SAN FRANCISCO — A gray cat living an extraordinary life of visits to the beach and trips to the lake went on his biggest adventure alone: traveling hundreds of miles from Wyoming to California.
But how the feline named Rayne Beau — pronounced “rainbow” — made it home two months after getting lost in Yellowstone National Park during a summer camping trip remains a mystery.
Benny and Susanne Anguiano and their two cats arrived at Yellowstone’s Fishing Bridge RV Park on June 4 for the cats’ first trip to the forest. But soon after they arrived, Rayne Beau was startled and ran into the nearby trees.
The couple looked for him for four days, even laying out his favorite treats and toys. When they finally had to drive back to Salinas, California, on June 8, Susanne Anguiano said she was crushed but never lost hope she would find him.
“We were entering the Nevada desert and all of a sudden I see a double rainbow. And I took a picture of it and I thought, that’s a sign. That’s a sign for our rainbow that he’s going to be okay,” she said.
In August, the Anguianos received amazing news when a microchip company messaged them that their cat was at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville, California, nearly 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) from Yellowstone. He was only about 200 miles (322 kilometers) away from his home in Salinas.
A woman who first saw Rayne Beau wandering the streets of the northern California city fed him and gave him water until she trapped him on Aug. 3 and took him to the local SPCA.
The next day, the Anguianos drove to Roseville and picked up their cat, who had lost 6 pounds.
“I believe truly that he made that trek mostly on his own. His paws were really beat up. Lost 40% of his body weight, had really low protein levels because of inadequate nutrition. So he was not cared for,” Susanne Anguiano said.
The couple still doesn’t know how their cat got to Roseville but believes he was trying to get home. They have reached out to the media hoping to fill in the blanks.
Benny Anguiano said that besides microchipping their cats, they now have also fitted two of them with air tags and Rayne Beau with a GPS global tracker.
The cats love traveling in the camper and looking out the big windows to see deer, squirrels and other animals. But the family is not ready to get on the road with their pets again any time soon, he said.
“It was a very ugly feeling after we lost him,” Benny Anguiano said. “We’ll have to practice camping at home and camp in the driveway to get him used to it.”
A Middleburg, Virginia, woman has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after Loudoun County Animal Services found five dead dogs and 19 others in unsafe and unhealthy living conditions at a training facility in July.
The felony and misdemeanor charges that Patricia Mathis-Burby, 62, face carry a possible six-year prison time and/or fines.
Earlier this year in July, 19 dogs and six cats were removed from Mathis-Burby’s home. The county’s animal services department also found five deceased dogs “including those decomposing in crates adjacent to living dogs,” the county said in a news release.
During a civil hearing earlier this month, she permanently lost custody of the animals, which were transferred to Loudoun County Animal Services. She was ordered to pay $23,500 in restitution to cover the cost of animal care, the county said. She also received an indefinite ban on owning animals in Virginia.
Humane law enforcement officers described what they found in Mathis-Busby’s home as “extreme.”
In addition to urine and feces throughout the home, officers also found dogs confined in crates for long periods of time in “litter and feces several inches deep and without access to food or potable water,” the county news release said.
The county said that Mathis-Burby was allegedly also fostering animals for a Fairfax-based poodle rescue in her home.
The property was linked to the “White Columns K-9” dog training business, and another Facebook account listed as “White Columns Australian Shepherds” suggests that Australian Shepherds had been bred and sold at the address.
Mathis-Burby is scheduled to appear in General District Court on Oct. 3.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
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Data includes all animals, but mostly dogs and cats.
Data Source: Denver Animal Protection
A few weeks ago, the apparent shooting of a stray dog sparked a small frenzy in Athmar Park. It was the talk of the neighborhood, and the news resulted in a good Samaritan building a yard-sized trap to catch the sneaky “ninja”.
We caught up with Lt. Josh Rolfe, who heads Denver Animal Protection, for an update.
They’ve officially named the dog Solo Vino, a moniker bestowed on him by neighbors while he was loose. (The name is intended to mean “he came alone” in Spanish, though Vino Solo would be a more accurate translation.)
Solo Vino, who evaded Denver Animal Protection for months, wears a cone and a muzzle after he was treated for a possible gunshot wound to his snout.Courtesy: Denver Animal Protection
He was treated by the shelter’s vet, who removed “two metal pieces” from his mouth and reported a litany of injuries to his teeth and jaw.
“It’s going to be complicated to work through the medical issues,” Rolfe told us.
Still, Solo Vino was in stable condition and in good spirits. (Editor’s note: Solo Vino would also be a good name for a wine store.)
This one instance captured the public’s attention, but it’s a drop in a growing bucket.
Rolfe and his colleagues have been talking about troubling trends for pet wellbeing since the pandemic. In 2021, they were “begging for help” from the public to deal with a flow of surrendered and abandoned pets, possibly linked to the pandemic.
