Man Found Guilty of Having Dog Kill Coral Springs Family’s Cat

An 81 year old man who allowed his dog to maul a cat and was caught on video doing so, was found guilty by a jury today.

After only a day of testimony, the jury returned their verdict and found Hume Hamilton, 81, guilty of animal cruelty charges, a third degree felony.

Hume Hamilton was walking his pit bull when it attacked a cat belonging to Coral Springs resident Tia Spath.

Spath, who lives in Ridgeview, was shocked to find out that their cat named “Mama” had been killed at her family business, Brandy Bail Bonds, in Fort Lauderdale.   She says that Mama had been their pet for almost 12 years and was a fixture at the business

“Mama” the cat savaged by Pit bull

In the shocking surveillance video, the owner of a pit bull is seen walking on the property of Brandy Bail Bonds while following his dog’s lead to get closer to the cat, when the pit bull viciously attacks.  

The dog’s strong jaws grab the cat and the owner cannot get him to release.

The man even tries to pull the cat out of the dog’s mouth, even stepping on the cat’s stomach. He finally he pulls the dog away, runs away, and  leaves the cat for dead.

Mama later died of her injuries and is buried at the business.

Hamilton had been held in jail since July without bond because he is facing charges for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was already on probation, so the judge held him without bond pending this trial.

He could face jail time for this crime when he is sentenced next month

PIT BULL ATTACKS AND KILLS PET CAT IN FORT LAUDERDALE 1st Video – HELP NAB OWNER

 “I’m posting the writing below as it was attached to the video, although I’m not sure accurate the details are having watched the video. In the video, I saw a man dressed in black top & shorts, try to help get the cat out of the dogs jaws, he did, finally, then walked away trailing the cat, seconds later the Pit Bull is seen chasing after the cat again…behind the dog walks his owner, with empty leash in hand. Just find it odd the other man wasn’t to mentioned in court!!”

UPDATE!!!!! MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON JULY 9TH FROM ANGRY VIEWERS WHO SAW HIM IN FORT LAUDERDALE:http://coralspringstalk.com/fort-lauderdale-man-arrested-in-pitbull-attack-on…

FROM http://www.CoralSpringsTalk.com : Coral Springs resident Tia Spath wants to find the man whose pitbull killed their family cat.

Spath, who lives in Ridgeview was shocked to find out that their cat named Mama had been killed at her family business, Brandy Bail Bonds, in Fort Lauderdale. She says that Mama had been their pet for almost 12 years and was a fixture at the business.

In this shocking surveillance video, the owner of a pit bull is seen walking on the property of Brandy Bail Bonds while following his dog’s lead to get closer to the cat, when the pit bull viciously attacks. The dog’s strong jaws become locked around the cat and won’t release. The man then tries to pull the cat out of the dog’s mouth, even stepping on the cat’s stomach. He finally he pulls the dog away, runs away, and leaves the cat for dead.

Mama later died of her injuries and is buried at the business.

The Spath family is heartbroken, her children grew up with Mama and they want to find the pitbull’s owner and sue him. They have hired a private investigator but are also asking for the public’s help in finding him. Please call Brandy Bail Bonds at (954) 463-4333 if you know anything.

News Link:-http://coralspringstalk.com/man-found-guilty-of-having-dog-kill-coral-springs-owners-cat-3926

 

Menino Pledges Strict Muzzle Law On Pit Bulls

A day after police shot one of two loose pit bulls they say “terrorized” an East Boston neighbourhood  attacking a boy and killing a cat, Mayor Thomas M. Menino vowed to resurrect a city pit bull muzzling rule that will be fixed next month when a state law takes effect that bans breed-specific legislation.

“We’re going to continue to press for legislation that will deal with the issues of putting pit bulls in the city of Boston. … They do need a special law. … Pit bulls have that little strain in them that are vicious,” Menino said, calling it “ridiculous” that state legislators acted to override the Hub’s 2004 pit bull ordinance and similar lawsin Lowell, Winthrop and elsewhere.

ROUNDED UP: Mayor Thomas M. Menino vows strict rules on pit bulls despite the current law getting cleared off the books on Nov. 1. Below, a pit bull is loaded into a van after going on a rampage Friday in East Boston.

The city’s doomed pit bull control law requires owners to register their dogs, muzzle them in public, post “beware of dog” signs and limit them to two per household.

Boston Animal Control Director Mark Giannangelo could not say yesterday whether the two pit bulls that escaped a Sumner Street apartment Friday were registered.

