In May, Randy DeCarlo, 55, of Lilburn, GA, was issued 24 citations for violating Gwinnett County’s nuisance noise ordinance. He faced the possibility of 6 months in jail for each of the 24 citations for a total of 12 years.

DeCarlo, who runs a state-licensed foster home for unwanted or abused basset hounds and beagles, has been rescuing dogs since 2001 and figures he saved about 250 of them from death. Right now he has about 25; 12 beagles, 12 basset hounds and a Shih Tzu. Many of the dogs he rescues have issues, age or health among other things. Some of them are dogs that would never be able to be adopted, death their only option if not for rescue.

Instead of jail or fines, DeCarlo was sentenced to two years probation and he’ll be able to keep his dogs.

Although an attorney for Gwinnet County requested the court to allow DeCarlo to be limited to only 15 dogs, the judge compromised and let him keep them all on the condition he find some way to limit their barking within 45 days.

The judge cautioned DeCarlo that his probation could be revoked and he could wind up in jail if future complaints are filed about the barking. Should he choose to move out of Gwinnett, the sentence will be dropped, the judge said.

DeCarlo’s Atlanta attorney, Anna Sumner, said she was “thrilled with the result” and added that DeCarlo will not hold grudges against neighbors who brought complaints against him.

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Thank You for bringing this foster dog into my life.

Had I not made the decision to participate in rescue, I would never have had the chance to meet him. If I had sat here comfortably in my home and said “I already have four dogs and I know that I couldn’t take in another - even on a temporary basis,” I would never have met this dog.

Yes, it takes time to rescue and foster… but who gave me Time in the first place? And why or what was the reason I was given Time? To fill my own needs? Or was there another reason ever so small and seemingly insignificant, like rescuing this one dog, that could make a difference in another’s life? Perhaps to add joy, hope, help and companionship to another who is in need?

With great sadness, I sat down on a footstool in my kitchen this morning and watched as this foster dog bounced back into the house and skidded across the floor to sit ever so perfectly in front of me. He was the picture of health, finally. He was all smiles for me…. and I smiled back at his happy face. Deep in his eyes, the storm clouds of illness and generalized poor health had blown away, and the clear light of his perfection radiated out from his beautiful soul. He holds no ill will toward man. He forgives us all.

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A first-of-its kind surgery in San Diego County is being called a success — a treatment for dogs that suffer from arthritis.

On August 21, a bag of a dozen newborn puppies were found tossed in a dumpster at the dump site on Montana 82 in Somers, only two of the German wire-haired pointer puppies survived.

Since the puppies were found, Jenn Makulec, who maintains the dump sites for the county, has been caring for them, feeding them every two hours. The puppies, which she named Tucker and Rally, are doing well and have gotten a lot of attention.

“They’re really strong, they’re really active,” Makulec said. “They’re like public puppies. Everybody wants to see them. If all 12 had just been left in a box next to the Dumpster, they’d all have homes by now.”

You have to wonder who could do such a cruel thing; tie a dozen newborn puppies in a bag then toss them in a dumpster….

Well, turns out the heartless b**tard in this case is a 74 year old retired doctor, John L. Heine, who breeds puppies. He said the puppies were an unwanted litter. First he tried to down them, then he bagged and tossed them. He said he didn’t know dumping puppies was illegal.

“I didn’t know that at the time, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” said Heine, who claimed ignorance of the law.

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Last weekend more than 1000 dogs were rescued from a puppy mill in West Virginia, many of them dachshunds. The Dachshund Rescue of North America is just one of the rescues involved in helping care for the rescued dogs and puppies.

I was asked to pass along this request for help. If you can help or know of someone who can, please contact DRNA or pass this information along.

This from Sheila at Dachshund Rescue of North America:

One of the biggest puppy mills in WV has been closed down.

There were almost 1000 dogs - approx. 700 of those are dachshunds. They all need foster homes. DRNA is not the only rescue helping of course, but we are one of the largest dachshund rescues, so we need to help as much as possible. This is what rescue is about - these dogs will probably have to be euthanized if foster homes are not found.

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They should never have released this nutcase!! First Robert Brunette, 45, of Boulder Creek, doesn’t allow authorities on his property, then when they come back with a warrant, he runs from police who have to issue a warrant for his arrest. Finally he turns up days later in Los Gatos on July 31, but not before taunting authorities by placing a skull and two dog paws on the very same table where 5 dog skulls were found during the initial investigation of the property.

The he hems and haws for weeks over his release. He agrees to sign off on a conditional release, then refuses, then agrees, then refuses, back and forth and back and forth. He finally agreed to the conditional release and was released on August 20.

The terms of his release included phoning in every three days to report his location, allowing inspections of his property and not being allowed to have any animals.

Well, no surprise, Brunette has failed to follow the terms of his release!

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On Aug. 21, I made the short trip to Radnor Township’s Administration Building for a very important meeting hosted by State Representative Bryan Lentz of Delaware County.This meeting was the continuing road show to promote passage of three pieces of legislation up for consideration in Harrisburg. Three bills that any pet owner and dog lover who lives in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should support. Why? They would strengthen current dog and animal cruelty laws in Pennsylvania.

The first bill, H.B. 2525 would require, quite simply, more room for dogs in kennel enclosures, solid flooring, and access to outside runs twice the size of the kennel enclosure so the dogs could get a little exercise. As it stands now, these puppy mills keep dogs in disgusting, inhumane conditions. Crates are often stacked one on top of the other like boxes of potato chips in the grocery store. This bill would also require real annual veterinary care.

