THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — Bob Barker has donated $2.5 million to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals open a new location in Los Angeles.

The retired game show host and spay and neuter champion will cut the ribbon Wednesday at the Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard and Alvarado Street.

PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk says Barker could have just given the group a refrigerator but instead he paid for an entire building to be renovated. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — An animal protection agency that gave its officers badges and guns, but never investigated a single incident of pet abuse has agreed to dissolve under pressure from state officials.

On paper, the Yonkers Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals looked like one of New York’s most formidable anti-abuse agencies.

Last year it had 16 officers authorized by the state to conduct searches and make arrests — a roster of lawmen almost as large as the one at the better-known American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in neighboring New York City. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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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MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Police say a southern New Jersey man who posed as a female veterinarian tried to kill himself with a thread from his sweater.

Middle Township police say a dispatcher revived Daniel Tyce after finding the thread wrapped around the 27-year-old’s neck.

Tyce is held on $25,000 bail in the Cape May County Jail on charges of trying to pass bad checks. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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…)

THE BAXTER BULLETIN

The Mountain Home City Council agreed Thursday to hold off bidding for animal-control services and instead assigned city police officers animal-control duties.

The city has been without an animal-control company since the first of the year, when the council decided not to renew a $32,500 annual contract with Mountain Home Animal Control Inc. and instead advertise bids for the service.

“Things seem to be going reasonably well,” Mayor David Osmon told the council. “We’re saving money. I would feel comfortable giving this a little more time.” (more…)

THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Maumelle Friends of the Animals will hold a fundraiser to help stock the city’s new Maumelle Animal Control shelter at 1 p.m. today at the Four Paws dog park, 425 Hyman Road.

Items needed are paper towels and newspapers,towels, blankets, bedding, leashes, collars, litter boxes and litter, pet toys, and food for dogs and cats.

The fundraiser will feature rescued Italian greyhounds. (more…)

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Sixteen snakes, 26 lizards, five turtles, 10 red-spotted toads and 69 hamsters seized from an exotic animal dealer in Texas in December have arrived in Colorado.

They were delivered to the Larimer Humane Society on Wednesday.

The creatures were among about 27,000 that animal services workers took during a raid of U.S. Global Exotics in Arlington, Texas, in December. The animals had been housed in a 5,000-square-foot building where city officials say hundreds of animals were found dead or dying. (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. — A day after three former workers at the Memphis Animal Shelter were indicted on animal cruelty charges, police say the shelter’s former director has been arrested in New Mexico.

Shelby County authorities say former Memphis Animal Shelter director Ernest Alexander was arrested Friday in Albuquerque, where he also used to manage an animal shelter.

The Commercial-Appeal reported that the other two former employees, a supervisor and a veterinarian, turned themselves in Thursday and were released on $25,000 bond. (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…)

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LOS ANGELES — A dog rescued from a rain-swollen river by a Los Angeles firefighter dangling from a helicopter is doing fine and waiting for his owner to come claim him.

Diana Guzman of the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority says the three-year-old male German shepherd mix is healthy and relaxing Saturday, one day after the dramatic rescue caught by television cameras.

Guzman says the male dog, nicknamed Vernon after the town where he was found, will be held for five days, after which he will be put up for adoption. The dog did not have a name tag or identifying computer chip. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The owners of pets and horses seized by law enforcement would be required to pay for the animals’ care under a measure introduced in the Nebraska Legislature.

The bill (LB1084) by state Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber calls for a hearing to be held within 10 days of an animal’s seizure. At the hearing, the court will decide whether to return the animal to its owner or harborer. If the animal is not returned, the court will order the owner to pay all expenses related to the care of the animal, including shelter, food and veterinary care. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Brand inspector Mike Walck won’t soon forget one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he has seen. In mid-November, between Rulison and Parachute, someone shot a horse in the head, leaving the gray gelding in his late teens or early 20s for dead. But the horse didn’t die.

“I don’t know why they were trying to kill the horse, but they damn sure shot it in the head,” Walck said angrily. “It’s a tough deal.”

Walck said the horse has been nursed back to health and is recovering. No arrests have been made in the case. (more…)

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DALLAS — The Rees-Jones Foundation has pledged up to $4 million to build a new animal shelter, clinic and adoption center in Dallas.

Details were announced Tuesday by the SPCA of Texas.

The pledge for the 39,000-square-foot facility will kick off the final phase of the group’s $15 million capital campaign to build the new complex. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PASCO, Wash. — Animal shelter officials in the Tri-Cities region fear the holidays have brought a boom of abandoned pets.

Animal control director Angela Zilar says the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter has received dogs that most likely were given as pets during the holidays and now have been abandoned. She says at least 10 dogs fall under that category. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEENAH, Wis. — A year ago, Jake the rooster confounded Neenah officials. Now a household of exotic birds has city officials scratching for answers.

At issue is the Roseberry Bird Rescue, a nonprofit organization that cares for as many as 125 abandoned, abused or neglected birds until they can be rehabilitated and adopted.

The business has operated for 15 years from the home of MaryKay Rosenow and Randy Berryman, but it has been in violation of city zoning codes from the start. (more…)