Tag: animal cruelty

Monster Who Tortured and Killed Dogs Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison

Jason Brown of Reno never had a problem finding victims for what he referred to as his “house of pain.” The clean-cut, 25-year-old former presidential scholar would simply answer ads for free dogs on Craigslist.

And then he would torture and kill them in a Super 8 motel room, while capturing the horrific acts on cell phone videos.

“Pugs, instead of barking, Pugs sound like humans, like little kids,” he tells a friend in one of the videos, ABC News reports. “They yell. Let me show you. You want me to get one tonight?”

At today’s sentencing hearing, only Washoe District Judge Elliott Sattler, lawyers and a detective could view the videos. But others in the courtroom, including the weeping former pet parents who’d given their dogs to Brown, could hear the clinking sounds of knives and the terrified squealing of the dogs.

“Those images I watched, I will never forget,” Sattler said. “The cruelty, the sadism you exhibited is simply shocking.”

He sentenced Brown to up to 28 years in Nevada state prison — a longer sentence than Brown would have gotten had he killed a human being and been charged with manslaughter.

“The part that frightened me most about the videos is that you produced them in the first place,” Sattler said. “That tells me you wanted to go back and watch them again — a trophy, if you will, of your behavior. You watched with friends and laughed.”

Brown was arrested in July 2014 after a maid found four dog heads in a mini-fridge, as well as dog limbs, two bloody kitchen knives and bloodstains in the motel room Brown had been renting.

Prosecutors said Brown tortured and killed five dogs in the motel room and a sixth at another location.

Even Brown’s own lawyer, John Oakes, said the videos and pictures in this case “take your breath away. Over 40 years, I’ve seen people killed in every way, shape or form. But this case is a first for me in a lot of ways.”

Brown claims he respects animals and doesn’t remember doing any of those horrible acts because he was high on heroin, meth and cocaine. He pleaded no contest to seven counts of willfully torturing and killing animals.

“I cannot explain the grief I felt for this horrible situation,” Brown said at the hearing.

He’ll have the next 28 years to figure it out — although he’ll be eligible for parole in 11 years.

Photo via Twitter

3 Women Make Disturbing Facebook Posts About Their Dogs

Over the past couple of weeks, three women — who are apparently lacking in brains as well as compassion — have made disturbing Facebook posts regarding their dogs.

Fortunately, concerned Facebook users contacted authorities, and two of the women are now facing animal cruelty charges. All the dogs are safe. One of them is already in a loving new home, while another must stay with his loser owner.

Kimberly Ann Howell: Posted Pictures of Dog’s Snout Wrapped with Duct Tape

Kimberly Ann Howell of Salisbury, N.C., was tired of her dog’s incessant barking. So, did she bother trying to train the mixed-breed pup to stop this annoying habit? Nah, that would take too much effort.

Instead, this loser wrapped duct tape around the dog’s snout — and then posted pictures on Facebook.

“Hah, hah,” she wrote.

No one else thought it was funny. Authorities were contacted, and Howell was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. She insisted she’d only done it as a joke, and had removed the duct tape after she took the pictures of the unhappy dog. Hah, hah.

Along with animal cruelty, Howell was charged with failing to appear in court on two previous traffic charges. She was jailed on $3,000 bail and has a court date of Nov. 4, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Fortunately the dog wasn’t injured, Ryan Barkely (ironic name, isn’t it?) of the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated the case, said in a statement, USA TODAY reports.

Unfortunately, because the dog showed “no apparent injuries or signs of neglect or mistreatment,” according to Barkely, the poor pup will not be taken away from Howell.

DEC. 3, 2015 UPDATE: Howell was convicted today of animal cruelty, WBTV reports. She was sentenced to 18 months probation and assigned 36 hours of community service. Judge Kevin Eddinger, who called what Howell did a “callous act,” said he would prefer she performs her community service at animal control.

Cherica Winston: ‘Imma keep shooting her with this tazer and bb gun’

Don’t hire Cherica Winston of Aurora, Colo., as a dog sitter.

“$50 bucks and you can have this damn pitt,” she posted on her Facebook page over the weekend. “Imma keep shooting her with this tazer and bb gun till she’s gone…”

Travis Smith, a friend of Winston’s, contacted the Aurora Police Dept., and officers were sent to her home to investigate. Although they didn’t find a taser or BB gun, they did find a small dog locked in a crate with no water or food.

“There was an awful smell,” Sgt. Chris Amsler told FOX31. “The animal had been peeing in the crate and was soaked in the urine.”

Winston was charged with animal cruelty, but faces no charges for her Facebook post because there was no evidence the dog had been shot.

Smith told FOX31 that when he saw Winston’s disturbing Facebook post, “My immediate reaction is, ‘Oh, my God!’ I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

When Smith confronted Winston her about her post, she “mouthed off” to him, he said.

“This is a great example of how a group of people saw something that concerned them, told us and we were able to get successful resolution,” Amsler told FOX31.

The dog — who may or may not be a Pit Bull, a breed that’s banned in Aurora — is being cared for by the Aurora Animal Shelter. Winston is due in court Oct. 27.

Unidentified Texas Woman: ‘I need someone to come shoot my dog’

“I need someone to come shoot my dog,” wrote an unidentified woman from Troup, Texas, on her Facebook page Sept. 17.

“No one here has the heart to do it. We will provide the gun.”

The woman later told authorities she wanted Cinnamon, her 3-year-old Saint Bernard/English Bulldog mix, killed because the dog kept getting into the garbage.

“It’s devastating,” Nanette Moss of Smith County Animal Control, the shelter to which Cinnamon was taken, told KHOU. “I work with these dogs every day. They are my life, and when she walked through my door it just broke my heart. She’s a sweet dog and how can somebody shoot a sweet dog?”