Lots of people adopted animals during lockdowns, and veterinary officials wondered if the economy or lifestyle changes (after things began to reopen) were behind that unfortunate trend.
When we spoke to Rolfe last week, he said Solo Vino’s alleged shooting points to another troubling data point.
“Animal welfare investigations, both cruelty and neglect of animals, is a large portion of our work,” he said. “It feels like, in the last few years, it’s been an ever-increasing portion of our work.”
Data includes all animals, but mostly dogs and cats.Data Source: Denver Animal Protection
Denver Animal Protection provided us with data on their investigations, which shows they answered more calls overall in 2023 than they had since 2019, though it’s not been a linear uptick.
These investigations are broken down into two categories, “neglect” and “cruelty.” Cases of neglect have remained fairly consistent since 2019, at an average of 200 cases per month.
Cases of cruelty, though, have increased. June and July of 2023 represented the highest concentration of these investigations since 2019 — a little over 200 in each of those months compared to an average of 75 cases per month in 2019. Last July ranks third in this data, with 182 cruelty investigations.
Cruelty cases include those when dogs are left in hot cars, when animals are trapped or illegally chained down, when they’re beaten or when they’re forced to fight, among other things.
Data includes all animals, but mostly dogs and cats.Data Source: Denver Animal Protection
Like before, Rolfe is looking at our post-COVID economy as a possible explanation.
“It’s very difficult for people right now to afford everything, and it is very hard to make a decision between feeding your kids or feeding your pet or paying your rent,” he told us.
Solo Vino’s case is still under investigation.
Rolfe said both Denver Animal Protection and Denver Police are looking into the matter.
If they do find a suspect, the next step will be to weigh that person’s story with other available evidence.
“It might lead towards a charge for somebody. There’s also the potential that there might be no charges if somebody felt they were legitimately acting in self-defense,” he said.
Rolfe added that self-defense legal standards for cases involving animals are similar to cases of human-on-human violence. Things are a little trickier when the injured party is a dog who can’t speak for himself.
“We just try to take everything into account, like: does the story make sense?” he said.
That’s assuming they can find any explanation at all.
A former District Dogs employee who kicked a puppy to death earlier this year at their Navy Yard location in D.C. has been indicted on a felony cruelty to animals charge.
A former District Dogs employee who allegedly kicked a puppy to death earlier this year at their Navy Yard location in D.C. has been indicted on a felony cruelty to animals charge.
If convicted, Adriano Demorais, 33, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, faces up to five years in prison.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., Demorais was “feeding dogs in the early morning when Bronny, a 5-month-old Mountain Cur/German shepherd dog,” was near Demorais’ feet. That’s when prosecutors say Demorais kicked the puppy on the left side of his body. The puppy reportedly circled the room, then collapsed.
The dog was transported to a veterinary hospital where he was pronounced dead due to “blunt abdominal trauma with subsequent hemorrhagic shock,” according to the release.
After Bronny’s death, pet parents Christina and Andrew told FOX5 they were mourning their pet: “Bronny brought immeasurable joy to our lives and to the lives of all he touched, and the void left by his absence is profound.”
In a statement to WTOP in February, District Dogs said it “extends its sincere condolences to the family of the dog, and we grieve their loss at this profoundly difficult time.”
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When Loudon County Animal Services officers arrived at a boarding facility, they found five dead dogs and 19 others “in a situation that would best be described as a risk to their life, health or safety,” said Nina Stively, director of Animal Services for Loudon County.
A photo of the conditions dogs were kept in at a Middleburg dog training facility.(Courtesy Loudoun County Animal Services )
A photo of the conditions dogs were kept in at a Middleburg dog training facility.(Courtesy Loudoun County Animal Services )
A report from someone concerned about the welfare of animals on a property on Sam Fred Road in Middleburg, Virginia, last week led to a disturbing discovery.
When Loudon County Animal Services officers arrived at the home, they found five dead dogs and 19 others “in a situation that would best be described as a risk to their life, health or safety,” said Nina Stively, director of Animal Services for Loudon County.
Stively described it as a “really tragic situation.”
“There is an open investigation to really understand how things got to this point,” said Stively. “Typically, when animals are deceased in an environment, this would be evidence that the situation had been going on for a prolonged period of time.”
The property is linked to the “White Columns K-9” dog training business, and another Facebook account listed as “White Columns Australian Shepherds” suggests that Australian Shepherds had been bred and sold at the address.
Stively said the home was also apparently used as a boarding facility.
In both cases, Stively told WTOP that Animal Services could find no record of the necessary permits or licenses for either a breeding or kennel business. Kennel facilities not only need to be licensed in Loudon County, but also have to be located in areas zoned for boarding animals.
“This facility was not licensed as a kennel,” said Stively.
