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BROOKFIELD, Ohio — An Ohio woman who had her 97-year-old mother and 200 animals taken from her filthy home has been prohibited from having pets for five years.

Fifty-nine-year-old Kathy Witzman of Gustavus Township in northeast Ohio’s Trumbull County was put on probation Thursday on her guilty plea to misdemeanor animal cruelty.

She says her pet ban will mean unwanted animals will go to a shelter that will kill them because it lacks room. The animal shelter in her area says it has no intention of doing that. (more…)

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NAPLES, Fla. — Two dogs reportedly attacked a horse in southwest Florida and mauled it to death.

A Golden Gate Estates woman and a 15-year-old girl were riding horses Tuesday evening when a pit bull and a boxer started chasing the them. The teen’s horse threw her and ran off with the dogs following.

Authorities and the horse owners later found the runaway horse mauled to death, along with a huge amount of blood on the trail. (more…)

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Frankie had no idea how close he came to the needle last week.

The black lab mix was one of three dogs on death row, who were given a second chance by the Wood County Humane Society.

Approximately once a month, staff from the humane society visits the Wood County Dog Shelter to see if they can save some canines. They time their visits on Thursday mornings — hours before the weekly euthanasias at the shelter. (more…)

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ROMANCE, Ark. — White County authorities say a man apparently killed himself after firefighters battling a grass blaze stumbled across an illegal dog-fighting ring and investigators found an indoor marijuana-growing operation on property where he lived.

William R. Stewart, 62, was seen outside his rural home by volunteer firefighters as they fought the flames Thursday. But he was later found inside the home, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to White County Detective Phillip Miller.

Also found in the home after investigators broke through a locked door, Miller said, were 38 firearms — 22 rifles and 16 handguns. Many of the weapons were strategically placed, Miller said, with one by each window and exterior door of the house, including a bathroom window. (more…)

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts House has voted overwhelmingly to ban the surgical “debarking” or silencing of dogs or cats.

By a 150-1 vote, the House on Wednesday approved the bill with prohibits the devocalization of dogs and cats unless a licensed veterinarian certifies that the procedure is medically necessary to relieve an illness, disease or injury.

Animal rights groups pushed for the bill, saying the practice amounts to animal cruelty and poses only risks to the pets.

Some dog owners opt for the procedure as a last ditch effort to try to quiet chronically barking dogs.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

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RUPERT, Idaho (AP) — The legal notice has been given: Pete the pup goes up for auction Tuesday.

The dachshund taken to the Rupert Animal Clinic in January after being hit by a car has recovered, but clinic officials say Pete’s owners haven’t responded to multiple calls to pick up their dog and pay the $400 bill.

So the clinic posted a legal notice in The Times-News that Pete will be put up for sale. (more…)

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SAN DIEGO — A man who allegedly choked his Labrador retriever puppy as punishment for biting has pleaded not guilty to one count of felony animal cruelty.

The 10-week-old dog, named Coco, died several hours before 50-year-old David Hale Warner appeared in court on Friday.

Warner’s bail was set at $35,000 and his next hearing was scheduled March 9. (more…)

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POWELL, Wyo. — Abandoning two dogs in rural Powell has resulted in financial penalties for a 42-year-old woman.

Lisa Manweiler of Powell was ordered to pay $180 in fees and costs to the court and $145 of restitution to the Powell animal shelter after she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty in Circuit Court on Feb. 16.

Manweiler had pleaded guilty to the charge as part of part of a plea agreement in which another count of cruelty was dismissed. (more…)

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DELAND, Fla. — A Virginia couple has been reunited with their German shepherd, which was found hundreds of miles from home in Florida.

Pamela Holt, of Stuart, Va., says she thought DeLand Animal Control Officer Gary Thomas was playing a “mean trick” when he called to say he found 18-month old Deacon. The dog had been missing since December. The Holts thought their dog had died.

According to police reports, a convenience store clerk saw Deacon and another dog running in traffic on Feb. 18. The clerk called authorities and the dogs were taken to a kennel. (more…)

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ST. CLAIR, Mo. — Nearly 125 animals living in filthy conditions have been rescued from an eastern Missouri property.

The Humane Society of Missouri said Thursday it and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department rescued 102 domestic rabbits, three dogs, five cats, a guinea pig, three baby goats, four hens, two roosters, two pigeons, and two ducks.

It said the rabbits were housed in feces-filled, wire-bottom cages without shelter. The dogs and fowl had no shelter or water. (more…)

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PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Three rescued puppies are recovering after being thrown over a seawall and on to some rocks in Port Arthur.

Firefighters rescued the crying pups and placed the creatures with animal control.

KFDM-TV reports the man who tossed the animals on Sunday was heard saying he was “turning them into soldiers.” A bystander noticed the abandoned puppies and summoned help. (more…)

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VANCOUVER, Wash. — Animals lovers in the Vancouver and Portland, Ore., area have brought 67 dogs from Southern California, hoping to find them new homes.

