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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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 Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:28 pm Post subject: Animal Related Articles |
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Cat-tossing incident leads to charges for assault
By ROSCOE BARNES III Staff writer
A Waynesboro woman has been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly throwing a cat named Lucky into the vehicle of the state dog warden.
Aimee Thorsen, 604 Clayton Ave., was also charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to Waynesboro Police Chief Ray Shultz.
The charges have been filed with the office of District Justice Larry Pentz. They stem from an incident on Oct. 21.
A female, whose name was not released, was petting a cat when it bit her on the left forearm, said Shultz. The female went to 604 Clayton Ave. to tell the owner, Thorsen, about the incident.
The cat was an adult male and described as being tiger and white in color.
The female and Thorsen talked about the cat and whether it had rabies vaccinations. The next morning, the female called Georgia Martin, the state dog law enforcement officer.
Martin went to Thorsen's home on Oct. 22 to locate the cat and to speak with the owner, Shultz said.
"She told the owner she was there to quarantine the cat because it had bitten someone," he said. "Martin was told the cat had no current rabies vaccinations."
After explaining the quarantine procedures, Martin asked Thorsen to get the cat and secure it. At this time, Thorsen allegedly became angry. She said she did not have time and that she needed to go to work.
Martin again told her to get the cat and to follow her to the Antietam Human Society.
"The owner then picked up the cat and approached Martin's truck," Shultz said. "She threw the cat into the open passenger window onto the passenger section of the truck."
Martin told her to get the cat out of the truck, which she did. Martin then rolled up the passenger window and told Thorsen to follow her to the shelter.
In response, Thorsen reportedly "banged on the window of the truck," Shultz said.
Eventually, Martin pulled away and Thorsen followed her to Antietam Human Society and handed over the cat.
Martin was not injured in the incident, Shultz said.
Since the incident occurred, the cat has completed its 10-day quarantine, and was returned to Thorsen on Tuesday, according to Candy Clopper, executive director of the shelter.
"It stayed healthy throughout the quarantine period, and did not show a change in behavior or health," she said. "He was a beautiful cat."
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_7357457[/b]
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Last edited by .45chel on Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:58 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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1) Why was this woman given back her cat?
2) I really, really hope there was a fine involved with not vaccinating the cat.
3) Did she have to pay for the quarantine? I hope so.
4) I'm glad I'm not the Dog Warden.
4) She better be glad I'm not Dog Warden or she would've had more to worry about than being late for work!
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Coppy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 2569
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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Is this the kind of think you meant about the difference between rednecks and country folk? Because I think just calling this lady a redneck would be letting her off the hook.
I wish "Cops" filmed in Waynesboro. That would be great entertainment. |
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Coppy wrote: | Is this the kind of think you meant about the difference between rednecks and country folk? Because I think just calling this lady a redneck would be letting her off the hook.
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Naw, this chick is just TRASHY! Aw man, I forgot to mention trashy in my categories, didn't I?
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Coppy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 2569
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| .45chel wrote: | | Coppy wrote: | Is this the kind of think you meant about the difference between rednecks and country folk? Because I think just calling this lady a redneck would be letting her off the hook.
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Naw, this chick is just TRASHY! Aw man, I forgot to mention trashy in my categories, didn't I? |
I think there are several terms and levels...  |
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onewhoknows
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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1) Why was this woman given back her cat?
Answer: Animals in PA are considered personal property. Unless there is animal cruelty and the animal's health or welfare is in jeopardy, the animals cannot be taken from the owner.
2) I really, really hope there was a fine involved with not vaccinating the cat.
Answer: Anytime there is a bite case involving a dog or cat and the animal is over 3 months of age or, in the case of a cat, it enters a human inhabited dwelling any part of a 24 hour day, there typically is a fine to pay... Maximum fine for not having the required vaccination is $300.
3) Did she have to pay for the quarantine? I hope so.
Answer: Anytime a cat or dog is on State quarantine, due to biting a human being, the owner is responsible for the cost of the quarantine
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:09 am Post subject: |
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| onewhoknows wrote: | 1) Why was this woman given back her cat?
Answer: Animals in PA are considered personal property. Unless there is animal cruelty and the animal's health or welfare is in jeopardy, the animals cannot be taken from the owner.
2) I really, really hope there was a fine involved with not vaccinating the cat.
Answer: Anytime there is a bite case involving a dog or cat and the animal is over 3 months of age or, in the case of a cat, it enters a human inhabited dwelling any part of a 24 hour day, there typically is a fine to pay... Maximum fine for not having the required vaccination is $300.
3) Did she have to pay for the quarantine? I hope so.
Answer: Anytime a cat or dog is on State quarantine, due to biting a human being, the owner is responsible for the cost of the quarantine |
Thank you muchly!
She wasn't too concerned with the cat when she tossed it through the window...Bah! 'Course I think animal cruelty should be a felony.
I hope the cat steals her soul while she's sleeping! No, wait, it probably already did...I hope it bites the heck out of her!
