Tag: animal cruelty

Planned Parenthood Gunman Previously Shot Neighbor’s Dog

Before he murdered police officer Garrett Swasey, mother of two Jennifer Markovsky and Iraq war veteran Ke’Arre Stewart at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs Friday, Robert Lewis Dear had a long criminal record.

Among those crimes was a charge of animal cruelty, according to police reports provided to the Daily Beast by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina.

In November 2002, as a dog belonging to Dear’s neighbor, Douglas Moore, walked down the driveway, “a shot was fired from [a] residence next to his and Douglas’s dog yelped out and ran over to him.”

The dog, who had been shot with a pellet gun, survived.

Dear insisted he didn’t shoot his neighbor’s dog — yet he told the two deputies who responded to Moore’s call, “Douglas was lucky that it was only a pellet that hit the dog and not a bigger round.”

He was found not guilty of animal cruelty.

“These aspects of his personal profile come as no surprise to those of us who are familiar with the established link between violence against humans and cruelty to animals,” wrote Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), on his blog yesterday. (Serial killers Robert Durst, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy all started out by torturing animals.)

“In fact, the investigation and prosecution of crimes against animals is often an important tool for identifying people who may become perpetrators of violent crimes against people,” Pacelle wrote. “When we work with law enforcement on animal fighting crimes, we see plenty of evidence of criminality and interpersonal violence committed by these thugs.”

Next month, Tennessee will become the first U.S. state to have an animal abuse registry. It will contain the names, current photographs and other identifying data of adults who have been convicted of felonies including aggravated animal cruelty, felony animal fighting, bestiality and other offenses.

The registry will make it easier for animal shelters and rescue organizations to identify people who should never have pets. And since animal abusers often move on to violence against people, it could prove helpful to law enforcement.

In September 2014, for the first time ever, the FBI started keeping track of animal cruelty crimes in its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Although this was too late for Dear’s victims, hopefully it will help save the lives of others, whether they have two legs or four.

Photos via Twitter; Twitter; Twitter

NFL’s Terrence Cody Cleared of Animal Abuse Charges for Letting His Dog Starve

MARCH 24, 2016 UPDATE: Terrence Cody was sentenced today to nine months in the Baltimore County Detention Center.

After a three-day bench trial, former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been acquitted of felony animal cruelty charges that he “intentionally tortured” and “cruelly killed” Taz, his Presa Canarios Mastiff, earlier this year.

Judge Judith C. Ensor did, however, charge Cody with five counts of animal neglect, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Before announcing her verdict, the judge said she was aware that not every “morally reprehensible” action is against the law.

Cody was also found guilty of illegally possessing and neglecting an alligator, and convicted of two misdemeanor drug charges.

According to the disturbing details in a February 2015 indictment, Cody and his girlfriend, Kourtney J. Kelley, inflicted unnecessary suffering or pain on Taz; did not provide their dog with nutritious food or proper drink in sufficiency quantity; did not provide proper space; and did not provide necessary veterinary care.

Taz weighed only 50 pounds when he died in January. The average weight for a Presa Canarios Mastiff is about 100 pounds.

Cody was dropped from the Ravens after the February indictment was made public.

In his opening statements Thursday, prosecutor Adam Lippe said Taz “died a horrible, miserable death.” He displayed a photo of Taz’s small cage, filled with feces and vomit, and compared it to a photo of Cody’s shoe room, which was neat and tidy.

On the witness stand in his own defense Friday, Cody said he and his uncle run a breeding operation in Alabama. When Taz started losing weight in December 2014, Cody said his uncle thought he might have worms and advised Cody to give him medication for the condition.

About a month later, Cody finally took the emaciated dog to a veterinarian.

“I asked them could they help me with my dog, because my dog was very sick,” he testified, according to WBAL.

When he was told Taz died hours later, Cody said he was “speechless. I went into my own little world. I was still shocked that he was gone.”

Baltimore County Police Sgt. Andrew MacLellan testified Friday that when he executed a search warrant on Cody’s property two days after Taz died, he found the dog’s filthy cage in the garage. He said the smell was so bad that he and other detectives had to hold their noses and cover their mouths.