Bruin, the dog police shot, and the other dog, Max, which was corralled by cops, are being held until a city hearing to determine their fate, which under state law could be as severe as having the dogs killed or as light as having them returned to their owner.

Backers of the law that revamped state animal control codes, which goes into effect Nov. 1, argue Boston’s pit bull muzzle rule has not reduced dog bites.

“The ordinance is still in place and didn’t prevent this incident. Breed-specific ordinances don’t work,” said Kara Holmquit, the MSPCA’s director of advocacy. “To truly prevent dog bites, a comprehensive dangerous dog law that is well-enforced needs to be embraced.”

State Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), who sponsored the law and called Friday’s attack “horrible,” said there are provisions in the state law to deal with dangerous dogs that don’t discriminate by breed.

“I really want to protect people against dangerous dogs. I believe what we did is a good solution for that,” Jehlen said.

But City Councilor Robert Consalvo, who penned the city’s pit bull law and now may seek a home-rule petition to exempt the Hub from the ban on breed-specific laws, said a pit bull’s vice-like jaws and history of being bred as a fighting dog make it more dangerous.

“I get that poodles bite. But if a poodle or beagle bites me, I can defend myself,” he said. “A pit bull’s a much more aggressive attack.”

Video & News Link:-http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20221007menino_pledges_strict_muzzle_law_on_pit_bulls/

Pit Bull Shot After Teen Bitten, Cat Killed

 

One of two rampaging pit bulls was shot by cops in East Boston yesterday after it bit a 14-year-old boy in the buttocks, mauled and killed a cat and frightened residents — all just weeks before a city law requiring the breed to be muzzled in public will be revoked.

BITING CRIME: Animal Control officers and Boston police respond in East Boston yesterday, after two pit bulls struck fear in the neighbourhood, injuring a teenage boy and killing a cat.

“These two dogs terrorized the neighbourhood … Theyhad already lashed out and bit a young boy and a cat. If we didn’t take a shot at the dog, who knows who else would have been bit,” Boston Police Superintendent William Evans said at the scene.Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo, who drafted the city’s pit bull control law six years ago, said the city should brace for more pit mull mayhem as the state’s new animal cruelty law goes into effect Nov. 1, wiping muzzling rules off the books.

“This is a scene that’s going to get replayed over and over again when we don’t have an ordinance in place that gives police and animal control the tools to control this,” Consalvo said.

The new animal rights bill signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick blocks municipalities from creating any “breed specific” rules.

The Hub’s lame duck law requires owners to register pit bulls, keep dogs muzzled in public and post “beware of dog” signs on their property. It also bars residents from housing more than two pit bulls. Similar laws in Lowell, Canton, Winthrop and elsewhere will also be nullified.

Yesterday, two pit bulls — Max and Bruin — chewed and clawed their way through a screen and jumped out an open first-floor window of their owner’s Sumner Street apartment while the couple was dining out. The dogs then went on their rampage.

After police shot and wounded Bruin at the corner of Maverick and Cottage streets, the dog ran a block away and had to be cornered by cops in a driveway. Max ran home.

Louis Gizzi, 85, was sweeping his deck at his Everett Street home when the dogs ran up to him.

“It snarled at me. He came after me. One dog spotted the cat and chased him out of the yard. He killed him. He shook him so hard I thought it was a rag doll at first,” said Rizzi, who used his broom to smack one of the pit bulls in the snout. “If it wasn’t for the broom, I think they would have attacked me.”

Calvin Clemons, 24, and his wife, Amanda Bright, 22, questioned why the police had to shoot their dog.

“I know he wouldn’t hurt anybody. He’s only a puppy,” said a teary-eyed Bright, 22. “Everybody thinks just because it’s a pit pull, he’s a vicious dog.”

Neighbour John Rizzo, 26, disagreed, saying the pit bulls have gone on the run before.

“They came up to our porch barking, pinning my wife inside with a 2-month-old baby in her arms,” he said. “They are menacing, big dogs … Without muzzles and leashes these dogs can’t be controlled. They need to reconsider that law.”

Video & News Link:-http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061165647&srvc=rss

7 Pit Bulls Put Down After Killing Owner

“This truly is a devastating & tragic incident! More so as Ms Hunt & her sister so kindly rescued pit bulls, offering them a home. Sadly most pit bulls that have been raised to fight, can not forget the training, bullied into them by their previous irresponsible, degenerate owners.” 

ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — Animal Control officers had to put down seven pit bulls that viciously attacked and killed their owner.

According to deputies, Mary Jo Hunt, 53, was killed in the backyard of her Robeson County home, just south of Fayettteville, last week.

Authorities said the dogs attacked Hunt when she used a rake to separate them from fighting.

A neighbour who witnessed the aftermath called 911.

Investigators said Hunt and her sister took care of the rescued animals at their home.

Two other dogs were also seized, but they are being kept in isolation.

News Link:-http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/7-pit-bulls-put-down-after-killing-owner/nSW3n/

Coyote Kills Dog In Winfield: Illinois Boy Watched As Animal Snatched Up Family Pet

 

Though an 11-year-old Winfield, Ill. boy raced to grab a baseball bat in an attempt to scare off a coyote with an eye on his family’s tiny Yorkshire Terrier, the effort was no match for the determined prairie wolf.

The Daily Herald reports that, around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Coco, the 3 1/2-pound dog belong to Leslee and Timothy Bassett, was snatched up from the family’s backyard. The dog was found dead along the Illinois Prairie Path behind the house a half-hour later.

Tim Bassett told NBC Chicago the dog will be deeply missed.

“She was a real tiny little dog but she loved everybody and everybody always wanted to take her home,” Bassett said. “They all loved her. She was a great little dog.“

The Bassett family’s tragedy is just one of a series of recent instances of coyotes attacking small dogs in the Chicago area. Late last month, two small dogs survived a coyote attack in a backyard in nearby Wheaton, Ill. A week prior to that, another Yorkshire Terrier puppy died in a separate coyote encounter which also occurred in Wheaton.

Sightings of coyotes and other, larger predators such as bears, cougars and wolves have grown increasingly common in the Chicago area – a trend wildlife experts told the Chicago Tribune that won’t be changing any time soon. Coyotes, in particular, are reportedly “thriving” in the area.

“They’ve adapted so well to suburbia that they’re not afraid of anything,” wildlife control expert Robert Erickson told the Tribune of the area’s coyotes. “Once they become habituated, that’s when you have problems.”

Unconfirmed cougar sightings have been reported in Schaumburg and several other North Shore communities in recent months, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

News Link:-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/06/coyote-kills-dog-in-winfi_n_1944925.html

Video – More Coyote Attacks:-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/06/coyote-kills-dog-in-winfi_n_1944925.html

 

Resa villagers kill predator – Big Cat or Big Dog?

It is not yet confirmed if the animal is a leopard or some other wild cat.

At around six pm last evening villagers of Resa, Saling gewog, put to deathwhat they believe to be the predator that in the past few weeks killed numerous poultry birds, a calf and attacked a man inside the house.

Resa village, Mongar, where the slain cat roamed

It could not be confirmed whether the animal was a leopard but farmers said that under torchlight it looked black in colour and was the size of a big stray dog.

Farmer Sherub Gyaltshen had set two traps around his coop around 5 pm yesterday after he lost eight hens on the night of October 1.

“Around 6 pm I saw the leopard caught in the trap. The noose had gone around the neck and a forelimb,” Sherub who lost more than half of his 80 hens in the past few weeks said.

“It was growling like anything and trying to escape so I quickly informed the neighbours and with the help of a sharp iron rod pierced its stomach,” another farmer said. “It died after 15 minutes.”

Farmers said that they had been living in fear especially after the September 21 incident. At around 7 pm that evening a 45-year old man was mauled by what villagers believe to be the same animal. Three days later it killed a calf.

The incident occurred in the kitchen outside the main house where Sangay was sleeping. “The animal suddenly jumped on my chest. The nearest thing to me was an axe and I hit out,” Sangay recalled. “It knocked the animal down but it tried to pounce on me again and I hit it again. I managed to injure it on the head.”

There were four people in the house including two children who shouted for help. The neighbours came by and helped chase the animal away.

Sangay went to Gyalpoizhing basic health unit in Mongar and did not have to take any stitches. The incident is the first for Resa village.

One of the farmers said that the dead animal had a deep cut on the head, which had become infested with worms confirming that it was the same animal that had attacked Sangay on September 21.

Forest officials will be visiting Resa village today to investigate.

News Link:-http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=37777

“I’m sorry to hear these people have lost livestock & a person was mauled…but I think it’s terrible that they killed the cat they way they did, it took 15 minutes to die, suffocating on it’s own blood, surely they could have made a quick clean kill as it was already trapped by it’s  neck & forelimb & already in serious pain from the head wound, it was hardly going anywhere! Anyhow, snooping around on other pages…I found this interesting….”

