No reason to try to rehabilitate or reuse terrible facility
The situation at the Edmonson County Animal Shelter should have never been allowed to happen.
Animals were discovered very malnourished, without water, covered in their own urine and feces, with urine burns on some of the animals’ feet, and some of them had obvious wounds.
Last week, the shelter’s director, Kim Carroll, of Bee Spring, was cited and charged with second-degree animal cruelty following the discovery of dozens of cats and dogs – including dead ones – in what police called an “extremely poor environment.”
It’s very unfortunate that a year after a Daily News investigative team visited the shelter numerous times and reported conditions that appeared to fall short of guidelines for shelters offered by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians that the same conditions still exist. In that investigation, it was revealed that animals were in cages too small, some were underweight and some were without water.
It’s quite obvious the newspaper’s story had no impact on those running the shelter as the conditions remained the same.
After the animals were discovered last week, several of them had to be euthanized due to the cruel conditions of this shelter.That’s a shame and a good indication that Carolland her husband, Greg, have no business running an animal shelter. The conditions these animals were found in is a clear evidence of that.
It’s truly reprehensible that someone would let animals live in these types of conditions. There is some good news out of this and that is that the shelters doors have been shuttered for now and 47 dogs and 17 cats were removed from the property. Other county agencies as far away as Owensboro also took animals from the property to their shelters.
The question now is, where does Edmonson County go from here in regards to the future of this shelter? Edmonson County Judge-Executive Wil Cannon says the county doesn’t condone wrongdoing and that the county government doesn’t own or operate the shelter in Bee Spring. He is correct. It is a for-profit business owned by the Carrolls.
Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society Director Lorri Hare has been invaluable in getting some animals out of their shelter and getting them here. Hare has called for this shelter to be closed and has been invited to speak by Cannon before the Edmonson County Fiscal Court next week.
Hare expects the county will ask the Bowling Green shelter to take in Edmonson County animals with a contract agreement. Hare said there will only be a chance for that if the Carrolls are no longer involved at all in animal control in Edmonson County.We agree with Hare that it’s time for the Carrolls to move on to a new profession because this one certainly isn’t for them.
Cannon seems to be on the same page as Hare, which is good. Edmonson County government will have to hire, equip and properly train someone to take the animals to Warren County if something is worked out with the Warren County shelter. Barring some legal reason, Cannon plans to ask fiscal court to dissolve the county’s contract with the Carrolls.
Cannon is being proactive and taking the right approach. He should be commended for doing so. Cannon made a very good point when he said the Carrolls were given a chance last year to right whatever wrongs that may have been occurring at the shelter and they didn’t.The Carrolls simply dropped the ball and in doing so put animals at risk which in some cases resulted in animals being euthanized.
In the final analysis, this should’ve never happened. We’re glad to see that the county and Hare are working on correcting this bad situation and providing a better home for these animals. Our view is that this shelter needs to be closed permanently and we sincerely hope that is the final decision.
“Nobody will die if dog & cat are taken off the menu!!!”
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Around 30 animal campaigners carried out the protest today in bid to stop Yulin dog meat festival in China
The controversial festival sees as many as 10,000 animals butchered and eaten on summer solstice
A petition signed by over 11 million people has been submitted to the authority, animal charity claimed
During the event, activists called Yulin in rural Guangxi Province a ‘scumbag’ and ‘a total embarrassment’ to China
A group of animal activists staged a protest today in Beijing in a bid to stop a Chinese dog-eating festival set to occur later this month.
This must stop: A group of around 30 animal activists staged a protest today in Beijing in a bid to stop the Yulin dog meat festival
The demonstration, initiated by three animal protection groups, submitted a petition allegedly signed by over 11 million people, calling on the Chinese authorities to end the Yulin dog meat festival.
The annual festival, which takes place in south China’s Guangxi Province, sees tens of thousands of animals beaten to death, cooked and sold on the market to celebrate summer solstice.
Around 30 activists carried out the protest outside of the Yulin government office as the petition was presented to the authority by three animal charities: Humane Society International, VShine and Beijing Mothers Against Animal Cruelty.
Pictures from today’s event show animal campaigners, many of whom brought their own pet dogs, holding signs saying ‘Scumbag of China’ in English and ‘Shame on Yulin’ in Simplified Chinese.
Wendy Higgins, the Director of International Media at Humane Society International, said over 11 million signatures had been collected worldwide through the internet to demand the festival to stop.
The petition also included signatures gathered by four other international animal welfare organisations. They are RaiseURPaw in Canada as well as the Duo Duo Project, Care2 and Avaaz from the United States.
The petition has been accepted by officials from the Yulin government in Beijing, according to Ms Higgins.