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:29 am Post subject: |
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Unlicensed kennel nets $300 fine: Dogs died in fire that also claimed food pantry
| Quote: | A Hamilton Township woman accused of running a kennel without a license was found guilty Tuesday and ordered to pay a $300 fine.
Thelma Cover, 47, was charged with breaking a state law requiring dog breeders keeping 26 or more dogs of any age in a calendar year to obtain a kennel license.
Cover's operation was discovered by officials after more than a dozen puppies and several adult dogs died in a fire on Guitner Road in September. The dogs were housed in a building adjacent to a food pantry she was running, which also burned.
Cover argued in court Tuesday that the dogs didn't belong to her, but to her adult children, and that she didn't know she was required to have a kennel license to keep them on her property.
Her statement to Magisterial Judge Richard Alloway came after Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal Jeff Sarver testified and showed the court photographs of the fire scene that included dead dogs.
He testified that he talked to Cover about the dogs and the location of their kennel next to the building Cover used to store nonperishable food and other items used in the food pantry operation.
"We talked about the dogs (that were kept on the property) and at some time I asked about a kennel license," Sarver testified. "She said she didn't realize she needed one."
He said that although he didn't actually count the dead dogs, "there were a lot of dogs there."
"I told her it was apparent she was running a breeding operation," he said.
Dog Warden Georgia Martin testified that Cover had 28 dogs on her property during the course of the year, including a mixed breed that she gave away, one 2-week-old puppy that died in March, another dog that died the same month, the dogs that died in the fire and others that were given away or disposed of at other times last year.
Sixteen puppies and four adult dogs died in the fire, according to information Martin submitted to the court as part of her case. She said she based those numbers on information supplied by Cover after the fire.
Franklin Fire Company Deputy Chief Steven Himes was the only other person to testify in the case. He told the court what firefighters found when they arrived at the fire scene.
Cover told Alloway that she had come to his office on Monday intending to plead guilty to the charge and make arrangements to pay her fine, but was told it was too late to change her plea.
"I am curious as to why you came in yesterday and wanted to change your plea, but today you have changed your mind," Alloway said to Cover at one point.
She said she had to take her father to Harrisburg on Tuesday and wasn't sure she would be back in time for the hearing.
"Then last night I went through all my papers and realized (Martin's estimate might be wrong)," she said.
Her defense was based on a lack of knowledge of the dog law, but she also questioned Martin's estimate of the number of dogs she actually had, handing the judge a list of her own.
She said some puppies had been stillborn and at least one other had died within weeks of birth.
Martin said it didn't matter whether the dogs died or not, they would still have been included in the year's total.
"These were all my children's dogs, not my dogs," she testified, telling the judge that although the dogs were licensed in her name, their vaccination records showed her children's names.
"There are other adults that live at that address," she said, talking about her grown children.
Martin said she had advised Cover of the law governing kennels and breeding operations in the past and given her a brochure outlining the law, including a section that stipulates that an individual must have a kennel license if they keep, harbor, board, shelter, sell, give away or transfer a total of 26 or more dogs in any one calendar year.
She also testified that Cover had prior license and rabies violations for dogs she owned in October 2001 and last March. In March she had 12 dogs on her property, Martin said. The sixteen puppies that died in the fire were all born after that time, she said, bringing the total number of dogs on the premises in 2007 to 28.
The kennel license violation is a non-traffic summary citation carrying a maximum fine of $300 for the first violation. If she has new dog law violations in the next 12 months, misdemeanor charges will be filed that carry a fine of as much as $2,500 and up to a year in jail.
Alloway found Cover guilty Tuesday, levying a fine of $300, plus court costs.
After the hearing, Cover said she was not surprised at the outcome.
"That's the way I figured it would be," she said. "Now I just want to take care of my three dogs and get things back together again." |
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:38 am Post subject: |
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First
Animal cruelty should not be a misdemeanor.
Animal neglect and other instances of irresponsible ownership should have harsher penalties.
Second
I've followed this story since the fire was first reported (as I'm sure many of you did.) I read the Haloscan comments, including her and her families attempts to defend themselves. (Also, that lovely insinuation by the husband that since they had helped so many in the community they were waiting for the community to come forward and help them...ugh.)
Their 'charity' seemed shady from the jump and they shouldn't be allowed to have animals...ever.
Sadly, they still have three dogs (it's only a matter of time before the numbers increase) and even tho' she is legally barred from charitable operations, I think it is only a matter of time before she finds a way around it. (One of those lovely children, perhaps?) I wonder how all the people who donated to this cause feel now?
This was/is an awful situation all the way around.
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:03 am Post subject: |
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Seriously, I didn't know where to put this one...if it had been an old lady sucked into the street sweeper I would have filed it under funny ('cause old ladies=mean) but someone's dog?
>sob<
Even if it was on of those weird little wall-eyed dogs with the tongues that you can't figure out how they don't trip over...it was someone's baby!!!
>wails<
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25165627/
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Dog sucked up, killed by NYC street sweeper
NEW YORK - A street-sweeping truck roaring down a Bronx street sucked up a dog and killed her as her owner held the leash.