For now, the surviving animals remain in the care of Loudon County Animal Services, but Stively said because several were microchipped, officers were able to determine that some of the animals had been boarded at the home as recently as the past week.
Stively said while the case is under investigation, the surviving dogs and five other cats will be held by the department until a court date tied to their custody is held on Aug. 7 at 10 a.m.
The animals can’t be reunited with their owners until the court appearance, but Stively said, “We are eager to get them back to their families for sure.”
No charges have been filed in the case.
While the investigation continues, Stively said, her agency is asking people who may have sold dogs to or adopted dogs from the owner of the facility to contact them. Humane Officers also want to talk to anyone who may have boarded their dogs at the property.
Anyone with information can call (703) 777-0406 and speak with a Humane Law Enforcement Officer. You can also send an email to animals@loudon.gov.
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Authorities in Sonoma County said they have busted an alleged bird fighting ring following an investigation into a break-in that took place earlier this year.
According to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the investigation stemmed from a burglary at a storage facility on the 6000 block of Commerce Blvd. on March 19. The victim told officers that an estimated $22,000 in items were stolen.
During their investigation, officers identified a suspect in the theft. Police in Santa Rosa arrested the suspect, identified as Audrina Renee McPeters, on March 21.
McPeters was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy, burglary and grand theft.
The next day, detectives served a search warrant at a home on Stony Point Road in Santa Rosa and found stolen property belonging to the victim.
During the search, police discovered “numerous” animal cruelty violations, including at least 1,000 game birds believed to be raised for fighting. Officers also arrested Jesus Miguel Santoyo Rodriguez on 36 misdemeanor counts of possession of gaffs / slashers used for cockfighting.
Sonoma County Animal Services were called to the property and recovered five horses and two dogs, which police said were malnourished. The birds were also quarantined.
A third person, identified as Jose Guadalupe Luna-Ruiz, was arrested by Santa Rosa Police on April 2. Police said Luna-Ruiz is suspected in the original theft of the storage unit.
Luna-Ruiz was booked on suspicion of conspiracy, burglary, grand theft and receiving stolen property.
The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said that the investigation continues. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the department at 707-584-2600, referencing case number 24-0882.
BILLERICA — A Cape Cod woman with a criminal history involving animal abuse is again facing animal cruelty charges after authorities say videos surfaced showing her beating and torturing her dog while she lived on Boston Road.
Amanda Marie Cianciulli, 36, of Centerville (Barnstable), who was arrested on Friday, has since been released from custody following a 58A dangerousness hearing that took place in Lowell District Court this week. As part of her release, she was ordered to stay away from all animals, including her four dogs.
The Billerica Police issued a press release stating Cianciulli “used a shock collar in a manner and purpose so as to torture a dog while it was secured in a cage,” and that she struck the dog while pinning it to the ground during a separate incident.
Cianciulli’s attorney, Stephen Barton, claims his client was training the dog, not abusing it. He also asserted that the woman who shared the videos of the alleged abuse with police had been blackmailing Cianciulli.
“This was not gratuitous, sadistic violence against animals,” Barton said. “This was (Cianciulli) training pit bulls who had been left at shelters and disciplining them so they could be placed with families.”
An incident report states the alleged abuse was brought to the attention of the Billerica Police on April 15 when a 30-year-old woman who said she used to live with Cianciulli at 23 Boston Road shared two videos of the violent behavior that she had captured on her cellphone.
Police said one video showed Cianciulli “holding a dog down and hitting it with an unknown object in the head while yelling ‘how’s it (expletive).’” The report states she forcefully struck the dog seven times “in quick succession” over three seconds.
In the other video, police said Cianciulli is seen putting a shock collar on a dog that is confined to a crate, while saying “‘guess what? Craaank’ (while manipulating what I suspect to be the shock collar remote).”
“The dog then begins to loudly yelp and she says ‘Doesn’t (expletive) feel nice, does it?’” police said in the report. “As the dog continues to yelp she says ‘cut it out!’”
The report later states the duration of the shock was 45 seconds, while adding Cianciulli “did torture” the dog “by utilizing the e-collar on the level of 100 while the dog was contained and not engaged in any behavior that would result in the need to shock the dog.”
The 30-year-old woman told police the videos were taken a month and a half previously. When asked why she waited over a month to report the abuse, she told police “she was trying to figure out how to do it without escalating the tension that was already present in the household,” the report states. The woman further claimed she was in fear of Cianciulli evicting her, but she has since moved out.
According to the police report, Cianciulli owns four dogs, all pit bull mixes, including 2-year-old “Millie,” the target of the alleged abuse in both videos. The 30-year-old and another witness claimed seeing abuse inflicted on all four dogs over the previous 10 months. The alleged abuse included Cianciulli punching the dogs, throwing them into walls, and forgetting to feed them. The witnesses also claimed Cianciulli was running an illegal kennel at the Boston Road residence.