Peter Li, the China Policy Expert at Humane Society International, attended the protest in Beijing today.
Mr Li told MailOnline:
‘There was a huge presence of police, but our hand-in went very peacefully. It was a great feeling to join with our Chinese partner group activists in Beijing today, there was a tremendous sense of determination to get our voices heard to the global media, and to let the world know that many people across China want the brutal Yulin dog meat festival shut down.
He added: ‘We gave a show of strength and defiance against the dog thieves and the blatant animal cruelty, to say loudly – you will not steal our best friends!
‘I hope that the authorities listen, they really should do as the strength of public upset about Yulin and the trade here in China is really growing.
‘Next stop for me is Yulin, where I have been a number of times before, for the grim task of visiting the slaughterhouses before the festival starts.’
Sickening feast: Residents in Yulin tucked in their dinner made with dog meat during last year’s festival. Many of the animals, which were caged and beaten before being slaughtered, are thought to be stolen pets!
Xu Yufeng, founder of Beijing Mothers Against Animal Cruelty who were also present at the protest, said: ‘Yulin is a total embarrassment to China.
‘Its failure to stop mass dog slaughter and mass dog consumption shows that the local authorities are not doing their job to protect the people, especially young children.
‘We urge the Yulin authorities to stand on the right side of history and to end the “festival” in the interests of public security, food safety, social morality and China’s reputation.’
Another member of the protesters, Pan Danyang from China-based small animal protection group VShine, said:
‘This is the third year of our participation in the nation-wide campaign against the Yulin dog meat festival. ‘Since we have over the last few years helped accommodate dogs rescued from the dog meat trade, we know Yulin’s dog meat market relies on dogs from suspicious sources. ‘I hope that Yulin authorities will take actions to stop the dog trucks from going into their city so that the mass slaughter on the summer solstice day won’t happen.’
Visitors play with rescued dogs at a shelter ranby Yang Xiaoyun in Tianjin, China, July 8, 2015. Yang said she spent 300,000 RMB (48,248 USD) to purchase 500 dogs to rescue them from dog meat dealers at Yulin’s annual dog meat festival last month. She keeps more than 1,000 dogs in her shelters, mostly abandoned or she purchased from dog meat traders. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
To learn more & signn other petitions, please visit the following, just a handful of sites that contain very informative material:-
“My first post in a while, just taking it slowly, waiting for next spinal op!!. I sincerely hope this park is to help polar bears, not breed them or just have them for entertainment. If only they could rescue Yupi; currently housed at Morelia Zoo in Mexico! I hate to see wild animals behind bars, but have to also say this is a pretty impressive enclosure, shame they couldn’t add icebergs & snow….but living in England myself, he may just get a taste of life in the snow; however nothing like the habitat this bear should be in…wild & free!!!”
News Link; Post 1; BORN FREE
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has announced the import of a polar bear, Victor, from Rhenen Zoo in the Netherlands. According to their website, Victor is a 15-year-old bear who has been “retired” from the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP).
The arrival of Victor represents the first time that a polar bear has been kept in a zoo in England since the death of Mandy at Flamingo Land in 2004. (However, we believe that there is a female polar bear at a private facility in Oxfordshire).
There are considerable threats facing wild polar bears and their habitat, but Born Free firmly believes that breeding more bears in zoos has no genuine role to play in polar bear conservation. Furthermore, experience of polar bears in zoos the world over has shown us time and again that polar bears simply do not fare well in captivity – partly as a consequence of the restricted environment. It must be taken into account that the average polar bear enclosure in captivity is 1 million times smaller than the natural range of a polar bear in the wild.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the UK has not become “polar bear-free”. After many years of campaigning, Born Free was instrumental in securing the transfer of Mercedes, the last polar bear at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, to their sister site at Highland Wildlife Park. Mercedes had been kept in a wholly unsuitable “traditional” bear enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo since 1984. Highland Wildlife Park brought in a young male from the Netherlands, just prior to Mercedes’ death in 2011. Another male polar bear was then imported in 2012 from a zoo in Germany.
According to news reports, Victor is expected to be joined by two other polar bears by the end of the year, although it is currently unclear where these bears will be arriving from. Yorkshire Wildlife Park has so far not ruled out breeding polar bears at their new facility.
In October 2013, Yorkshire Wildlife Park launched a £150,000 appeal to rescue Yupi, a female polar bear currently housed at Morelia Zoo in Mexico in what most experts believe is a very inappropriate climate and enclosure. The offer to rehome Yupi is yet to be accepted and it is unclear whether there is any realistic chance of Yupi being relocated to Yorkshire.