With the help of the Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals, the dogs from San Bernardino arrived Sunday at the Humane Society of Southwest Washington. Society spokeswoman Kate Goudschaal says many are small breeds made popular by celebrities, including Chihuahuas, terriers and poodles. (more…)

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PHILADELPHIA — A group of central Pennsylvania dog breeders are suing two animal rights organizations claiming they conspired to violate the breeders’ civil rights.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in Philadelphia, the breeders claim the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Main Line Animal Rescue conspired to bring baseless charges of animal cruelty against them.

The suit claims the organizations bought 12 dogs at an Ohio auction and filed cruelty charges against the breeders in Pennsylvania in an attempt to solicit donations. All charges were later dropped. (more…)

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BETHEL, Alaska — Police in this southwest Alaska city will seek authority to shoot dogs on the spot unless residents do a better job of keeping their pets from running wild.

Fed up with reports of dogs biting people, police have already started giving tickets to those with roaming dogs. If that doesn’t convince citizens to keep their dogs on leashes, Chief Larry Elarton said he will ask city council to impose an emergency law allowing officers to shoot to kill.

“We’re going to zero tolerance, unless the owner is actively looking for a dog, or they call it to us and report it, or there’s some other extenuating reason,” Elarton said. (more…)

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BARNHART, Mo. — The Jefferson County Animal Control center has been ordered by the state to stop euthanizing animals, following a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story revealing that the center used controlled substances to euthanize dogs without a veterinarian present.

The Post-Dispatch reported Thurday that in response to the order from the state agriculture department, animal control workers are no longer accepting animals surrendered by owners. The county is responding to calls for strays and will seize dangerous animals.

The state agency has given the county 30 days to prove that a vet would supervise euthanasia procedures involving controlled substances, as required by law. (more…)

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MARIETTA, Ga. — A 26-year-old Cobb County man says he had “no fear” when he stopped a 100-pound dog from attacking a 7-year-old girl in a Marietta mobile home park Tuesday.

The child was later transported to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, where she was treated for a severe leg wound. Errol Jones later was identified as the good Samaritan who pulled the animal away from the child.

Cobb County Sgt. Dana Pierce says the unidentified girl was walking alone Tuesday shortly after 3 p.m. in the Valley View mobile home park near Marietta when the dog approached her. (more…)

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WOODSTOCK, Ill. — An Algonquin man has pleaded not guilty to allegations he ordered his trained guard dog to attack his wife during a domestic dispute at the couple’s home late last year.

At his arraignment Wednesday in McHenry County Circuit Court, 29-year-old Jonathon Richard also asked for a jury trial on charges of aggravated battery, unlawful restraint, domestic battery and obstructing justice.

Police say the charges stem from the early December incident that police said left his wife hospitalized briefly with superficial bite wounds. (more…)

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The vote to ban the sale of dogs and cats in this famously liberal enclave will likely have more bark than bite, since no pet stores in the city currently sell animals.

But officials hope that Tuesday’s unanimous city council vote will be seen beyond West Hollywood as a symbolic stand against puppy mills and kitten factories.

“You have to start somewhere,” said Michael Haibach, deputy to Councilman Jeffrey Prang, who sponsored the legislation. “The more people who jump on the bandwagon the better.” (more…)

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Driving a truck packed with dog food, bowls, squeaky toys and ready-to-assemble doghouses, among other items, Kate Quigley recently went in search of dogs suffering from abuse or neglect.

“All right,” she says, “Let’s go save some dogs.”

Quigley — known widely as “the dog lady” and “Miss Kate” — works six days a week, driving into high-poverty neighborhoods to look for animal abuse and neglect. Knocking on doors, talking to owners, leaving supplies. (more…)

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ST. LOUIS — The state Department of Agriculture has begun investigating an eastern Missouri county’s practice of euthanizing dogs without having a veterinarian present, a possibly illegal practice officials say may be widespread.

The action appears to violate Missouri’s euthanasia laws, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday, but Jefferson County officials said the county can’t afford to have a vet on site every time a dog is euthanized and that the practice is not illegal.

Facilities in neighboring St. Charles County, St. Louis and St. Louis County say a vet always is present when a dog has to be euthanized. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

A south Arkansas breeder surrendered 143 dogs to the Humane Society of Pulaski County on Saturday, leaving the shelter past capacity and low on supplies, said Director Kay Simpson.

All the dogs suffered from mange; many from eye infections, which in some cases will result in eye removal; and many had hair matted to the bone.

“One dog was so matted it was like concrete on both legs,” Simpson said. (more…)

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County District Attorney’s office says three former workers at the Memphis Animal Shelter were indicted on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals.

The Commercial-Appeal reported Thursday that one of the employees had been the shelter’s veterinarian.

Shelby County District Attorney Jennifer Donnals says 43-year-old shelter administrative supervisor Tina Quattlebaum and 42-year-old vet Dr. Angela Middleton were being held at the Shelby County Jail East on $25,000 bonds. (more…)