t allow him to roam.

Photo via YouTube

TV Reporter Reunited with Tethered Dog He Rescued in 2016 Texas Flood

March 2021 update: Before Phil Archer retired as a KPRC reporter, he was once again reunited with the dog he rescued in 2016.

Just over a year ago, as KPRC reporter Phil Archer, Sheriff Troy E. Nehls and three others rode an airboat down a flooded street in Rosenberg, Texas, Nehls was shocked by what he spotted.

Someone had tied their dog to their front porch and left her there. She was now struggling to keep her head above the rapidly rising water.

Archer and Nehls were accompanied in the airboat by photographer Jeovany Luna and volunteers Richard Allen and Jeff Shimek.

With Luna’s camera rolling, Archer and Shimek jumped out and rescued the poor dog just minutes before she would have drowned.

“This is infuriating,” wrote Sheriff Troy E. Nehls, who was also on the airboat, on his Facebook page. “These residents will get a visit from me when they return.”

The heroes took the dog to the Houston Humane Society, which named her “Archer” in the reporter’s honor. Then the heroes returned to their airboat and rescued even more stranded dogs.

Archer’s owner, Mario Gallardo, told KPRC he didn’t realize how high the water would rise when he tied his dog to the porch and left her there — and he didn’t bother to tell authorities that he’d left his dog behind. Tragically, hundreds of pets and other animals died in the devastating flooding last year caused by the historic rising of the Brazos River.

Sheriff Nehls officially adopted Archer not long after the rescue. “I am happy to say the only water this girl will be in now is the swimming pool in my backyard!” he wrote on his Facebook page at the time.

Yesterday, for the first time since June 2016, Archer was reunited with her namesake rescuer.

“One year after the devastating Brazos River floods, Archer the dog continues to be a ray of light to all she meets,” Archer (the reporter, that is) wrote in a KPRC article about their reunion.

“Her survival was a small ray of good news in a bad time, and after almost dying, she is now thriving as a cherished member of Fort Bend Sheriff Troy Nehls’ family.”

Grab a tissue or three and enjoy their happy reunion.

Protect Your Pet During Floods

Monica Schmidt, with the Houston Humane Society, told KPRC it’s as important to prepare your pets for big storms as it is to prepare yourself. She offered these helpful tips:

  • Make sure your pet is microchipped and your contact information on it is up to date.
  • Have a pet first aid kit.
  • Have a “go bag” with extra pet food and toys in it.
  • Have a crate and make sure your pet is trained to go in it “so that they’re not going to freak out,” Schmidt said.

Photo via YouTube

Thanks to Kentucky Troopers, Dachshund Rescued from Tree Trunk

It’s not that unusual for firefighters to rescue cats who become stuck in trees, but yesterday they met the challenge of freeing a Dachshund stuck inside a tree trunk in Salem, Ky.

Apparently little Rocco had managed to get inside the tree via a groundhog hole.

He’d probably still be stuck there if two off-duty Kentucky State Troopers hadn’t heard his barks as they mowed the lawn at a nearby cemetery.

Sergeant Michael Williams and Trooper Gerick Sullivan searched a wooded area until they spotted Rocco sticking his head out of his strange location. Unable to free the Doxie themselves, they called the Salem Fire Department.

Firefighter Daniel Newcomb carefully cut out part of the tree so Rocco could be removed from it and reunited with his grateful owner. The tree opening was also made larger just in case another dog ever found themselves in the same predicament.

“That’s awesome,” wrote Scott Allen Bacon in a comment on the Kentucky State Police Facebook page. “Guessing it wasn’t a…dogwood tree?”

“Never seen a tree with so much bark…?,” wrote Sophie Bourdeau.

Hats off to Williams, Sullivan and Newcomb for saving Rocco. I’m betting that little Dachshund won’t be going anywhere near another groundhog hole for a long, long time.

And speaking of dogs stuck in trees, last year rescuers saved Kora, a 120-pound Great Dane who’d managed to climb 20 feet (!) up a tree in Nebraska.

Photo via Kentucky State Police Facebook page

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