If Yorkshire Wildlife Park truly wants to help polar bears, it will focus on genuine rescues of polar bears from the most unsuitable zoos worldwide, rather than act as a facility for European zoos to offload bears surplus to requirements from the European breeding programme. Furthermore, Yorkshire Wildlife Park should ensure that they do not breed from any bears, to avoid adding to the numbers of bears in captivity with no prospect of release to the wild.
PUBLISHED: 13:26, 18 August 2014 | UPDATED: 08:11, 19 August 2014
Frolicking in his new home, England’s only polar bear is a picture of contentment.
But moving the 75-stone animal from a Dutch zoo to this purpose-built enclosure was a tricky proposition – not least for Victor himself.
With his breeding days behind him, the 15-year-old was picked to be the first occupant of an £850,000 facility at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, complete with an eight-metre-deep lake and swathes of grassland, designed to resemble the Arctic tundra in the summer.
To reach it, however, he had to endure a 12-hour journey locked inside a cramped metal box. After being trained to walk into the cage, he was loaded on to a lorry and then ferried to Hull from the port of Zeebrugge, receiving fish and water through the bars along the way.
His new keepers were relieved that upon his arrival on Thursday they were met by a ‘very confident’ and ‘laid back’ character – rather than a polar bear with a sore head.
After spending the weekend in a holding area to give him time to adjust, Victor was finally let loose in his new home yesterday. He quickly settled in with a refreshing dip in the man-made lake, before a rest in one of the caves dug into a bank at the side of the water.
His enclosure is one of the biggest in the world, and could hold up to ten more animals. Victor is expected to be joined by two others by the end of the year – but for now he has all ten acres to himself.
Cheryl Williams, the wildlife park’s director, said: ‘He is quite greedy and loves meat and fish, with his favourite being mackerel, but he is not very impressed by vegetables. I have been told he likes the occasional peanut butter sandwich but we haven’t tried that yet.
‘He weighs about 480kg (1058lbs) so he is pretty chunky, but that is his summer weight. When it comes up to winter he will become a real hungry Horace and eat lots more, when it gets colder he will probably be about 500kg (1102lbs).
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To reach it, however, he had to endure a 12-hour journey locked inside a cramped metal box. After being trained to walk into the cage, he was loaded on to a lorry and then ferried to Hull from the port of Zeebrugge, receiving fish and water through the bars along the way.
His new keepers were relieved that upon his arrival on Thursday they were met by a ‘very confident’ and ‘laid back’ character – rather than a polar bear with a sore head.
After spending the weekend in a holding area to give him time to adjust, Victor was finally let loose in his new home yesterday. He quickly settled in with a refreshing dip in the man-made lake, before a rest in one of the caves dug into a bank at the side of the water.
His enclosure is one of the biggest in the world, and could hold up to ten more animals. Victor is expected to be joined by two others by the end of the year – but for now he has all ten acres to himself.
Cheryl Williams, the wildlife park’s director, said: ‘He is quite greedy and loves meat and fish, with his favourite being mackerel, but he is not very impressed by vegetables. I have been told he likes the occasional peanut butter sandwich but we haven’t tried that yet.
‘He weighs about 480kg (1058lbs) so he is pretty chunky, but that is his summer weight. When it comes up to winter he will become a real hungry Horace and eat lots more, when it gets colder he will probably be about 500kg (1102lbs).
Victor, who retired from a breeding programme after fathering ten cubs, is the first polar bear to live in England for about a decade. He was born in captivity in Rostock, Germany, before moving to Rhenen in the Netherlands.
His new keepers hope to use their enclosure to re-home bears living in unsuitable homes in Eastern Europe or tropical countries. The animal, who is such a prolific breeder that he had to be retired because he is father to most of Europe’s polar bears, now lives in a 10-acre enclosure which has the environment of an Arctic summer.
Park director John Minion said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Victor to the park and be able to make a contribution to polar bear conservation. ‘Victor has made a great contribution to the European breeding programme and his genes are very well represented now so the decision was made to retire him to the park. ‘He’s actually the most prolific breeder across Europe, so most polar bears in Europe are probably his children.
Published on 18 Aug 2014
Polar bear Victor is set to become the first resident in the Doncaster-based wildlife park’s purpose-built polar bear centre. The 15-year-old polar bear is due to arrive at the park from his home at Rhenen Zoo in Holland next month, – and will be the only one in England.
‘But that doesn’t stop Victor from being an ambassador for the Arctic. Polar bears are an iconic species that are increasingly threatened in their native habitat and we need to fight their cause. The park expect Victor to live for anotjer 15 years at least, but he will not be lonely for long as more bears are expected to join him soon. ‘We will have more bears arriving in the autumn and will announce those as soon as details are finalised,’ Mr Minion added.
