Robert Lineburger is alive today thanks to his seizure-detection dog, a Pit Bull named Precious.
But it wasn’t her detection of a seizure that saved Lineburger.
Two months ago, as Lineburger and Precious were walking to a restroom at the Port LaBelle Marina in Florida, where they live on a boat, an alligator suddenly lunged out of the water and onto the dock.
Because there are no lights around the marina, Lineburger didn’t see the alligator until it was too late.
Precious “jumped in front of me,” Lineburger told WPTV. “She was roughly 2 to 3 feet away from me when the gator attacked.”
The alligator killed Precious, but Lineburger was unharmed. His hero dog would be alive today if the marina had proper lighting, Lineburger said.
“We have no lighting, which is mandatory code enforcement,” he told WPTV. “Fire extinguishers are mandated by the fire marshal, we have cluttered docks, and at night with no light, you can’t see the clutter. You trip over them, and now you put the alligator problem on top of it, it’s a place for a disaster to happen.”
A neighbor told WPTV he’s seen alligators all around the marina, and has no doubt they’ve been on the dock.
Lineburger wants Glades County code compliance officers to inspect the marina. Nothing will bring back Precious, but Lineburger hopes the tragedy will help others be safe.
“I do not want her death to be in vain,” he told WPTV. “At least let it accomplish something and get some of these violations taken care of.”
APRIL 20, 2016 UPDATE: “I was only gone for an hour, and I came back and the house was in flames,” Loretta Murray, owner of the house that caught on fire, told WPLG Local 10 today. Many of the dogs that were rescued are now in need of foster or permanent homes. For more information, contact Abandoned Pet Rescue at 954-728-9010 or Florida Cocker Spaniel Rescue at 813-245-1833.
As firefighters approached a burning house in Dania Beach, Fla., last night, several dogs ran toward them.
Inside the house were even more dogs, “many unconscious and unresponsive,” Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles told Inside Edition. “There were dogs everywhere in the house. They were still finding dogs an hour and a half or so (into the rescue).”
More than 34 dogs were rescued from the house in what Jachles described as “an endless chain of dogs. It was pretty bizarre. Any of us that were at the scene last night have never seen anything like this.”
Some dogs were given oxygen. The fire truck was equipped with only one pet oxygen mask, so officers had to use larger ones designed for children and adults on the other dogs.
Five of the dogs were in critical condition. Those and four others were taken to a local animal emergency hospital. Only one dog died.
“Considering we had 34 dogs in a house filled with fire and full of smoke, that only one dog perished, that was pretty remarkable,” Jachles told Inside Edition.
There is no limit to the number of pets you can have in Broward County. The homeowner, who wasn’t there at the time of the fire, operated a dog rescue from her house.
“We have seen all of these dogs before. They are well cared for,” Animal Care and Adoption Division spokeswoman Lisa Mendheim told Inside Edition. “Any of them that were in need of medical services were under veterinary care, so there is no issue of cruelty.”
Dennis Hartling, a neighbor who called 911, said it was a hoarding situation.
“It’s not the first time that they’ve hauled this many dogs off their property,” he told WSVN. “The city hasn’t done anything about it, and tonight is just another example of what she’s up to.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Hartling said it started near the air-conditioning unit.
“Just tonight, I just so happen to be on my way out to the store, and I could smell the smoke, I could see it, I could hear the crackling from the fire,” he told WSVN. “I walked down the sidewalk to the building in the back, the side of the house. Part of it was on fire from the AC unit.”
As the injured dogs recover, Jachles told Inside Edition the fire department may bring their fire rescue dog to visit them.
The holidays just got a lot merrier for Paul Gartenberg, a veterinarian in Brandenton, Fla., and his Black Lab mix, Padi.
In June, Padi bit off part of a 4-year-old’s ear when the boy lunged at the dog, who was hiding under a desk in the office of his owner, veterinarian Paul Gartenberg.
Padi, who’d been rescued from an abusive situation, often stayed under the desk in his “safe spot,” Dr. Gartenberg told the Associated Press.
“This dog was purely acting defensively,” he said. “I can’t think of a dog that wouldn’t have reacted the way Padi did.”