Cody told him Taz had only become sick a few days before he died, MacLellan testified. He said he kept him in the garage because he was a guard dog.

During the search, the detectives also found drug paraphernalia and a 3-foot-long alligator in a 3-foot-long tank.

Kelley’s attorney said she is innocent and was not involved in Taz’s care. Like Cody, she was acquitted of the felony animal cruelty charges (as well as the alligator and drug charges) and found guilty on the five counts of neglect.

Judge Ensor decided the verdict since Cody and Kelley chose a bench trial rather than a trial by jury. Cody is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5, and Kelley on Jan. 22.

They are each facing more than a year of prison time and thousands of dollars in fines.

Photo via Twitter

Animal Cruelty Trial Begins for NFL’s Terrence Cody

MARCH 24, 2016 UPDATE: Terrence Cody was sentenced today to nine months in the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody is finally going to trial on felony charges that he “intentionally tortured” and “cruelly killed” Taz, his Presa Canarios Mastiff, earlier this year.

According to the disturbing details in a February 2015 indictment, Cody and his girlfriend, Kourtney J. Kelley, inflicted unnecessary suffering or pain on Taz; did not provide their dog with nutritious food or proper drink in sufficiency quantity; did not provide proper space; and did not provide necessary veterinary care.

Taz weighed only 50 pounds when he died in January. The average weight for a Presa Canarios Mastiff is about 90 to 110 pounds.

“This dog died a horrible, miserable death because of the conduct of both of these defendants,” said prosecutor Adam Lippe in opening statements at the trial, which began today in Baltimore County Circuit Court, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Lippe displayed photos of the starved dog’s body and the filthy cage he had to live in.

Along with the two aggravated animal cruelty charges, Cody and Kelley are facing an additional 13 misdemeanor counts for everything from drug possession to illegally owning an alligator — which, no surprise, was also neglected.

Cody’s attorney, Joe Murtha, admitted Taz was neglected, but he insisted that Cody did not intend for the dog to die. Really? Anyone with half a brain — even an NFL player — should know dogs and other living things need food and water to survive.

Kelley’s attorney said she is innocent and was not involved at all in Taz’s care. So apparently she either didn’t notice or chose to ignore the starving dog in the filthy cage.

Cody, who is expected to take the stand, was dropped from the Ravens after the February indictment.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum of six years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine for the felony animal cruelty counts, and up to 90 days in prison and a maximum $5,000 fine for the five misdemeanor counts.

Nov. 13, 2015 Update: Cody Takes the Stand

On the witness stand in his own defense today, Terrence Cody said he loved dogs and has had them as pets ever since he was 5 years old, the Baltimore Sun reports. He said he even sneaked one into his college dorm.

Cody and his uncle run a breeding operation in Alabama. When Taz started losing weight in December 2014, Cody said his uncle thought he might have worms and advised Cody to give him medication for the condition.

On the night of Jan. 19, Cody wrapped Taz in a blanket and, finally, took the emaciated dog to a veterinarian.

“I asked them could they help me with my dog, because my dog was very sick,” he testified, according to WBAL.

When he was told Taz died hours later, Cody said he was “speechless. I went into my own little world. I was still shocked that he was gone.”

Prosecutors say Cody and his girlfriend, Kourtney J. Kelley, neglected Taz for a month. Yesterday a forensics veterinarian testified that the dog did not have worms.

Baltimore County Police Sgt. Andrew MacLellan testified today that when he executed a search warrant on Cody’s property two days after Taz died, he found the dog’s cage, filled with feces and vomit, in the garage. He said the smell was so bad he and other detectives had to hold their noses and cover their mouths.

Cody told him Taz had only become sick a few days before he died, MacLellan testified. He said he kept him in the garage because he was a guard dog.

During the search, the detectives also found drug paraphernalia and a 3-foot-long alligator in a small tank.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday. Judge Judith C. Ensor will decide the verdict since Cody and Kelley chose a bench trial rather than a trial by jury.

Photo via Twitter

Tennessee to Become First State with an Animal Abuse Registry

While online registries containing information about convicted animal abusers are available in some U.S. cities, most notably New York, there is currently no statewide registry.

That will change on Jan. 1, 2016, when Tennessee will become the first state to have an animal abuse registry.

