Robert Siegel speaks with Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles and Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, about a bill that will crack down on criminals who finance — and bring children to — dogfights and cockfights.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
New Texas Law to Protect Pets from Domestic Violence
From KHOU
HOUSTON -- All too often, pets are used as pawns in abusive relationships, and now lawmakers have enacted a new state law to protect pets.
Belinda Smith, who heads the animal cruelty section for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, says there is a well-documented link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.
“Family pets are used tools to harm, to threaten, to intimidate and to control,” she said. “They tend to use the pet as an instrument of aggression, so many times what we see are pets being thrown from balconies, thrown from windows, thrown against the wall, stabbed, shot.”
Harris County authorities say Nidra Billard threw a puppy that was barely a month old from a third-story balcony after a fight with her boyfriend.
“BARC sees a lot of despicable things, but to see an animal used as a tool to get back against someone you're in a fight with shows a complete lack of any humanity,” said Chris Newport with BARC.
In another case a few years ago, a woman said the man sharing her home flew into a rage and killed her dog because it ate some food that had fallen on the floor.
“He just put his foot up and stomped its head, because the dog was licking on a little tiny piece of chicken. He said, ‘That's my food,’” said Diane Golden.
The Texas Legislature recently passed a bill to include pets in protective orders.
According to the American Humane Association, 71 percent of pet-owning women who enter shelters report their abusers had threatened, maimed or killed family pets out of revenge. Then there are those who never make it to a shelter.
“Women stay in relationships where they are at risk of harm or death to protect their pets. We see it every day,” said Rebecca White with the Houston Area Women's Center.
White recalled one case in particular.
“And when she refused his advances, and would not have sex with him, he broke the dog's leg and said he would do that every time she turned him down,” White said.
“It really troubles me and it saddens me, especially in situations where you have children who witness the violence,” said Smith.
Experts say that happens about 75 percent of the time, and about a third of battered women report their children have hurt or killed animals themselves.
“They're going to mimic that behavior,” White said. “They're going to learn that behavior. Also the children themselves feel powerless, and this is a way for a child to feel like they can gain some power over someone else who is more powerless than they are.”
Brad Woodard / KHOU 11 News
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:47 PM
Updated Friday, Jul 15 at 11:55 AM
HOUSTON -- All too often, pets are used as pawns in abusive relationships, and now lawmakers have enacted a new state law to protect pets.
Belinda Smith, who heads the animal cruelty section for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, says there is a well-documented link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.
“Family pets are used tools to harm, to threaten, to intimidate and to control,” she said. “They tend to use the pet as an instrument of aggression, so many times what we see are pets being thrown from balconies, thrown from windows, thrown against the wall, stabbed, shot.”
Harris County authorities say Nidra Billard threw a puppy that was barely a month old from a third-story balcony after a fight with her boyfriend.
“BARC sees a lot of despicable things, but to see an animal used as a tool to get back against someone you're in a fight with shows a complete lack of any humanity,” said Chris Newport with BARC.
In another case a few years ago, a woman said the man sharing her home flew into a rage and killed her dog because it ate some food that had fallen on the floor.
“He just put his foot up and stomped its head, because the dog was licking on a little tiny piece of chicken. He said, ‘That's my food,’” said Diane Golden.
The Texas Legislature recently passed a bill to include pets in protective orders.
According to the American Humane Association, 71 percent of pet-owning women who enter shelters report their abusers had threatened, maimed or killed family pets out of revenge. Then there are those who never make it to a shelter.
“Women stay in relationships where they are at risk of harm or death to protect their pets. We see it every day,” said Rebecca White with the Houston Area Women's Center.
White recalled one case in particular.
“And when she refused his advances, and would not have sex with him, he broke the dog's leg and said he would do that every time she turned him down,” White said.
“It really troubles me and it saddens me, especially in situations where you have children who witness the violence,” said Smith.
Experts say that happens about 75 percent of the time, and about a third of battered women report their children have hurt or killed animals themselves.
“They're going to mimic that behavior,” White said. “They're going to learn that behavior. Also the children themselves feel powerless, and this is a way for a child to feel like they can gain some power over someone else who is more powerless than they are.”