The woman is facing no charges because she surrendered Cinnamon to animal control.

As for Cinnamon, she is now in a loving forever home, according to KYTX. She was officially adopted Sept. 21 by Theresa Vail, who had originally planned just to foster her.

Photos via Twitter; Twitter; Twitter; Twitter

WTH: Loser Caught on Video Beating German Shepherd Gets Probation

Last January, Victor Almendariz of Huntington Park, Calif., crouched over his 2-year-old German Shepherd, Sam, and repeatedly punched him in the head. Hard.

The beating was captured on video by a witness, who notified the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA).

But today Almendariz didn’t get so much as a slap on the wrist for pummeling his poor dog.

After the loser pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor (nope, not a felony) count of animal cruelty, Judge Gustavo Sztraicher sentenced him to five years of probation that includes 500 hours of community labor and 48 weeks of animal abuse counseling, spcaLA reports.

Almendariz can’t own animals for five years, but after that, best of luck to his new punching bags — er, pets.

The case was investigated by spcaLA, which took in and provided medical treatment for Sam and two other German Shepherds belonging to Almedariz.

Thank goodness the witness took a video of Sam’s beating and notified spcaLA. Take a look at it, if you can stomach it. Do you think Almendariz’s sentencing was fair?

Photo via YouTube

Arrest Made in Southern California Animal Shelter Break-In

Just one day after Jason Johnson was identified as the suspect who broke into the Riverside County Animal Services shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif., the loser has been arrested.

Johnson was taken into custody by deputies from the Jurupa Valley sheriff’s station at 1:30 a.m. today, according to a press release, and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. His bail was set at $5,000, the Press Enterprise reports.

According to Superior Court records obtained by the Press Enterprise, Johnson has a litany of prior drug-related convictions in Riverside County, including unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The Press Enterprise reported yesterday that Johnson stole three Pit Bulls who were under quarantine and facing possible euthanasia. He then broke the locks on other cages to try to cover up his motives. Investigators believe Johnson knows the owners of the three Pit Bulls.

Shelter staff arrived around 6:30 a.m. Sunday to find seven dogs roaming free. Two dogs — a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier mix — were dead.

“We found blood spatter everywhere,” John Welsh, spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services, told KTLA.

Dr. Allan Drusys, Riverside County’s chief veterinarian, is performing necropsies on the two dogs to determine the cause of their deaths.

Surveillance footage showed Johnson using bolt cutters to slice through the locks on the cages.

Twelve dogs were initially reported missing. Seven were eventually found — but two of them, a German Shepherd and Pit Bull, had been hit by cars and killed.

A crime prevention analyst from the sheriff’s department is determining how to improve security at this and other animal shelters in Riverside County. Investigators believe Johnson may have climbed over a fence and broken the kennel locks without setting off an alarm.

Two non-profit organizations that work with the shelter — Animal Solutions Konnections (ASK) and Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START) — offered a $35,000 reward to anyone with information that led to a conviction. The Humane Society of the United States announced yesterday it was also offering a $5,000 reward.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department would like to thank the public and media for their assistance with this investigation that ultimately led to the apprehension of Jason Johnson,” the department said today.

Photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office

Suspect Identified in Southern California Animal Shelter Break-In

SEPT. 17, 2015 UPDATE: Jason Johnson has been arrested.

Have you seen this monster?

The suspect who broke into the Riverside County Animal Services shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif., over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least four dogs, was named today as Jason Johnson, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Witnesses came forward and identified Johnson, who is still at large and facing counts of animal cruelty, burglary and vandalism.

According to the Press Enterprise, Johnson stole three Pit Bulls who were under quarantine and facing possible euthanasia. He then broke the locks on other cages to try to cover up his motives. Investigators believe Johnson knows the owners of the three Pit Bulls.

Shelter staff arrived around 6:30 a.m. Sunday to find seven dogs roaming free. Two dogs — a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier mix — were dead.

“We found blood spatter everywhere,” John Welsh, spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services, told KTLA.

“There were some blood markings that were about 3 feet off the ground. We don’t know exactly what caused that, but we don’t suspect that an animal jumped into the air and caused that blood splatter.”

Dr. Allan Drusys, Riverside County’s chief veterinarian, is performing necropsies on the two dogs to determine the cause of their deaths.

Surveillance footage showed Johnson using bolt cutters to slice through the locks on the cages. He broke into a total of 22 cages, leaving 15 of the locks stacked neatly in a pile.

Twelve dogs were initially reported missing. Seven were eventually found — but two of them, a German Shepherd and Pit Bull, had been hit by cars and killed.

“We’re in the business of trying to save lives, we’re in the business of getting animals back to their rightful owners,” Welsh told the Press Enterprise Sunday. “Our team was devastated.”

A crime prevention analyst from the sheriff’s department is determining how to improve security at this shelter and three others in Riverside County. Investigators believe Johnson may have climbed over a fence and broken the kennel locks without setting off an alarm.

Two non-profit organizations that work with the shelter — Animal Solutions Konnections (ASK) and Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START) — offered a $35,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to a conviction. The Humane Society of the United States announced today it is also offering a $5,000 reward.

“Mr. Johnson is actively wanted,” sheriff’s Capt. Jason Horton told CBS Los Angeles. “That arrest warrant was walked through the court yesterday. It’s been entered into our system as being active, and several sheriff’s department investigators as we speak are actively attempting to track him down.”

Johnson, also known as Jason Neunzer, is white, 5-foot-8, 185 pounds, with medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a 2006 white Dodge Ram pickup with the license plate number 00064R1.

Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to call Investigator T. Gonzales at the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s station at 951-955-2600.

Photo via Twitter

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