Source: Associated Press, Nov 12, 2009
A mother of seven is accused of running a house of horrors for pets at her suburban Long Island home, forcing her children to help torture them and burying at least 20 dogs in her backyard — animals neighbors now fear were beloved pets that mysteriously disappeared over the years.
Sharon McDonough pleaded not guilty last week to six counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty on suspicion of abusing five dogs and a cat found crammed into cages, covered in feces and urine, their coats matted with filth. A judge has taken away custody of the 43-year-old woman’s six young daughters.
McDonough’s neighbors began fearing their missing pets met a worse fate than the abused animals after her son led officials to a backyard filled with the shallow graves of 20 dogs.
Douglas McDonough, 21, who turned his mother in to authorities on Nov. 5, called the home “a concentration camp for the animals” in comments to reporters after the arrest.
“She would have the oldest kids hold down the dog while we duct-taped his mouth and she would hit him,” he said, adding that he and his sisters were all forced to take part in the abuse.
On Tuesday, a judge removed the six girls — ages 18 months to 13 years — from the custody of McDonough, who is widowed. Her court-appointed attorney, James D’Angelo, called the animal cruelty counts a “low-level offense.”
“She’s not charged with killing animals and is entitled to a presumption of innocence,” he said. No one answered the door at McDonough’s home this week.
Dozens of people have called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since the case broke, fearing their missing pets had been victimized, Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said.
“My daughter is still crying every day over her lost Chihuahua,” said neighbor Sharyn Padula of the family’s dog Bally, who disappeared just over a year ago. Two cats, Annabelle and Sylvester, also went missing.
After the dog disappeared, the family “posted pictures everywhere, Craigslist, and went doorbell to doorbell asking people if they’d seen him,” said Padula, who lives a few houses from McDonough. “I really hope they don’t find my pets there.”
McDonough’s two-story red brick house sits on a middle-class block of closely placed, well-kept homes buffered by manicured lawns and festooned with holiday decorations — except for McDonough’s, an unkempt structure with peeling paint, surrounded by fallen, matted leaves.
Since the dog carcasses were found, vandals have spray-painted “killer” on the garage and “guilty” on McDonough’s mailbox. Rotten eggs were splattered on the house and on an SUV parked outside. A New York tabloid has dubbed her the “Cruella De Vil of Long Island.”
Gross was summoned to the home after Douglas McDonough contacted Rescue Ink, a group of bikers who stage animal rescues in the New York metropolitan area for a television program of the same name on the National Geographic Channel. Efforts to reach the group, created several years ago by a former NYPD detective and ex-security guards and bouncers, were unsuccessful. Its messaging system was full and an e-mail seeking comment went unanswered.
Authorities found the animals — a shepherd mix, a beagle mix, an Italian greyhound, a cocker spaniel mix, a pug and a tabby cat — in wretched cages in the house. A “sickening” smell in the back yard nearly overcame animal control officers and firefighters, Gross said.
“This is one case I’m sure I will never forget out of the thousands and thousands I have seen,” said Gross, a 25-year veteran of abuse investigations. “It’s probably one of the most horrific cases of animal cruelty.”
After Douglas McDonough told investigators about the animals buried in his family’s backyard, SPCA authorities returned to the house with a search warrant and began digging. In all, 20 dogs were found in varying states of decomposition, suggesting they had died over a period of years.
Gross said necropsies were being conducted and veterinarians would search the bodies for implanted microchips that might help identify them. That could be the only way to determine whether any of the dead dogs had been stolen.
Upgraded larceny or grand larceny charges might be filed by the police if it can be proved any of the animals were stolen, Gross said.
It wasn’t clear why McDonough’s son waited until last week to alert authorities, and contact information for him could not be found.
A note from the Suffolk Division of Public Health was taped to McDonough’s front door Monday, saying the agency wanted to know about “bags of human feces in the backyard and garage.” A health department spokeswoman did not return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Two of McDonough’s daughters have been placed with their older brother, two with neighbors and two in foster care. Suffolk County social services officials would not comment on the status of the child welfare case and whether charges were possible.
McDonough, whose husband, Darren, was killed in a car accident last year, faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count of misdemeanor animal cruelty if convicted. If authorities upgrade the abuse charges to a felony, she could be sentenced to up to two years in prison on each count if convicted.
Padula said she hopes the necropsies do not turn up her Chihuahua or other pets.
“I’d rather think that they’re wandering around still,” she said. “I don’t even want to imagine.”