‘So because of that he’s now been retired from the breeding programme and we offered him a home as we’ve just built this specialist enclosure which is the biggest in Europe at the moment.’
And if Victor is anything to go by, the other polar bears will settle in fine at the large enclosure, dubbed Project Polar, which features landscaped hills, valleys, and lakes with water up to 8m deep. Within 10 minutes of arriving he was seen in his house, eating food and having a drink ‘like he had been here all his life’, Mr Minion said. He will be kept of out of the public gaze while he acclimatises to British temperatures, but will be able to explore his new home.
Mr Minion explained what Project Polar includes: ‘The landscaping of the reserves mirror the Arctic Tundra with grass, herbs, shrubs and heathers. There are rocky areas and caves, which provide shelter for the bears as well as their main house. ‘The large lake is 8m deep so Victor will be able to swim and dive. We are sure that Victor will enjoy his new surroundings.’
Last year Yorkshire Wildlife Park offered a home to Yupi, a polar bear trapped in soaring temperatures and a concrete enclosure in a Mexican zoo.
Yupi has been at Morelia Zoo since 1992, after being captured in the wild as a cub. Her current concrete enclosure has virtually no shade, and offers little stimulation, causing campaigners to encourage the zoo to move her to a more appropriate home.
The Doncaster park made an offer to rehouse Yupi, but it is yet to be accepted. Ms Williams said: ‘We would still be delighted to re-home Yupi, who is over twenty years old. It would be wonderful if she could enjoy the rest of her life in the reserve here, so we wait for further news from Morelia.’ There are two other polar bears in Britain, who both live at Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland. One of them, called Walker, is one of Victor’s many sons.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Francis has passed away. He left peacefully during surgery, and we are thankful that he did not die on the cold street. If only for a short time, he knew what it meant to be loved and cared for. From the bottom of our hearts, we are forever grateful for your support of Francis and all of the others we have yet to rescue as we trudge along through this frigid weather. Francis’ rescue story is below…
December 10, Life for a dog dubbed “Francis,” has been hard. When the biting, bitter cold hit St. Louis, Mo., what was formerly difficult became nearly life-ending.
Rescuers withStray Rescue of St. Louis came upon Francis on Tuesday; the beleaguered senior dog was clearly in distress and in need of immediate help.
Francis’ skeletal body was gently lifted from the frozen ground and he was carried to a vehicle which would transport him to an emergency veterinary team.
As the temperatures dip below freezing, our worries rise. During this extreme weather, the deck is stacked against even the healthiest of street dogs. Sadly, there are also other, more susceptible four-legged friends out there – senior dogs and puppies who really struggle to survive in the elements. As soon as Randy and Donna knew he was in the best hands possible, they were out the door and back in the rescue Jeep again.
The elderly shepherd, who is estimated to be 10 years of age, was placed on I.V. fluids, provided with oxygen and warmed with heated blankets.
The rescue agency captured video of Francis’ first moments at the veterinary hospital; it is painfully evident that the dog is defeated, exhausted and on the brink of nearly giving up altogether.
Francis is not yet out of the woods, but today, for the first time in far too long, he is warm, safe and receiving the compassion and kindness that he deserves.
Randy and Donna hit the streets like they do every day and, with the temperatures turning bitter cold, their typical sense of urgency was even greater. Responding to another call, they turned down an alley. As they drove, Donna shouted to stop the car. They simultaneously saw the frigid, defeated body of a Shepard Mix, and Randy jumped out of the car – knowing right away that this dog needed to get warm… immediately. Randy named him Franics, as in Franics of Assisi, patron saint of animals. This sweet old dog needs all the help he can get.
Rushing back to the Stray Rescue Trauma Centre, Randy called ahead to alert the vet staff about what he was bringing back.Watch the video below to see an intimate look at Francis arriving at the shelter and our amazing vet team jumping into action.
Please keep thinking positive thoughts for Francis, and we will post updates as they become available. You can make a difference right now by contributing to his medical care, and the medical care of future rescues as we fight to save as many as possible this winter. During this critical time, the need is greater than ever.
Thankfully, because of the generosity of the Stray Rescue family, hope is never far away during this season of giving. Please click the link below to donate to The Stracks Fund, our emergency medical fund.
It’s simple: Animals exist for their own reasons—they don’t want to be trapped in the wild, torn away from their families, confined to cages or small tanks, beaten, neglected, abused, or killed. You can relate, right?
The only reason why people eat, wear, confine, and kill animals is because animals can’t fight back. Industries that exploit animals may not listen to the voices of the animals who are crying out for help, but they will listen to yours!