When questioned by police, Cianciulli said all her dogs are rescues and “she just needed to do some fine tuning with them but they did not require training,” the report states. Cianciulli said Millie, meanwhile, “needed a lot of fine tuning as lately there are rules and regulations with the dogs not being followed.”
She admitted to using an “e-collar” on Millie, using the “vibrate setting.” Cianciulli denied ever punching, kicking, or slapping the dogs.
After she was placed under arrest, Cianciulli’s four dogs were transported to a veterinarian for examinations. The outcome of those examinations were not immediately available.
Barton claims the videos the police have depict Cianciulli disciplining Millie after she had attacked another dog. Barton described it “as an act of discipline,” while comparing the shock from the collar as a dog getting zapped by an invisible fence.
Barton said he plans to call on an expert witness who trains military dogs who he says will testify that the shock Cianciulli applied does not cause pain.
“It’s not a pain that’s inflicted, it’s a vibration that’s inflicted,” he said, adding the expert witness’ testimony will be, “It stuns them and makes them shake.”
Barton added the woman who brought the videos to police is a tenant who Cianciulli’s family has been trying to evict for months.
“This is all about disciplining very difficult dogs to deal with, so they can be placed with families, and a vindictive tenant who wants to stay and live for free,” Barton said.
This is not the first time Cianciulli has been accused of abusing a dog.
In May 2014, Cianciulli was arrested after a neighbor told police he saw her discipline her pit bull, “Ace,” by choking the dog with its collar, punching it and kicking the animal. She allegedly did this after the animal had escaped her home on Boston Road.
Cianciulli was charged with animal cruelty for this previous incident of abuse. Lowell District Court documents state the case was continued without a finding for one year while she was on probation. During that probationary term, Cianciulli was required to complete an anger management course. She was additionally granted supervised visits of Ace, but could not regain custody of the dog until completion of the probation.
Court documents show since Cianciulli stayed out of trouble for the full year, the animal cruelty charge was dismissed, and she was allowed to retake possession of Ace.
Ace is one of the four dogs referenced in the incident report about Cianciulli’s latest arrest.
Following Cianciulli’s arrest on Friday, she was held at the Billerica Police station on a bail that was set at $5,000. Court documents show she posted the bail and was released.
Cianciulli was arraigned on Monday by Judge John Coffey on two counts of animal cruelty. A 58A dangerousness hearing requested by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office was held the same day. The hearing was used to determine if Cianciulli poses a threat to the public, and if so, if she should remain in custody as her case progresses in court.
Following the hearing, Coffey decided Cianciulli is not a danger, and released her with conditions, including not to possess any dogs, or animals in general, and to have no avoidable contact with animals.
Cianciulli is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on May 23.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office trumpeted the latest victory in its ongoing war against animal cruelty — the arrest of Lester Paul Richmond in Troy, Alabama.
Police arrested Richmond, 36, on Feb. 16 on a Maricopa County arrest warrant for a single felony county of animal cruelty. He’s sitting in an Alabama jail on $20,000 bond, accused of killing a Husky puppy by taping its mouth shut. The dog’s body was found in a Scottsdale alley in June.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, in a Feb. 21 press release, thanked law enforcement agencies in two states for their efforts in nabbing Richmond.
“His extradition is expected in the next 30 days; once he is in Maricopa County we can proceed with prosecution,” Mitchell added.
So, Mitchell isn’t against all extraditions, despite her social media spat last week with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over alleged serial stabber Raad Almansoori. Bragg wants Almansoori extradited to New York City to face charges for allegedly killing a woman there on Feb. 8.
Mitchell said nope, causing an uproar and garnering her some serious media attention.
“It is normal practice for the jurisdiction with custody to go first,” Mitchell’s spokesperson Jeanine L’Ecuyer later told Phoenix New Times.
The Feb. 21 press release was the second from Mitchell’s office on the Richmondcase. The first was on Dec. 20. It announced Richmond’s indictment and asked for the public’s help in locating him.
Not every arrest or indictment earns a press release, much less two. According to the county attorney’s “data dashboard,” 47,027 cases were referred to the office for review in 2023. Around 56% of those, or 26,230, resulted in cases being filed.
“In Maricopa County, casesinvolving animal cruelty regularly include other crimes. And just to give you some numbers, in 2020, we had 34 cases. In 2021, we had 38. And so far in 2022, we have had 44,” Mitchell said during a press conference in August 2022.
When asked recently, the county attorney’s office did not immediately have the number of animal cruelty cases filed in 2023. Based on past years, it’s likely the total falls well short of 1% of total cases filed in 2023.