Even so, Manatee County Animal Services took Padi and determined he would have to euthanized under Florida’s “Damage by Dogs” statute. The decision was upheld by a county hearing officer.
Padi’s case sparked global outrage. The Free Padi Facebook community currently has more than 27,400 members.
According to the Damage by Dogs law, if a dog who has not been labeled as “dangerous” bites someone deeply enough to require stitches or reconstructive surgery — even if that someone provoked the dog or happens to be a murderous intruder inside your home — the dog must be confiscated and euthanized.
That’s right — the state that was first to enact a controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which protects humans who defend themselves against real or perceived threats, does not extend that protection to most dogs.
Today Judge Andrew Owens decided the law is unconstitutional, and set Padi free, clearing the dog “of any type of death sentence, for lack of a better word,” Charles Britt, the attorney for Gartenberg, told WWSB.
“(The statute) results in an unconstitutional delegation of discretion in animal control authorities insofar as the statute provides animal control authorities no guided authority to select the severity of consequences for a dog’s actions,” the judge ruled, according to the Brandenton Herald.
“The Court finds it illogical and inconsistent that an owner of a dog facing a dangerous dog investigation and classification under (the dangerous dog law) may assert certain defenses such as provocation, defense of a family member or person from an unjustified attack, but an owner of a dog subjected to the provisions of (the severe dog bite statute) enjoys no such defenses, notwithstanding the statute’s constitutional validity, to prevent that statutory mandated execution of their dog.”
Florida Rep. Greg Steube also thinks the law is unfair, and has introduced a bill (HB91) that would save the lives of dogs who bite only to protect themselves or their family members, or bite someone who is trespassing.
“Most people don’t realize that the statute is so black and white,” Steube told 10 News. “If a dog does this damage and it causes this type of injury they have to be euthanized. I thought it was absurd when I read the law.”
If passed, the new law would allow all pet parents due process, giving them the opportunity to explain the circumstances of a biting incident. A hearing officer would then decide whether the dog should be euthanized.
The bill has been passed unanimously by two committees so far. Steube told 10 News he hopes it makes its way to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk by January.
In the meantime, Manatee County Animal Services has been ordered to no longer enforce the Damage by Dogs statute and to close any pending cases in which the law was said to have been broken.
A staff member at Gartenberg’s veterinary clinic told the Brandenton Herald the vet couldn’t talk at the moment, but was “ecstatic.”
DEC. 22, 2015 UPDATE: Many of these rescued dogs are now ready for forever homes, the ASPCA reports.
“We’ve seen these dogs come a long way over the last month,” said Jessica Rushin of the ASPCA. “Now we’re bringing them to communities across Florida and hoping local citizens will come out and adopt them. These dogs have never known what it means to be a pet, so we’re thrilled that many of them may be spending this holiday season in a warm, safe home for the first time.”
For a list of the Florida shelters where the dogs are available, visit the ASPCA website.
Dozens of dogs living in filthy conditions, without clean food or water and exposed to the elements, were rescued yesterday from a suspected unlicensed puppy mill in Clewiston, Fla.
The rescued dogs ranged in size from Chihuahuas to Siberian Huskies. Some were only two days old.
“It’s obvious that some are ill, and there are some newborn puppies, too,” Capt. Susan Harrelle of the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, which worked with the ASPCA to save the dogs, told NBC-2.
ASPCA spokeswoman Kelly Krause told Naple News the conditions were “deplorable.”
The owners of the operation, Beatriz Perez and Alexei Fernandez, had been selling the dogs to pet stores in the Miami-Dade area. They were arrested yesterday and charged with several counts of animal cruelty.
Each of the rescued dogs was examined by a veterinarian.
“We’re seeing a number of medical issues, eye issues, teeth issues, skin problems,” Tim Rickey, vice president of ASPCA Field Investigation and Response, told NBC-2. “These animals are living in this environment every day and not receiving adequate care.”
The dogs were transferred to an ASPCA shelter, where they will receive veterinary care until custody of the dogs is determined by the court.
After the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office received numerous complaints from the community, the ASPCA launched an investigation of the operation six months ago.