Viewer Discretion Advised
Whether it’s making sure always to adopt animals from shelters instead of buying from a breeder or a pet store, telling local stores to ditch glue traps, speaking out against dissection or cruel events like “donkey basketball” at school, reporting chained dogs or dogfighting in the local neighborhood, or volunteering at a local animal shelter, we all can make simple decisions that help animals every single day.
“To all owners of horses or any other animal for that matter…if you can’t feed or treat any injury they have…PLEASE tell your local animal shelter; so that they can try to help you out before it gets too late!! If you don’t, then just do us all a favour & go take a long walk off a very short pier; because you are using up valuable tax payers money to get you prosecuted!! Seriously…there is no excuse or shame in opening your gobs & asking for help, that’s presuming you actually care about animals, in the first place!!”
Animal control officers seized a horse Monday that they said was starving and had no water.
They were alerted to the animal’s plight after a woman reported finding it wandering in the road late Friday, near the intersection of McCarver Street and Eastman Road.
Nancy Garwood noticed the paint horse as she returned home from work about midnight.
The horse lover keeps tack in the trunk of her car, so she stopped, got a lead rope and approached the frightened animal.
“I got out and he let me carry him with the rope,” Garwood said.
She called police who helped take the stallion back to the property located in the 200 block of McCarver Street.
Emaciated Horse Seized In Longview
Published on 3 Jun 2013
Animal control officers seized a horse from its owner in South Longview Monday afternoon.
“That horse escaped to tell us his story,” Garwood said. “He escaped to tell us he was back here with no food and no water.”
Richard Fincher, executive director for Safe Haven Equine Rescue Center, said the horse had been tied to a tree without feed, grass, shelter or water and was severely underweight.
“He’s got a body weight of one. On a scale of one to nine, that’s about as low as you can go without death,” Fincher said.
He said the horse would be taken to a veterinarian for a medical examination.
Fincher and Garwood estimated the horse to be about 10 years old, and Fincher said it is not clear how long it had been since the horse had been fed.
Garwood said finding the horse created a bond — one she hopes will lead to her adopting the animal.
“Once he is rehabilitated and they put weight on him and get him his shots, I would love to take him, she said.
But Fincher said Safe Haven Equine Rescue operates under a rule that prevents them from placing animals in homes in the same county in which the animal was seized.
He said the DA’s office was preparing to file a charge of animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor.
“We’ve got two bad situations here. The condition of the horse and he was out in the road where he could’ve caused a terrible accident,” Crittenden said.
“He got out because he was searching for food and water.”
Shane Johnson, who was visiting a neighbor nearby, said he didn’t know the name of the horse’s owner but had seen the owner with the horse Monday morning.
“They feed him, but they don’t give him enough, I can tell you that,” Johnson said. “I’ve fed his horse myself. I’ve given him a whole bale of hay.”
Johnson said he didn’t notice the horse’s condition since the last time he fed him and never contacted authorities.
“That horse turned him (the owner) in when he went down there on Eastman Road,” Johnson said.
Crittenden said cases involving neglected horses are not common but it happens frequently enough that his office makes sure people know they will be charged if they do not take care of their animals.
“Malnourishment doesn’t happen overnight, why oh why don’t these idiots ask for help? Too much trouble like their animals, so instead just wait for them to die?? Those that knowingly starve any animal; should be severely punished, they have voices don’t they??”
ASHEVILLE — The bad economy is partly to blame for an increase in abused horses across North Carolina and the nation, a horse rescuer said Thursday.
Two people face charges in Buncombe County in the case of a horse that starved to death, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
Daryl CodyDillingham, 22, and Connie Lynn Wheeler, 32, are charged with felony animal cruelty in the death of a paint mare inBarnardsville.
Both were scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
An animal control officer was called to investigate a complaint about neglect on April 18 and discovered the dead horse.
Joanie Benson, executive director of the Horse Protection Society of North Carolina, said it is common to find owners giving horses away or selling them at low cost because they can no longer afford them.
Benson has 45 horses on her farm in China Grove. Her operation runs on donations and volunteers.
The federal government, in a 2011 study, said some states reported a 60 percent increase in horse abuse cases from 2007 to 2009.
A healthy horse can cost a minimum of $300 a month and having $1,000 in reserves for vet bills is a good idea, she said.
Throw in saddles, leads, food containers, horse shoeing and dental work and the cost quickly skyrockets.
Benson said owners who are struggling should act quickly.
“Before it gets serious at some point you have to wake up and realize you can’t afford this horse and find a home for it,” she said.