Given the paucity of animal abuse cases filed, it’s revealing that Mitchell’s office had an investigator on the hunt for an alleged puppy killer. In fact, in her Feb. 21 press release, Mitchell credited her office’s animal cruelty detective, Heather Krimm, with tracking down Richmond.
Mitchell, who is running for reelection this year, has made a crackdown on animal cruelty a priority of her office, particularly cases involving dogs, the most popular pet in the U.S., according to Forbes Magazine. She’s thrown the book at dog abusers, supported legislation that could make Arizona’s animal cruelty laws tougher and taken the opportunity to be photographed with rescue dogs at the Arizona Humane Society.
Mitchell is no Arpaio. It’s hard to beat Arpaio’s 24-year record of media manipulation and self-aggrandizement. But Mitchell is tapping into the same vein of canophilia as Arpaio and many other politicians.
At the August 2022 press conference,Mitchell announced that the gloves were off when it came to animal cruelty. She called animal abuse “a gateway crime” to serious offenses involving humans, such as sexual assault, domestic violence and “violent and nonviolent assault.”
Mitchell said she was hiring a “specialized investigator” to assist in the prosecutions of such crimes. The office already has a prosecutor dedicated to animal cruelty, she added.
“Whether it’s keeping dangerous sex offenders out of our neighborhoods, drug dealers out of our schools or prosecuting animal cruelty, I am not willing to look the other way,” she said.
County Attorney Rachel Mitchell wants to extradite Lester Paul Richmond, 36, from Alabama to Arizona on a single count of animal cruelty.
Pike County Sheriff’s Office
Puppy politics
Mitchel’s crusade ramped up on Jan. 10 when she announced that a Maricopa County grand jury hit April McLaughlin with 24 charges — eight of them felonies — for her alleged mistreatment of 55 dogs at her Chandler home. This was in addition to the 77 misdemeanor counts McLaughlin already faced in Chandler City Court.
On Jan. 16, Mitchell participated in a press event at the Arizona Humane Society, during which several of the dogs rescued from McLaughlin were on hand. Mitchell announced her support for two pieces of legislation: Senate Bill 1047, sponsored by Republican state Sen. T.J. Shope, and House Bill 2076, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Barbara Parker.
SB 1047 would amend state animal cruelty laws and extend the definition of “cruel neglect” of animals from denying an animal food, water and shelter to denying an animal food that is given daily and is appropriate for the species, water that is suitable for drinking and shelter that is “necessary and adequate.”
HB 2076 allows law enforcement to treat cruelty to animals, in some instances, as a form of domestic violence.
Though the statutes apply to all species, dogs were the focus of the press conference at the humane society, with a huge photo of a puppy behind the podium and handicapped dogs roaming about.
Mitchell said the bills would remove ambiguities in the law and help prosecutors be more successful.
The county attorney then leaned over to pet a dog being wheeled around in a bassinet, saying the bills needed to be passed “for dogs like Billy, who, by the way, what he lacks in mobility, he makes up for in personality.”
“If you’re looking at this on HDTV, yeah, I have (dog) hair on me,” she added.
The Senate approved SB 1047 on Thursday with a 17-11 vote. It now goes to the House for consideration. Also on Thursday, HB 2076 easily passed the House in a 55-2 vote and moves to the Senate.
Earlier this year, in January, Mitchell’s office announced the indictment of ex-con Ruben Lupe Garza for animal cruelty and misconduct involving weapons. He’s accused of shooting a neighbor’s dog on Jan. 7 in southwest Phoenix.
As the Jan. 24 press release for the incident indicated, Garza did not kill the animal, but the pooch “will likely have his leg amputated.”
Safe to say, this won’t be the last shaggy dog story to come out of Mitchell’s office this election year.
“The thing that keeps me up at night is the safety of my team,” said Chris Schindler, senior vice president of animal welfare, field response and rescue at the Humane Rescue Alliance.
The people who answer calls and investigate cases of animal cruelty in the District of Columbia aren’t police, but they are involved in enforcing laws regarding the treatment of animals.
And they have a tough — and sometimes dangerous — job.
“The thing that keeps me up at night is the safety of my team,” said Chris Schindler, senior vice president of animal welfare, field response and rescue at the Humane Rescue Alliance.
“We do all of our own investigations and all of our own forensics and things like that,” Schindler said, adding that they do not, however, carry weapons or firearms. That’s why they often work closely with D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, as they did Wednesday when executing a warrant at a home on Hanna Street in Southeast.
Chris Schindler (center) senior vice president of animal welfare, field response and rescue at the Humane Rescue Alliance, holds a puppy he’s caring for. (Courtesy HRA)
Three MPD officers were shot in that case, and Schindler told WTOP that the Humane Rescue Alliance is “just incredibly grateful to the Metropolitan Police officers” that help protect staff every day.
Schindler said Thursday that he was also grateful to hear that the three officers had been released from the hospital and were reportedly doing well.