Puppy mills — commercial breeding operations in which dogs are typically neglected and kept in small cages — are actually legal in Florida and 21 other states. Campaigns like the ASPCA’s No Pet Store Puppies are trying to raise people’s awareness about the horrible environments these dogs come from.
“This is a tragic situation we see all too often,” Rickey said in a press release. “Puppy mills are a widespread issue across Florida and around the country. Many people are unaware that most puppies sold at pet stores come from puppy mills, and that buying pet store puppies indirectly supports these facilities.”
This rescue provides nearly 100 reasons why it’s so important to adopt, not shop, for a dog.
Let’s say you live in Miami, Tampa or any other Florida city. In the middle of the night, someone breaks into your home with the intent to rob and kill you.
And let’s say that before you even wake up, your dog hears the intruder. Doing what most dogs would do to protect their homes and loved ones, your dog bites the intruder hard, tearing his skin. The intruder runs off. Thanks to your dog, you will live to see another day.
So, does your hero get some kind of recognition for saving your life and property? Nope.
Per current Florida law, if a dog who has not been labeled as “dangerous” bites someone deeply enough to require stitches or reconstructive surgery — even if that someone is a murderous intruder inside your home — the dog must be euthanized.
This law does not, however, apply to dogs that have already been labeled as “dangerous.” In those cases, pet parents are allowed to defend their dogs.
That’s right — the state that was first to enact a controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which protects humans who defend themselves against real or perceived threats, does not extend that protection to most dogs.
According to Florida’s “Damage by Dogs” statute, a non-dangerous dog who bites a person without provocation is to be “immediately confiscated by an animal control authority, placed in quarantine, if necessary, for the proper length of time, or impounded and held for 10 business days after the owner is given written notification, and thereafter destroyed in an expeditious and humane manner.”
Effort to Change Unfair Law
I think the Damage by Dogs law is unfair and ridiculous, and so does Rep. Greg Steube, who introduced a bill (HB91) that would save the lives of dogs who bite only to protect themselves or their family members, or bite someone who is trespassing.
“Most people don’t realize that the statute is so black and white,” Steube told 10 News. “If a dog does this damage and it causes this type of injury they have to be euthanized. I thought it was absurd when I read the law.”
If passed, the new law would allow all pet parents due process, giving them the opportunity to explain the circumstances of a biting incident. A hearing officer would then decide whether the dog should be euthanized.
The House Civil Justice Subcommittee passed the bill unanimously last month. A second hearing is scheduled for today, and the bill will need a third hearing before it reaches the House floor. Steube told 10 News he hopes the bill makes its way to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk by January.
Support Grows for Padi, Victim of the Damage by Dogs Law
One potential victim of the current law is Padi, a 4-year-old Black Lab mix from Brandenton.
In self defense, Padi bit off part of a 4-year-old boy’s ear when the child lunged at the dog, who was hiding under a desk in the office of his dog dad, veterinarian Paul Gartenberg.
Padi, who’d been rescued from an abusive situation, often stayed under the desk in his “safe spot,” Dr. Gartenberg told the Associated Press.
“This dog was purely acting defensively,” he said. “I can’t think of a dog that wouldn’t have reacted the way Padi did.”
Even so, Manatee County Animal Services took Padi and determined he would have to euthanized under the Damage by Dogs law. The decision was upheld by a county hearing officer.
Padi’s case sparked global outrage. The Free Padi Facebook community currently has more than 25,700 members.
At a packed circuit court hearing today that could determine Padi’s fate, attorneys for Dr. Gartenberg as well as Manatee County agreed the law is unconstitutional, partly because it doesn’t give pet parents due process to defend their rights.
Judge Andrew Owens is expected to issue a written decision in two weeks at the earliest.
If he decides the law is unconstitutional, Padi’s case will be dropped and the dog can stay with Dr. Gartenberg. But if the judge rules it to be constitutional, Dr. Gartenberg can either return to the hearing officer process or appeal the ruling to the Second District Court of Appeal.
Dr. Gartenberg told the Brandenton Herald he felt optimistic after this afternoon’s hearing.
“It seems like reasonable people making reasonable decisions,” he said.
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