In Haywood County on Thursday, Toney Martinez was scheduled for a hearing before a judge on a misdemeanor cruelty to animals charge for the death last year of a 6-year-old stallion named Bucky.
He died of a massive worm infestation, said Karen Owens president of Star Ranch, a rescue operation in Waynesville.
Bucky had never been treated for worms. He died with his head on a pillow and a volunteer beside him at her ranch.
She was hoping for a conviction.
“Something that sends a message instead of saying it doesn’t matter what you do to your horses,” she said.
Molly was in a tragic car accident with her owner John Philippi late Thursday night.
Sadly Philippi lost his life in the accident but Molly survived, though initially authorities had no idea she had been in the accident. When state troopers discovered the man’s dog was missing they went above and beyond to find the German shepherd.
State Trooper & Molly
Philippi, a 45-year-old Minnesotatruck driver, was driving his truck with Molly by his side late Thursday night. Suddenly, his truck tipped on Interstate 94 in Wisconsin and then was hit by another semi. Philippi was ejected from his truck and died.
When State Patrol officers arrived on the scene of the accident they had no idea that Molly had been involved, she was nowhere to be seen. When they contacted Philippi’s family members about the accident one of his nephews asked about Molly.
A notice went out to all law enforcement officers in the area to be on the lookout for Molly. One state trooper even went door-to-door at nearby homes to ask if anyone had seen her.
“We wanted to find that dog,” said State Patrol Lt. Jeff Lorentz. “We didn’t want it hit by another vehicle.”
Friday morning the State Patrol office received a tip, someone had seen a German shepherd near an exit. The area was searched but Molly wasn’t found. State Patrol officers did not give up though. Later that day, trooper John Vernonstarted walking the interstate in the area of the crash with some volunteers when he spotted paw prints in the snow near the crash site.
Vernon followed the tracks and found Molly underneath a pine tree trying to stay warm. Vernon called out Molly’s name and the dog walked right to him.
Molly had a 6-inch gash on her leg and she let out a yelp when Vernon touched it. Molly is now staying with Philippi’s relatives while she recovers from her leg wound. Once Molly is healed the family will decide who she will stay with permanently.
The family is incredibly thankful to the extra efforts of the State Patrol officers, especially Vernon. Even the State Patrol office recognizes the extra effort Vernon, who has an affinity for dogs, put into the search.
“I don’t think anybody showed more determination than trooper John Vernon,” said Lorentz.
“I received a special Newsletter via email about Bosnia dogs needing homes; so have been working on it, a little each day! I’m sharing in the hopes somebody can help give one of these sweet dogs a new start in life. They are looking for loving forever homes in & around UK; if you can’t adopt, you can always foster or help out by sponsoring! Betty & Coko are just two of the many deserved dogs, in need of some special love, after their hard start in life; so please share this with everyone!
Founded in 2012, Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia is a volunteer group dedicated to assisting and supporting animal welfare groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Our work involves raising awareness of the suffering of all animals in Bosnia; raising funds for local animal welfare groups in the country to alleviate this suffering and to locate long-term homes for the rescued dogs and cats. We also raise funds to cover the extensive costs involved in re-locating these animals to countries outside Bosnia-Herzegovina.Read More:- http://dev.awabosnia.org/?page_id=12
As most of you know, we have a rehoming transport from Bosnia to theUK, set for June.There are still 12 rescued dogs who haven’t had anyone ask about them, or offer them home. This special newsletter focuses on just two of these dogs, Coko and Betty, so you can get to know them a little more.
Possibly your current lifestyle doesn’t permit youadopting a dog, but you’d still like to help? Have you considered fostering? This would offer a dog a safe and caring home environment (far superior to that of a Bosnian pension/kennel) as well as providing your new canine friend with house-training, human/animal contact and getting him or her used to a new domestic environment. It would also offer the opportunity of the dog finding a forever home locally!
Through fundraising,we would provide both the food and pet insurance (including public liability) for the dog while it’s in your home. In addition we would continue to work with the fosterer to promote the adoption of the dog.
If you would like more information on adoption or fostering any of the dogs, please get in touch atinfo@awabosnia.org or visit us at AWAbosnia.org.
BETTY – The ‘ideal’ dog!
Young Betty was rescued as a puppy with her sisters inSarajevo. The 10-month-old has lived in a pension (kennels) ever since.
She’s a medium sized collie-mix and is a beautiful black and golden colour.
Along with her sisters she caughtcanine parvovirus, sadly only Betty and her sister Lady survived.
Lady, only survivor after parvovirus – Sister To Betty
Betty also had a mild case of the skin condition demodex, but is now fully recovered. She’s a gentle and lively dog. The ‘ideal’ dog as she’s been described!