“We’re fortunate to have a really great relationship with Metropolitan Police,” he said. “These are really solid partners of ours that we care deeply about, too.”
A member of the HRA team, field services director Daniel D’Eramo was also on the scene of Wednesday’s shooting. D’Eramo was not hurt.
“I can’t say enough how proud I am of the officers I have that go out and do this work every day,” Schindler said.
“They had a very traumatic day,” Schindler said of the 20 adult dogs and 11 puppies found. “So, we’re letting them decompress [and are] addressing any medical needs,” while investigations into the case continues, he said.
Schindler said the six Humane Law Enforcement Officers at HRA are trained to deal with a variety of circumstances.
“The reality is, we often see really hard things,” but not all of the work is grim, Schindler said. “We provide a lot of help and assistance, whether it be pet food or medical care.”
He explained that the goal is to help people provide appropriate care for their pets, adding that they “get to rescue animals that have been subjected to abuse and see them flourish” once they get the care they need.
Schindler said the difference between Animal Control and the HRA’s Humane Law Enforcement Officers is that Animal Control’s staff are like “the first responders” to animal-related calls involving “wildlife, domestic animals (and) dog bites.”
Schindler said while Animal Control is the right department to call for dogs running loose, for example, the first call if you suspect animal cruelty would be to HRA’s Humane Law Enforcement Officers at 202-723-5730.
“And that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Schindler said.
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MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president said Monday he will propose guaranteeing people pensions equal to their full salaries at the time they retire, something done by no other country, not even those much richer than Mexico.
It was among a raft of 20 constitutional reforms that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has almost no hope of getting passed in the eight months he has left in office, but which could be part of a bid to attract voters in the June 2 presidential elections.
It may be just electioneering: López Obrador leaves office in September, and he really wants his party’s candidate, former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, to win the presidential elections. He apparently hopes the promise of full-wage pensions could also help win his Morena party the two-thirds majority in Congress it needs to amend the Constitution.
But analysts say it may also be an attempt to set the agenda for the next administration by saddling any future president from Morena with high — and expensive — expectations.
“It’s an election year, so all these reform initiatives can be seen as something to get people to vote for Morena,” said Gabriela Siller, the director of analysis at Nuevo Leon-based Banco Base. But she notes it is also “a way of setting the political agenda for the next administration, a way of placing his imprint on the next administration.”
For the moment, López Obrador doesn’t have the votes in Congress to get the reforms passed, given that they require a two-thirds vote to amend the Constitution, and opposition parties are not likely to go along with it in the few months he has left in office.
For example, he wants the National Guard — now Mexico’s main law enforcement agency — handed over to the army, a change Congress has already rejected. He also wants to e liminate most government regulatory and oversight agencies.
In announcing the measures Monday, the president claimed it was an attempt “to recover holy rights, guaranteed to Mexicans by God.” It was among a package of reforms that included guaranteed annual increases in payments to the elderly and increases in the minimum wage and above the rate of inflation.
The reform proposals also included guaranteed access to the internet, a total ban on fracking, open-pit mining, GM corn, cruelty to animals and vaping pens.
López Obrador has made other unfulfilled promises in the past, like pledging Mexico would have a health care system “better than in Denmark.” That is something that has obviously not come to pass in Mexico’s crowded, ill-equipped hospitals, which frequently lack medications. He has also proposed recognizing the the ’right’ of all Mexicans to own their own homes.
But the cost of what López Obrador is proposing for pensions is striking. Mexico’s workforce is made up of about 60 million people and the reform would presumably apply to all of them.
At present, Mexicans can retire at 65, if they have worked 38 1/2 years, or 67 if they haven’t. But there is no guaranteed pension payment. Apart from a few powerful unions representing government workers, there is no government pension program, though López Obrador has introduced supplementary payment programs for the elderly of a couple of hundred dollars per month.
Since the 1990s, about half of Mexicans — those with formal jobs — have been enrolled in privately-managed pension funds known as Afores to which they and their employers contribute. The other half of Mexicans, who work under the table in the ‘informal’ economy, have no pension program at all.
The formal-sector Afores program, after about 20 years of contributions, has built up about $325 billion in pension savings, and that only covers average pensions of about $290 per month — less than the minimum wage — for half the country’s workforce.
To cover the whole population with something approaching a ‘full wage,’ López Obrador’s program would have to increase the Afore pension fund by 2.5 times to meet the median wage, and then double it again to cover informal workers.
It seems unlikely to be achieved, so why would López Obrador propose it? It’s also odd that he didn’t allow his candidate, Sheinbaum, to announce the measures, given that she has been struggling to build an image as something other than his loyal follower.
The president — who built the Morena party around his own image and personality — is in fact far more interested in how he’ll go down in history than building a strong or independent party. So carving in stone the path for the next administration is attractive for him, analysts say.