The second bill, H.B. 2532, would allow only veterinarians to perform debarking, which is something as a practice I find so disgusting I would prefer it outlawed. What is “debarking”? It is the practice of cutting a dog’s vocal cords, to render them mute. How would humans feel if this was performed on them? This bill would also set parameters for tail docking.

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In May I told you about a bill proposed by Pennsylvania State Rep. John Galloway, that would allow Pennsylvania municipalities to pass their own dangerous dog ordinances and not have them superseded by state law.

Currently Pennsylvania has a state law, the “Dog Law”, enacted in 1982, which prohibits individual municipalities from enacting their own breed specific legislation: “Those provisions of local ordinances relating to dangerous dogs are hereby abrogated. A local ordinance otherwise dealing with dogs may not prohibit or otherwise limit a specific breed of dog.”

Initially he wanted to remove certain language from the current law which would allow municipalities to pass breed specific laws.

“I believe local officials, not the state legislature, know best how to protect residents from dangerous dogs. I have introduced a bill (H.B. 2553) that would allow municipalities to pass their own dangerous dog ordinances and not have them superseded by state law.

In some communities, irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs do not take the necessary steps to ensure that their dogs are kept from running loose throughout the neighborhood. Recently a beagle named Luna was attacked by a pit bull that had wandered out of its yard.

Many municipal officials, including Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe, have complained that our state’s current dog law is too weak and they want the ability to pass their own laws with more bite.” (Galloway’s Website/Petition)

Now because of the backlash from numerous anit-BSL and pitbull organizations, it sounds to me like he is backpedaling and saying that he never meant the legislation to allow BSL. To this end is amended the proposed bill to prohibit municipalities from banning specific breeds in their ordinances, his way of clearing up the confusion.

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What a damn shame that laws are not sufficient to charge someone with animal cruelty or neglect after their dog is almost cut in half after they leave a harness on it and it grows out of it.

Dana Jones will be getting off scott-free after Bartholomew County prosecutor Bill Nash has decline to file charges because he says there is no law on the books to cover this specific case of neglect.

“No reasonable person would say this is not neglect that resulted in these particular injuries,” said Nash. “There is nothing in this statute that would allow me to charge someone with neglect to animal by placing a harness on the dog when it was young and then not loosening it when it grew, there’s nothing that would allow that.”

“So we can’t file a charge that we certainly would have, have there not been a change in the law,” said Nash.

Due to the too specific language in the current law, changed in 2007, he could not press charges.

The puppy, named Benjamin by Johnson County animal control workers, was supposed found wandering near Edinburgh in Johnson County, Indiana on August 5th.

Dana Jones brought the puppy into the shelter claiming that she found the puppy but investigation turned up the fact the she was the owner of the puppy.

She placed a harness on the puppy when he was smaller and never adjusted or removed it as he grew.

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We’ve got a real sicko out there, breaking into an animal shelter and sexually assaulting a dog or maybe it’s dogs since this isn’t the first time this has happened!!

Albuquerque police are searching for the man who broke into the Humane Society near Wyoming and Zuni and sodomized one of the dogs. The believe that it is the same suspect who has broken into the shelter at least four times in the past two months.

Shelter vets confirmed the sexual abuse through an exam and police are hoping the this piece of trash left some DNA evidence that will help lead to an arrest.

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On August 16, Craig and Mary Michael were visiting the cemetery when their SUV was stolen, just feet from where they were standing, their 16-year-old wolf-malamute mix, Rebel, still inside. Just a day later the SUV was found, the dog had been left inside, in the sweltering heat, without water, to die. What a horrific story!

The crime was so brazen with a vehicle pulling up along side the Michael’s Ford Excursion, which was left idling so the dog could stay cool in the AC since he was cripple with hip dysplasia, a woman hopped out of the second vehicle, hopped in the Michael’s Excursion and sped off.

“It’s not just any dog,” a sobbing Mary Michael of Hemet said after the incident. “It’s my Rebel.”

“It’s like losing a child,” said her husband, Craig Michael.

Now the SOBs who stole the SUV, as well as a check book, cell phone and purse and caused the death of a precious family pet, have been caught and arrested!!

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Michael Deharo, 27, was arrested Wednesday at his parents’ home in Corona on suspicion of animal cruelty and vehicle theft. His father was arrested on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

Gabriela Briones, 31, — who was in a San Bernardino jail on unrelated charges — was accused of animal cruelty, vehicle theft and forgery in the case. She is suspected of being the woman who stole the SUV.

Rhett Hermanson, 18, was arrested on suspicion of theft. He is accused of cashing checks reportedly stolen from the SUV. (MyDesert)

The life lost can never be replace but hopefully these scum will pay the price!!

Update - 8/28/08 - Final Suspect Arrested

See Update - 9/23/08 - Animal Cruelty/Neglect Charges Finally Filed

Last weekend Josephine County Animal Shelter in Grants Pass, OR was broken in to and 11 dogs and puppies were stolen. Four of the puppies were found beaten and killed, laid out on Pleasant Valley Road near the 700 block, three dogs were found wandering right away and to date, three of the remaining four dog have been returned to the shelter.

And now the trash who cut through two layers of fence and broke into the kennels, stealing the dogs, killing the puppies and causing untold damage to the shelter, not to mention the upset to the community, have been identified and two are in custody. A third is still to be apprehended.

Harley D. Hopkins, 22, and Jacob A. Goodboe, 16, both of Merlin, have been arrested and are charged with four counts of felony animal abuse and charges of first-degree theft, criminal mischief and second-degree burglary. The third suspect, a female, is not in custody yet.

The suspects apparently came to the shelter illegally to get a chocolate Labrador mix that belonged to one of them, but had been brought to the shelter by someone else. Investigators don’t know what spurred them to extend their crime spree to numerous other dogs, including those that were killed.

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