As she’s spent all her life in a pension, it may take her a little time to adjust to the comforts of a real home.
However she already walks well on the leash, loves people and loves to play.
You might also like to consider adopting or fostering her along with her sister, Lady , Opposite, what an adorable little face!!
As a puppy, Coko was thrown into a rubbish bin along with his siblings.
Sadly a canine parvovirus outbreak took the lives of many of the dogs in the pension, but Coko survived.
Because of his lowered immune system he’s now developed the skin condition demodex. We are trying to make sure he gets the best veterinary treatment for the disease, and he’s showing some improvement, but it has become clear to us that the only way he will fully recover is if we find him a home where he would get special loving care in addition to medical treatment.
The neurological causes behind demodex can only be helped with a stress-free, calm and loving environment. Such dogs need stability, familiar people and a suitable environment to live in, without this there is the possibility that the condition could re-occur. Demodexis not contagious.
Coko is a lovely mix-breed, chocolate brown in colour and about a year old. He loves to cuddle and play but is very timid and shy.
He’s spent all his life in pension, so he’ll need time and a very caring home to help him gain his confidence.
All the dogs featured in our pages are available for adoption in the UK, throughout Europe and beyond. Please see our Adoption Guidance page for more information on adopting one of these beautiful dogs.
How to Sponsor a dog Not ready to adopt, but you would like to help Coko or Betty?
Simply donate via your Paypal account to donations@awabosnia.org and mention “Coko” or “Betty” in the Paypal message box. For other sponsorship enquiries, please contact Sandra Jensen atinfo@awabosnia.org.
PLEASE SPONSOR MY TRIP TO A NEW HOME!In June 2013 we are organising a transportation of up to 20 dogs from Bosnia to homes in the UK (and countries in between).
The cost of preparing each dog and the transportation will be at least £300/€350/US$450 per dog.
We ask adopters for a donation towards these costs. If you would also like to make a contribution to help this dog move to its forever home, please click on our Paypal button below. At Paypal, please make your contribution to donations@awabosnia.org and mention ‘journey to UK’ as well as the name of the dog you would like to sponsor. No matter how small, a regular contribution to our work will help the animals we care for in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Thank you! All contributions will be acknowledged.
Where does my money go? Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia is committed to total transparency in financial accountability. AWAbosnia volunteers are unpaid, therefore ALL donations go to the animals in need in Bosnia-Herzegovina. You can view our accountshere.
Mike Chilinski waits in District Judge Loren Tucker’s courtroom before his restitution hearing Wednesday morning.
Mike Chilinski of Jefferson County previouslypleaded guilty to the marijuana charge after an October 2011 raid on his kennel led to the discovery of 336 marijuana plants and more than 1,000 grams of processed marijuana.
The sentence handed down Thursday by U.S. District JudgeCharles Lovell is to begin after Chilinski completes whatever prison time he receives in the animal cruelty case.
The 52-year-old Chilinskiwas sentenced in that case to 30 years with theMontana Department of Corrections, with 25 suspended. But his lawyers earlier indicated he may be paroled within a year to start serving the federal sentence.
Earlier case on the dog abuser:-Jefferson City man gets 30 years, 25 suspended, in malamute abuse case
Posted December 20, 2012
BOULDER — Mike Chilinski, the Jefferson City man convicted of more than 90 counts of animal cruelty related to his malamute breeding operation, will be under state supervision and banned from owning any animals until he is in his 80s, according to a sentence handed down Wednesday.
Mike Chilinski was sentenced to 30 years with the Department of Corrections, with 25 years suspended, by District Judge Loren Tucker Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Chilinski was convicted of animal cruelty in connection with his Malamute breeding operation. Chilinski is also waiting to be sentenced in federal court for cultivating marijuana.
District Judge Loren Tucker followed the recommendation of the prosecutor in the case and sentenced Chilinski to 30 years in the custody of the Montana Department of Corrections, with 25 years suspended.
Chilinski, 52, is also scheduled in April for sentencing in federal court for growing marijuana, and faces a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence in that case.
Tucker and a probation officer noted Chilinski’s failure to fully accept responsibility for his actions, which led to the seizure of 161 dogs from his property.
A probation officer and witnessesinvolved in the rescue of the malamutes said some dogs were emaciated, nearly all were malnourished, many suffered disease, and they lived amid large amounts of feces. Rescue workers reported an “eerie quiet” when they approached his kennels.
Chilinski, speaking in orange jailhouse attire just before the sentence was pronounced, acknowledged that many dogs were undernourished much more than he realized at the time, but claimed he watered them twice a day and insisted he never abused them.