“López Obrador is presenting these reforms to set the path for what he thinks Claudia (Sheinbaum)’s administration should be,” wrote author and analyst Viri Ríos in the newspaper Milenio.
Two people are facing dozens of charges each after authorities rescued 55 “starving and freezing” dogs and puppies from a Missouri property where the remains of 15 deceased canines were discovered, according to the local sheriff’s office.
John Griffiths, 34, of Galena, Missouri, and 30-year-old Jessica Jean Johnson, were arrested and each face 28 counts of animal abuse, the Stone County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said in a statement on Friday.
“Concerned residents” called the sheriff’s office on January 19 to report animal abuse and neglect at a residence on Camp Clark Hill Road in Galena, Missouri, leading to the emergency rescue of “severely malnourished” dogs and puppies.
“When the deputy arrived at the residence, there were multiple animals in distress,” SCSO said in a statement. “Approximately 55 dogs were in pens, tied to trees or tied to shelters. Most of these dogs had no access to food or water. Upon closer inspection, they located multiple animals, which were deceased and were still in their shelter, on a chain next to a tree or located in a burn pile.”
Two people are facing dozens of charges after authorities rescued 55 “starving and freezing” dogs and puppies from a Missouri property where 15 other dogs were found dead last week, according to the local sheriff’s… Two people are facing dozens of charges after authorities rescued 55 “starving and freezing” dogs and puppies from a Missouri property where 15 other dogs were found dead last week, according to the local sheriff’s office. The surviving animals are being cared for by the Humane Society of Missouri where they are “safe and warm.”
Humane Society of Missouri
The sheriff’s office contacted the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO), located more than 250 miles away in St. Louis, to request assistance from the shelter’s rescue division.
HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Force responded to the scene where they seized a total of 55 dogs who received immediate care from technicians and veterinarians on site before being transported back to St Louis.
In addition to the remains of 15 dogs, the task force also found other dead animals on the Stone County property, including five goats, a cat and two birds. HSMO said staff was unable to determine whether the animals died of starvation or froze to death.
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Saturday night to HSMO and SCSO for comment and an update on the pups. It was unclear at the time of publication whether Griffiths and Johnson had retained attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
On Friday, the Greene County Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Johnson in Greene County in connection with the animal abuse case, SCSO said. She is currently being held on a $10,000 bond in the Stone County Jail.
Griffiths was arrested at the scene the day the dogs were rescued, the sheriff’s office said, adding that he has since posted bond and has been released from jail. It was unclear if Griffiths and Johnson lived at the Galena property where the dogs were found.
John Griffiths (left), 34, of Galena, Missouri, and 30-year-old Jessica Jean Johnson (right), were arrested after authorities rescued 55 dogs and puppies and found 15 dead. Griffiths and Johnson each face 28 counts of animal… John Griffiths (left), 34, of Galena, Missouri, and 30-year-old Jessica Jean Johnson (right), were arrested after authorities rescued 55 dogs and puppies and found 15 dead. Griffiths and Johnson each face 28 counts of animal abuse, the sheriff’s office said.
Stone County Sheriff’s Office
The surviving dogs and puppies are being cared for at HSMO where they are “safe and warm,” shelter staff posted on Facebook, adding that “brighter times are ahead for these sweet faces.”
“When the truck pulled into the parking lot after midnight we were waiting with warm beds, food, and water,” HSMO said, describing the night of the rescue. “As they were unloaded each dog rushed to their food and water bowls and then immediately curled up to sleep. They knew they were warm and safe. There were so many grateful faces. Each pup leaned into us and seemed to say ‘Thank You.’”
The Human Society said just 10 days before the emergency rescue in Stone County, staff rescued 97 Labrador Retrievers from an unlicensed breeder in Phelps County, saying that the shelter is “really needing all the support we can get.”
“The best way to help these pups is to please adopt,” HSMO said. “We have so many wonderful dogs who are waiting for their forever homes. When you adopt, you free up a kennel for another pup who needs it just as badly. If you can’t adopt, please share and spread the word.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The U.S.-based animal rights group PETA has detailed an undercover investigation into the practice of baiting and killing black bears with guns or crossbows in Canada, which it says is fueled by a British military tradition. The group, in a statement and a video released Wednesday narrated by actor and comedian Stephen Fry, alleges the fur from the bears killed using the method, which is not illegal in Canada, is auctioned off and sometimes ends up in the iconic hats worn by the soldiers of the King’s Guard.
The PETA campaign calls on the U.K. Ministry of Defense to switch to fake fur in the hope that it will curb the form of hunting. Bears were hunted to extinction in the U.K. in medieval times, but bear baiting as a form of hunting has been explicitly outlawed under Britain’s wildlife protection laws for more than four decades.