“We proposed this law not just to take a stand against animal cruelty, but to take concrete action to prevent abuse and deter those who repeatedly engage in the torture and killing of animals,” Sen. Jeff Yarbro, the sponsor of a bill that led to the creation of the statewide registry, told the Huffington Post.

Similar to a sex offender registry, Tennessee’s animal abuse registry will contain the names, current photographs and other identifying data of adults who have been convicted of felonies including aggravated animal cruelty, felony animal fighting, bestiality and related offenses, and cruelty to animals.

The information will be compiled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and posted on its website. Only abusers convicted on or after Jan. 1, 2016, will be listed.

“First-time offenders will stay on the registry for two years — you know, make them think twice before they…abuse or neglect an animal,” Wendy Palmer of the Greene County Humane Society told WJHL.

The registry will make it easier for animal shelters and rescue organizations to identify people who should never have pets. And since animal abusers often move on to violence against people (serial killers Robert Durst, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy all started out by torturing animals), it could prove helpful to law enforcement.

Opponents of animal abuse registries say they could encourage offenders to plead guilty to lesser offenses to avoid being listed.

When a statewide animal abuse registry was proposed in California five years ago, Randall Lockwood, a cruelty expert with the ASPCA, was opposed to it.

“An upside is that a registry enlists the public in the monitoring process,” he told USA TODAY in February 2010. “But many worry a spirit of public vigilantism could arise, prompting people to take revenge on an offender who in their minds has not been suitably punished by the legal system.”

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, is also not a fan of animal abuse registries. “When someone is convicted and punished for cruelty, does shunning or shaming them forever do any good for any animals?” he asked in 2010.

Instead of registries, Pacelle suggested that “efforts to stop animal abuse and improve public safety should focus on upgrading criminal animal cruelty and neglect penalties and encouraging more vigorous application of these laws.”

Sen. Yarbro told the Huffington Post the statewide Tennessee animal abuser registry won’t take resources away from law enforcement efforts.

“Given the documented link between abuse of animals and violence against people, I think states should consider registries and numerous other measures to put a stop to such cruelty,” Yarbro said.

Emily Strope, adoption coordinator for the Downtown Dogs Group rescue organization in Jackson, Tenn., plans to regularly check the registry once it’s up and running.

“We see dogs that have been beaten, chained, denied food and water,” she told WBBJ.

“Hopefully it will bring these people into the public eye. It will bring more awareness to people that this type of thing does exist and, in fact, is pretty rampant.”

Photo credit: my_southborough

Starving Dogs Held as Evidence at High-Kill Downey Shelter

OCT. 27, 2015 UPDATE: Just three weeks later, all the dogs have been rehabilitated and are ready for adoption. You won’t believe their amazing transformation!

It’s hard enough to see a photo of one starving dog, but to see an emaciated mother dog and her three Pit Bull puppies huddling together really makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with people.

The heartbreaking photo of the dogs, taken before they and five other dogs were seized from their Pico Rivera, Calif., home last night, has gone viral since it was posted by Janette Gonzalez on Facebook yesterday afternoon. A friend of hers alerted her to the starving dogs in the backyard of a home on Coffman Pico Road.

“I have so much pain in my heart right now,” Gonzalez wrote in the caption. “I don’t know what else to do but out these horrible people on blast. Help make this go viral. Something needs to happen.”

Rescue groups have offered to take in the dogs and animal lovers have pledged to pay for their care. Some GoFundMe accounts have sprung up that could possibly be scams, but more likely were started by people just trying to help the poor dogs.

The nine dogs were taken to the high-kill Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) shelter in Downey, Calif., where they are being held as evidence during the animal cruelty investigation, and will not be released to rescue organizations. According to ABC7, the shelter won’t give out any further information about the dogs.

We rescued our dog Ella from SEAACA in 2010. She had kennel cough, and when we came to pick her up, we were sent to the shelter’s animal hospital. We found her crouching in a urine-soaked cage, ignored by the one employee working there. Her kennel cough developed into pneumonia but, fortunately, she survived. I can only hope SEAACA’s treatment of sick animals has improved since then.

Let’s keep these poor dogs in our thoughts and prayers — they really need them.

Photo via Facebook

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