He maintained — as he did when pleading guilty to the drug charges in federal court in October — that several of his constitutional rights were violated. “When you have committed such a crime, your constitutional rights should be taken away; you play by the rules or don’t!”
He said photographs of dogs taken by the groups were not congruent with the reality of the dog’s conditions, and that outside parties should not have had such a role in the legal process. “I don’t think the angle of a photo would make a difference, any angle would still show thin malnourished dogs…just who the hell does he think he is?”
“The multimillion dollar corporation of the HSUS and their animal-rights agenda virtually made a mockery” of the legal system, he said. “Just how did he reach that conclusion?”
Of the 161 dogs rescued in October 2011, several died, Lewis and Clark Humane Society Executive Director Gina Wiest said. Several puppies were born and some dogs were adopted out, but most were kept in the custody of animal advocates pending the trial outcome.” So how does the court deal with living evidence; that, by the time the court sees them, they look normal & healthy?”
The dogs — now 176 of them — have been kept at three different locations around Helena, and are now at the former site of the Montana State Nursery on Highway 12 west of Helena.
Tucker ordered the dogs forfeited to Jefferson County, which plans to find homes for them through groups including the AlaskaMalamuteAssistance League. “That’s what I like to hear, those animals are going to get a second chance & live in loving homes…nothing less than they deserve; “I applaud Tucker for this act of compassion!”
Jefferson County AttorneyMathew Johnson said restitution costs, mainly related to keeping the dogs, could amount to more than $500,000.HSUS contributed more than $377,000 to the effort, according to a report described in court.
A hearing on the exact restitution amount will come later. Chilinski’slawyer, Betty Carlson, said she had not seen some of the restitution documents until just before the hearing.
Wiest testified that the case had been an ordeal for Humane Society staff and volunteers, many of whom watched the hearing in court.
“From an emotional standpoint, I’d like to have the book thrown at him,” Wiest said. Wouldn’t we all!!”
She said the group has been “hanging on by our fingernails” and wants to move on.
“Not only was this a huge undertaking financially and for staffing, but there was a huge emotional component that went with this,” she said. “Some died. Puppies, because their mothers were so malnourished, died. For each and every person who has handled those dogs on a daily basis, it’s been an emotional roller coaster from the beginning.”
Adam Parascandola, the director of animal cruelty response for the HSUS, has participated in more than 100 rescues nationwide, including the Chilinskicase.
“The degree of suffering was quite large in this case,
He recommended jail time for Chilinskiand noted his unwillingness to take responsibility— as shown by the fact that he kept breeding puppies even when he knew he was losing his ability to control the growing operation due to health and financial reasons.
If the Department of Corrections sends Chilinski to prison during the five-year portion of the sentence that is not suspended, Chilinski will be eligible for parole in as little as 15 months. If Chilinski is sentenced to federal prison by then, the Montana Board of Parole and Pardons is likely to parole him so he can begin serving the federal sentence, a probation officer said.
Chilinskisaid his dogs were his life, and his ability to earn a living by breeding them was already ruined with the revocation of his American Kennel Club certification.
He faces a fine to the federal government of $70,000, or forfeiture of his property if he cannot come up with the money.
His dream of retiring to a life as a dog show judge is gone, he said. He said he was once a nationally respected breeder. “Now, I’m a pariah,” he said. “Well that’s what you call Karma!”
Tucker said Chilinskishowed little sign of changing his ways and noted that all the dogs were completely dependent on him.
“In essence, each one of those animals you chose to keep was in bondage to you and was (in) no better position than a slave,” he said.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.
Flag Counter Added May 2012
Face Book – Please Take Notice
For anyone wishing to connect to me via my Facebook page...PLEASE NOTE, ONLY PEOPLE I ADD AS ANIMAL ADVOCATES CAN SEE MY WHOLE PAGE...I do this out of respect for those friends I have who do not wish to see graphic images, videos or links of animal abuse!
As 99% of my page is animal related; anyone not in the above group of friends; will only see a limited amount of posts!!
DUE TO ANIMAL HATERS...I WILL ONLY ADD PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE WHO THEY ARE via Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter etc. & WHO HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE... i.e. if your Facebook page has absolutely nothing to do with animals, I see no point in joining my page. My Facebook is solely for animal welfare, I am not interested in playing games etc. I don't mean to sound rude but I am not interested in the amount of friends I have, its the quality of those friends that count.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
My aim is to educate & raise awareness to the horrors animals face, at the hands of humans, every day, around the world!!
We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
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Sickening feast: Residents in Yulin tucked in their dinner made with dog meat during last year’s festival. Many of the animals, which were caged and beaten before being slaughtered, are thought to be stolen pets!
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
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