Review Under Way After Deputy Shoots Dog
From KHOU
HOUSTON -- The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says a routine review is under way after a deputy shot what he believed to be an aggressive dog Sunday night near Humble.
A neighbor in the 4000 block of Mossy Grove Court called for help after he said two boxers cornered him in his garage. When two deputies arrived, they say one of the dogs confronted them in the middle of the street. One of the deputies fired several times. Sasha and Brad Grether, the owners of the two dogs, rushed out of their house when they heard the gunshots.
"He didn’t even put her out of her misery. He just shot and shot and shot," said Sasha. "And they just left her while they were sitting leaning back on their squad car laughing."
Cell phone video taken by a neighbor showed the female boxer, named Foxy Brown, downed, but not dead, in the middle of the street. The Grethers say it was nearly an hour before deputies allowed them to retrieve the dog and take it to a veterinarian.
The dog was euthanized that same night.
Sasha Grether has since used chalk to scrawl the word "murder" next to the blood stains in the middle of the street.
"And she just died. And she didn’t have to. And to me, that was murder," she said.
Brad Grether says they didn’t even know their dogs were roaming free. They believe they escaped through a loose board in their back yard fence.
But the deputies who responded say the Grethers became so enraged after the shooting they had to be restrained and were threatened with arrest. A sheriff’s office spokesman also clarified department policy. The decision to shoot an aggressive animal is at the deputy’s discretion.
"But if the animal is coming toward you, by all means you defend yourself against the animal," said Deputy Thomas Gilliland. He also said it is a growing problem, and a difficult decision, that confronts deputies nearly every day.
The sheriff’s office responded to 4,068 "aggressive animal calls" in Harris County in 2010. A week and a half ago, a 10-year-old boy was nearly mauled to death by two dogs roaming free, also in the northeast part of the county. "It’s a horrible thing," added Gilliland. "A family pet is one, but, also the safety of our citizens and deputies are what we also need to remember also."
A review of the shooting is under way, per standard operating procedure, at the sheriff’s office. The Grethers are also considering filing a formal complaint with HCSO Internal Affairs.
Posted on July 13, 2011 at 5:42 PM
Updated Wednesday, Jul 13 at 5:47 PM
HOUSTON -- The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says a routine review is under way after a deputy shot what he believed to be an aggressive dog Sunday night near Humble.
A neighbor in the 4000 block of Mossy Grove Court called for help after he said two boxers cornered him in his garage. When two deputies arrived, they say one of the dogs confronted them in the middle of the street. One of the deputies fired several times. Sasha and Brad Grether, the owners of the two dogs, rushed out of their house when they heard the gunshots.
"He didn’t even put her out of her misery. He just shot and shot and shot," said Sasha. "And they just left her while they were sitting leaning back on their squad car laughing."
Cell phone video taken by a neighbor showed the female boxer, named Foxy Brown, downed, but not dead, in the middle of the street. The Grethers say it was nearly an hour before deputies allowed them to retrieve the dog and take it to a veterinarian.
The dog was euthanized that same night.
Sasha Grether has since used chalk to scrawl the word "murder" next to the blood stains in the middle of the street.
"And she just died. And she didn’t have to. And to me, that was murder," she said.
Brad Grether says they didn’t even know their dogs were roaming free. They believe they escaped through a loose board in their back yard fence.
But the deputies who responded say the Grethers became so enraged after the shooting they had to be restrained and were threatened with arrest. A sheriff’s office spokesman also clarified department policy. The decision to shoot an aggressive animal is at the deputy’s discretion.
"But if the animal is coming toward you, by all means you defend yourself against the animal," said Deputy Thomas Gilliland. He also said it is a growing problem, and a difficult decision, that confronts deputies nearly every day.
The sheriff’s office responded to 4,068 "aggressive animal calls" in Harris County in 2010. A week and a half ago, a 10-year-old boy was nearly mauled to death by two dogs roaming free, also in the northeast part of the county. "It’s a horrible thing," added Gilliland. "A family pet is one, but, also the safety of our citizens and deputies are what we also need to remember also."