The general advice given to farmers is to stop grazing their cattle in areas, where the predator has made a kill.  If it is a kill by a tiger, then some sort of compensation is given, because the tiger needs to be saved, given its importance in the food chain.

But it needs to be known why livestock is being attacked. Maybe there is not much natural prey out in the jungle, which might have been poached for all kinds of things.  The predator could be old or injured, though the one in Punakha, wildlife conservation division officials believe, is a young fellow, at least going by the method of attack.

But what of damage by the leopard, the wild dog and the elephant?  Farmers are not compensated for damage and loss by these animals, nor are they allowed to hunt them down.  In some places, even monkeys and the porcupine do a lot of damage.

As an expert recently pointed out, lending an ear to what farmers and villagers might have to say on dealing with the problem could lead to long term sustainable solutions, rather than cash handouts, which take a long time coming and barely cover the loss

“Well if it was a leopard, were the farmers right to kill it the way they did? I will try to keep updated on this story & post any further news!”

http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=37403#more-37403

Puppy Shot, Killed in Cumberland County

The owners of Salsa, a chihuahua mix, spoke exclusively with NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg and says they are heartbroken

An investigation is under-way after an 8-month old puppy is shot and killed in Bridgeton, Cumberland County.

The owners of Salsa, a chihuahua mix, spoke exclusively with NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg and says her family is a wreck.

“It just breaks my heart, really breaks my heart to know they could do that to a dog,” said Anita Guerrero, dog’s owner.

The family says they let the dog outside to relieve himself on September 23 but couldn’t find him after a few minutes. Two days later, he was found dead in a neighbour’s yard.

“If you had a complaint, come knock on the door, bring it up with the owner of the dog. Don’t just shoot the dog,” said George  Peacock, dog’s owner.

The Cumberland County SPCA says Bridgeton Animal Control had received prior complaints about the dog running loose in the neighbourhood.

“We can’t ignore the lack of responsibility on the part of the owners because no animals should be running loose.

But it’s never right to take justice into your own hands, especially when it now involves the death of an animal,” said Bev Greco, Cumberland County SPCA.

Authorities say the person responsible could face jail time and a $3,000 fine.

Video & News Link:-http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Puppy-Shot-Killed-in-Cumberland-County-172386301.html

Reward offered in Manitowoc cat abuse case

 

MANITOWOC — Police are seeking the public’s help in investigating an animal abuse case in which a dead cat, bound with duct tape, was found floating in the Manitowoc River on Sunday, according to a press release from Manitowoc Police Chief Tony Dick.

Fishermen found the cat in the river just west of the 10th Street bridge.

It was described as a larger, older, orange-coloured cat.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 920-686-6580.

Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $200 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person of people responsible.

To be eligible for the reward and remain anonymous, call 920-683-4466.

News Link:-http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20121002/APC0101/310020301/Reward-offered-cat-abuse-case?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs

 

PD: Animal Abuse Charges Tossed For Man In Cat Mutilation Case

MESA, AZ (CBS5) -Mesa police said Monday they’ve tossed animal cruelty charges against a man accused of stealing and mutilating dozens of cats in Mesa, sparking outrage from a group of citizens.

The group, comprising residents and owners of the mutilated cats, has scheduled two protests against Scott Andrew Graham, 39, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Saturday at Alma School Road and Pecos Avenue, the entrance to Marlboro Mesa neighborhood in Mesa.

“Anyone that’s going to abduct 30 to 40 cats isn’t doing it just to play with them and let them go,” said protestor Lenetta Leger.

Scott Andrew Graham

“I mean, I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist or a psychologist to see there’s obviously something wrong with this man,” she continued during Tuesday’s protest.

The Maricopa County attorney’s office had referred the case back to police on Sept. 6 to gather more evidence.

“Investigative efforts have been exhausted,” Mesa police spokesman Sgt. Tony Landato said in a news release. “The decision was made to continue with only the theft charge.“

Landato cited an investigation by detectives that called into question some initial facts of the case.

“Any additional or future charges are unlikely until additional evidence is developed or received that would allow the investigation to continue,” Landato said.

Tuesday, CBS 5 asked Landato for more information as to why the animal abuse charges were dropped.

“As it turns out, when we sat down with the photos of the mutilated cats and the (owners) and the photos they had, everyone was in agreement that although similar, this is not the victim’s cat,” explained Landato.