Source: TimesUnion.com, Nov 13, 2009
A Saratoga County man hunting on his property found something he was not looking for Sunday: A dog bound in duct tape and discarded in a trash bag.
The beagle, named Daisy, had been missing for two weeks. She is now recovering at home.
Her rescuer, Ed Dandaraw, 64, was hunting in a swampy area on his property when he spotted a small black bundle that he said at first looked like a bear cub.
Upon closer inspection, he thought it was just a black garbage bag — until it shifted and he saw two of the dog’s brown legs sticking out.
“When I pulled open the bag, she hardly moved,” said Dandaraw, who said the dog’s skin beneath the tape was hairless and appeared to be rotting. “I don’t think she had much time left.”
The dog’s entire head was wrapped in the tape as was the midsection of her body. Her two front paws were taped together, so that she couldn’t escape, Dandaraw said.
Saratoga County Undersheriff Michael Woodcock confirmed the dog had been found, but would not provide any details.
“(Whoever did this) was a very sick, deranged person,” Dandaraw said. “They left the nostrils open so she could breathe in the bag.”
He took the dog to an emergency veterinary clinic and using information from a microchip under her skin, Daisy was identified and returned to her owners.
The owners, who do not wish to be named, live about 5 miles away from where she was found. Dandaraw said the owner had been going around the town of about 1800 residents searching for Daisy.
Dandaraw said he spoke to the owners Wednesday night and they told him that Daisy, who lost about 20 pounds, is recovering well, though she can only eat very small meals and consequently is being fed six to seven times a day.
It was the first time in three years that Dandaraw walked into the swamps on the back of his property, a life-saving coincidence, he said. Now he wants justice brought to those responsible.
“I did my job in saving that dog,” Dandaraw said, “and now whoever can help to find out who can do this needs to stand up.”
Reach Humberto Martinez at 454-5057 or hmartinez@timesunion.com.
Source: TimesOnline, Nov 12, 2009
An Australian special forces explosives detection dog has been found after going missing in action in Afghanistan 14 months ago.
Sabi, a four-year-old black labrador, was returned to the Australian base at Tarin Kowt after an American soldier found her wandering in a remote area of the southern province of Oruzgan last week.
The US soldier, named only as John, knew that his Australian counterparts had lost their canine companion during a gun battle between Australian, US and Afghan special forces and Taleban insurgents in south east Afghanistan last September. Nine Australian soldiers, including Sabi’s handler, were wounded during the assault and Sabi went missing.
Sabi, who was on her second tour of duty in Afghanistan, was officially declared missing in action. It is not known how she survived the past year, presumably eluding the Taleban, before being discovered by the soldier, who realised that she was not a stray dog because she understood certain commands.
Her trainer made sure that the dog was Sabi with a tennis ball test.
“I nudged a tennis ball to her with my foot and she took it straight away. It’s a game we used to play over and over during her training,” the trainer said. “It’s amazing, just incredible, to have her back.”
Trooper Mark Donaldson, a recipient of the Victoria Cross who is currently in London after a meeting with the Queen, was at the battle where Sabi went missing.
“She’s the last piece of the puzzle,” he said. “Having Sabi back gives some closure for the handler and the rest of us that served with her in 2008. It’s a fantastic morale booster for the guys.”
Yesterday Sabi was feted by US General Stanley McChrystal and the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who met the dog during an overnight trip to visit the troops in Afghanistan.
“Sabi is back home in one piece and [is] a genuinely nice pooch as well,” Mr Rudd said.
The Government is now working on returning Sabi to Australia after a period in quarantine.
Dogs have become loyal companions to the thousands of troops stationed in war zones around the world.
In August British soldiers were saddened to leave behind Sandbag, a sandy-coloured retriever who had been born on the base at Umm Qasr in Iraq, after Downing Street turned down a request to repatriate the pet.
Last year US Sergeant Gwen Beberg created headlines with her campaign to take a stray dog back to America when she returned home from Iraq. Sergeant Beberg had rescued Ratchet from burning rubbish in Baghdad.
Sabi is the first dog known to have become lost in battle — and returned home.
Source: TheHuffingtonPost.com, October 20, 2009
A chewed remote control, a dog, and $62.50 less in the bank account.
For Greg Stroke, this could only mean one thing: his dog had purchased 5,000 Xbox points — worth $62 — while he and his girlfriend were asleep.
Stroke saved his credit card information on his remote control to make it easier to buy video games using Microsoft Xbox points — so easy, in fact, that a dog could do it.
When the dog chewed the remote, the points were bought. “i just wish they’d make it a little harder to purchase points,” Stroke lamented.