Robert Machin said he had just finished walking his two Boston terriers and was about to put them into his car when the truck appeared Thursday morning. The retired transit worker said he was suddenly whipped around and saw one of the dogs, Ginger, being swallowed by the sweeper's round bristles.
"I went berserk at that moment because I couldn't believe what had occurred," he said Saturday.
Machin said he yelled at the driver to stop, but the truck kept going. He and friends chased the truck for 2 1/2 blocks before catching up with it. Ginger's slight body was later pulled from the sweeper.
The city Department of Sanitation called the death "a rare and unfortunate accident."
A heartbroken Machin questioned whether the driver was observing proper procedures, saying the truck seemed to barreling through the street at an unsafe speed.
The heartbroken Machin, 57, choked up as he described losing Ginger. With his children grown, he said, "These two dogs, they're my life." |
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:15 am Post subject: |
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And this one, I don't understand why the program had to be scrapped...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25123004/
| Quote: | Criticism halts 'Black is beautiful' pet campaign
GEORGETOWN, Texas - An animal shelter pulled the plug on a program promoting the adoption of black cats and dogs after criticism that the event would have taken place the same week as a holiday commemorating freedom for enslaved blacks.
The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter planned to reduce adoption fees from June 14-20 for black-coated animals through a "Black is Beautiful" promotion.
Eleven of 17 dogs and 12 of 24 cats at the shelter have black coats, shelter director Cheryl Schneider said. "It's just a known fact that black cats and black dogs are difficult to adopt," she said.
People choose other animals over the black cats and dogs for a variety of reasons, including superstition, fears of aggression and complaints that people can't see the animals' facial expressions as well, Schneider said.
"I think it is very unfair to the dogs and cats that are here," she said.
Williamson County spokeswoman Connie Watson told the Austin American-Statesman the shelter has offered promotions before and this one was not meant to be a Juneteenth-related event.
Celebrated June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the 1867 arrival of Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger in Galveston with news of freedom for Texas blacks. The announcement came nearly 2 1/2 years after passage of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Nelson Linder, president of the Austin chapter for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told the newspaper the promotion was "not very well planned or considered."
"In society, we live in small worlds, don't talk to people, assume things and promote things that have no basis in reality," Linder said. "I would encourage them to do more outreach on those animals. Talk to people, get some feedback so these things don't happen."
Schneider put a stop to the adoption program after learning about the controversy. "It was just bad timing," she said.
She said future promotions will not be so specific. |
So, are they saying black animals aren't beautiful or that these animals don't deserve to be freed from the oppressive chains of The DogMAN
I would think people would be interested if not outraged to know that black animals are often overlooked by prospective pet owners, that black animals are sometimes given up when their owner gets new furniture because they don't want it covered in black hair. More black animals than other colors are euthanized every year because of some weird unconscious discrimination.
I don't think it trivializes the Juneteenth celebrations in the least and it ticks me off that anyone would deny any effort to find good animals good homes.
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onewhoknows
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:21 am Post subject: |
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[quote=".45chel"]Seriously, I didn't know where to put this one...if it had been an old lady sucked into the street sweeper I would have filed it under funny ('cause old ladies=mean)"
And how many years will it be until you may be one of the "old ladies"?
Tisk! Tisk! 
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onewhoknows
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Which reminds me, Cumberland Valley Animal shelter posted a picture of Cliff, the chocolate lab, last week. No one answered the questions for the weekend PO scavenger hunt thingie so he wasn't mentioned like I was hoping.
He's a cutie, looks to be a real sweetheart
here's a link that is, hopefully, still live
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=9607281&siteId=556&startImage=1#
Cliff is picture number 2, the cat is a handsome one too, but dogs are better! 
As I've stated before, I have no affiliation with the Public Opinion or Cumberland Valley Animal shelter ---except that we adopted our three cats from them and I have a crush on Huckleberry the hound, but I wouldn't have been able to give him what he needed and it looks as though he was adopted (he isn't at the site anymore) YAY!!
Here is a link to CVAS's adoptable pets
http://www.cvas-pets.org/Petadoption.htm
AND a link to their main page
http://www.cvas-pets.org/index.htm
I know they are always in need of things like bleach, cat & dog food and litter. I believe I saw somewhere that they are in dire need of adult cat food.
I know, I'm being pushy, I'll stop now
I just thought I'd remind ya'll that there are lots of ways to help out the babies, even if you can't offer them a home
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.45chel
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 3042
Location: Chambersburg
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:37 am Post subject: |
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[quote="onewhoknows"] | .45chel wrote: | Seriously, I didn't know where to put this one...if it had been an old lady sucked into the street sweeper I would have filed it under funny ('cause old ladies=mean)"
And how many years will it be until you may be one of the "old ladies"?
Tisk! Tisk! |
Old is defined as 40 years older than whatever age I am at the moment, so never.
*L* My husband will be the first to tell you, I am extremely mean and I don't plan to get any sweeter as I age, so I know I'll fit the label quite well, if I ever make it to the 'old' defined above.
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onewhoknows
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:11 am Post subject: |
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My definition of old: state of mind
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