“So that’s a critical piece of evidence that now we’ve lost,” he continued.

Mesa police said Aug. 8 home surveillance video caught Graham  taking a cat from the top of a person’s vehicle in the 900 block of West Natal.

Several days later, the cat was found dead and mutilated behind a nearby strip mall where another mutilated cat was found.

On Aug. 23, police said a member of the neighbourhood watch, Ben Smith, said he saw the vehicle again and tried to catch him on his bike. The suspect allegedly threw the cat out the window and fled.

On Sept. 3, the same neighbour spotted the vehicle again, took photos and got his license plate number.

Graham was arrested on South Spruce in Mesa where he was staying with relatives.

Friday, CBS 5 News confirmed Graham was not in jail and tried to contact him at the home in Mesa. A relative answered the door and said, “No comment.”

Police said without the neighbour’s help, the arrest might not have ever happened.

“There would not have been an arrest and possibly never resulting in this case had he not had that… not just the one time but both times,” Landato said.

“I was dead set on not losing this guy and getting as much photographic evidence as possible,” Smith said.

Police said Graham admitted to the theft charge and taking between 30 and 40 cats from the area. He denied harming the cats, stating he just played with them and then dropped them off at a different location.

Friday, a neighbour said she found another dead cat on Thursday.

“The neighbours think that maybe some antifreeze or something was given to the cats, so I don’t know. It was dead,” said Yolanda Fletcher.

Smith said Friday, “As soon as we found out in the neighbourhood that the charges were getting dropped, we went right back up to boosting patrols and adding surveillance cameras throughout the neighborhood.”

The suspect and his family told police he is deathly allergic to cats.

Graham was initially charged with one count of mistreatment to animals and two counts of cruelty to animals, along with one theft charge.

Video & News Link:-http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/19423081/7500-reward-for-information-about-mesa-cat-mutilations

Related:-http://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/man-stealing-mutilating-cats-caught/

Dog Forced To Fight In Animal Shelter Is Adopted

Happy news has come to shelter dog Chopper – he’s been adopted. A family with six kids came to the Paws ‘n’ Claws Animal Shelter in Attica, Indiana, to pick out a family dog.

They had no idea they would be taking home one who had recently been a victim of a break-in and forced fight.

Chopper

Last month, the Paws ‘n’ Claws Animal Shelter was broken into, where two cats were killed and three dogs injured.  The perpetrator(s) put two of the shelter’s largest dogs into a pen, and then tossed in a cat, who was mauled to death.  They also put a kitten into a pen with a mother dog and her litter of eleven.  Sadly, the kitten was also killed.

Shelter staff arrived the next morning to discover the dogs covered in gashes and blood.

Shelter co-founder Melynda Bryant said the dogs have never been aggressive.  She was deeply disturbed, and became emotional over the traumatic event.

“It’s because Chopper, we have had him over a year.  He is just a big baby,” she said.

Police are still investigating, and have several persons of interest to question and polygraph test.  It seems apparent that fighting was the sole motivation for the break-in, as nothing else was moved or stolen.

The community was reeling over this notion.  “A life is a life.  It doesn’t matter if it’s an animal or a human,” said Amy Morlan, Attica resident and pet owner.

There has been such a huge outpouring of community support that with the help of the Humane Society, over $4000 has been raised for information leading to the capture and conviction of the perpetrator(s).

Many have donated dog food and money for medical expenses, and one person even donated a much-needed security system to the shelter.

A month later, Chopper and his forced foe, Flynn, are healing up nicely, as is mother dog Winnie, who was also injured.  They have not seemed to show much post-traumatic stress.

“They have not interacted with any other dog in a negative way,” veterinarian Tracy Sudlow stated.  “They haven’t shown aggression toward any other dogs that they’ve interacted with here in the hospital, no people, anything. They’ve been completely their normal selves since they’ve been here.”

Chopper may be leaving Paws ‘n’ Claws in stitches, but he’ll be healing in the comfort of a new, loving family.

“We just feel like we’re giving him something and he’s going to give us something too,” said adoptive mom Jill.  “We really wanted to adopt a dog and do something for the community.”

Flynn is still looking for a family, but due to the stressful nature of the incident, it is recommended that he go to a one-pet home.

Video & News Link:-http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/09/dog-forced-to-fight-in-animal-shelter-is-adopted/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LifeWithDogs+%28Life+With+Dogs%29