A review of the shooting is under way, per standard operating procedure, at the sheriff’s office. The Grethers are also considering filing a formal complaint with HCSO Internal Affairs.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Greater Houston Chained Dog Rescued
On June 20, 2011, Barrio Dogs received a report about the dog in this picture. The person reported that the dog was tied up around the clock and left to sit in his own feces and urine. She also reported that the people who lived in the apartment may be engaged in criminal activity and have weapons. Barrio Dogs posted the information on its Facebook page and many people responded with great concern about the condition and suffering of the dog. Several people asked for the location of the dog to try to rescue him. However, this was not a situation where Barrio Dogs could provide the location of the dog for an attempted rescue; to do so under these circumstances could endanger both the rescuer and the dog. Instead, Barrio Dogs posted the contact information for Sgt. Virginia Brasher at the Houston Police Department. As a result, many people contacted Sgt. Brasher to report the situation; she visited the apartment the next day and reported back that the dog was being moved to a better living situation. She also indicated that she would follow up to ensure the dog is being treated properly.
This incident is a good example of working through the system to help a mistreated animal. We are grateful for the assistance of HPD and will continue to work with them and other law enforcement authorities to help the abused and mistreated animals in our community.
BARC Details Disturbing Rash of Animal Cruelty Cases
BARC details disturbing rash of animal cruelty cases | Newswatch | a Chron.com blog
Meet Otis, A Formerly Chained Dog
Otis is Barrio Dogs' poster dog for “NO MORE CHAINS”. He was found in the 3rd Ward, Houston with severe neck wounds. According to the vet, this was a senseless act of chaining a dog to the point where his neck started growing into his collar/chain. Thank goodness Otis managed to escape and was discovered by a rescuer, Estelle Mack. When found, he was starving and bleeding from his wounds. With the help of Hearthstone Animal Clinic and sponsored vetting by Barrio Dogs, Otis had surgery for his neck and was vaccinated and neutered. He is heart worm positive but is on his way to a better life.
We get many emails about chained dogs and sadly, we cannot take them in. What we do promote is encouraging residents to report these situations to the authorities. Click here for more information about reporting animal cruelty. Part of the Barrio Dogs Watch Dog Program is to empower residents to help resolve the situation for the benefit of these dogs and their community. Otis is free from his chain now but we know we are only touching the surface of this problem. There are many animals suffering like this every day. It is everyone's responsibility to report these senseless crimes.
Second Ward Pups
On June 26, 2011, a box of young puppies was found on the corner of Garrow and Delano in 2nd Ward, Houston by Gloria Medina Zenteno’s dear mom who is close to 80 years old. Mrs. Medina was told that neighbors had called SPCA and were coming to pick up the puppies but we don’t know how true that is. In the meantime, the puppies were dehydrated and flea and worm-infested with swollen bellies. Mrs. Medina picked up the puppies and brought them home; she took ownership when many more capable did not!The next day, the puppies were taken to the vet, who said they may be shepherd/chow mix (although at this age, it's hard to tell), 5 weeks old and weigh from 3-6 lbs. They were dewormed, bathed, fed and are doing great. There are 4 males and 1 female. The female was the smallest and looked ill; we thought for a while that she may not make it but are happy to report she is doing fine.
Barrio Dogs is sponsoring the vetting and the puppies are currently with a very reliable foster but they need a permanent home. Barrio Dogs is not staffed with resources to find homes for these pups. We are 100% volunteer and do not have a rescue administrator or pet adoption coordinator, etc. Our core is education and community outreach programs and our rescue intake is small.
If another rescue group can take in, vetting will be sponsored, plus a foster and a donation will be included. The puppies will get their first round of puppy vaccines in a couple of weeks. We named the only female Rosie since Mrs. Medina, who saved these pups, is named Rose. The four males are named Spotty, Duke, Bear and Peewee. PLEASE help us network. If you cannot foster or take in, can you help with donating towards their future? You can contribute via Barrio Dogs PayPal/Google, http://www.barriodogs.org/dona
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