Members of the British Army’s King’s Guard take place in the Changing of the Guard ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace in London, July 9, 2023.
Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty
“Every day that our soldiers wear hats made from the fur of slaughtered bears brings dishonor to our country,” Fry says in the video, which shows hunters using buckets of sweet or greasy food to lure the unsuspecting animals before shooting and skinning them.
The King’s Guard have worn the bearskin hats for more than 200 years, though the headgear is now used only ceremonially, during parades and military events at Buckingham Palace and other royal venues.
“It’s time to modernize this iconic symbol of Britain by switching to a fabulous faux fur that has been tested specifically to ensure its suitability for use by the King’s Guard,” PETA’s senior campaign manager, Kate Werner, said in the group’s statement.
The Ministry of Defense insists the fur used in the King’s Guard hats all come from legal hunts licensed by Canadian authorities, and it notes that various faux fur options trialled previously have failed to meet the standards required of a viable replacement.
“Our Guardsmen take immense pride in wearing the bearskin cap which is an iconic image of Britain, and the quality of sustainability of the caps is incredibly important,” it said in a correspondence replying to a citizen’s concerns, which was obtained and published by PETA.
According to public records obtained by PETA, the Ministry of Defense purchased almost 500 bearskin hats between 2017 and 2022.
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A Florida man is facing animal torment and torture charges after he recorded a video of himself hitting a deer with his SUV and then shared the clip on social media, the local sheriff’s office said.
Clay Neil Kinney, 27, of Geneva, Florida, is facing one felony count of animal torture and five misdemeanor counts of animal torment after he allegedly recorded a video of himself intentionally running over a deer and posting the footage on TikTok, according to the arrest report and online court documents. He was also charged with one misdemeanor count of driving while his license was suspended or revoked, court records show.
The video clip, which Kinney allegedly shared to the social media platform TikTok, showed the suspect attempting to run over multiple deer before hitting one, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). The condition of the deer allegedly hit by Kinney was unknown at the time of publication. While it is unclear when the incident occurred and when the video was first shared on TikTok, Kinney was arrested on December 28, Seminole County court records show.
A stock photo of white-tailed deer. Clay Neil Kinney, 27, of Florida, is facing five counts of animal torment, one count of animal torture, and one count of a moving traffic violation after he allegedly recorded video of himself intentionally running over a deer and posting the footage on TikTok, according to the local sheriff’s office. Getty
Newsweek reached out via email on Sunday night to the SCSO for comment and an update on the case. Court records did not list an attorney for Kinney who could speak on his behalf at the time of publication.
On December 28, an SCSO detective was patrolling the area of Lake Harney Road in Geneva as part of an investigation into Kinney’s TikTok video when he was spotted driving a blue 2000 Chevy Tahoe along Harney Heights Road.
After being pulled over, Kinney allegedly admitted that he was driving without a license, telling the detective that his license had been suspended, according to the arrest report.
The SCSO detective then questioned Kinney about the TikTok video where the 27-year-old allegedly “intentionally used his vehicle to drive over deer,” the report states, adding that the suspect was then advised of his Miranda rights and he “admitted post-Miranda to intentionally running over the deer with the vehicle he was driving.”
The arrest report states that the video, which appeared to have been removed from the platform as of Sunday, shows Kinney attempting to run over five deer in total but was only able to hit one deer with his SUV, the report alleges.
Kinney was arrested for cruelty to animals “for intentionally inflicting, unnecessary pain and suffering” to an animal by striking the animal with his vehicle, as well as “tormenting” deer by chasing them down with his vehicle with the intent of running them over.
He’s due in court on January 30, 2024, records show.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
For some people, animals are family members, things of beauty and even preferable to humans. But to others, they are a nuisance or not thought of at all.
Animal cruelty and neglect are a concerning, regular occurrence throughout the world, and not all are as lucky as Kiri the cat. She was rescued by Sandra Mouawad, who runs the Paws Crossed rescue center in Lebanon.
“Kiri used to live in Bekaa in Lebanon, where she and some other cats would get fed and cared for by the neighbors,” Mouawad told Newsweek. “As I was told, some of the neighbors didn’t care for cats, and one day one of the children was seen throwing stones at her and apparently laughing as if she was just a toy.”
Mouawad said Kiri’s back was broken in half.
In a video posted to the rescue center’s TikTok account, @pawscrossedle, with over 1.8 million views, Kiri, a fluffy ginger and white cat, can be seen dragging her immobile back legs across the ground. Mouawad shared pictures of Kiri’s broken back and said surgery will give her a 60 percent chance of walking again.
“A fellow rescuer asked me if I can help her find someone to help this cat because she is overwhelmed and can’t pay $1,500 for MRI and surgery,” Mouawad said. “I didn’t want to take a new case because the shelter is full, but I ended up taking her in.”
After CT scans, surgery, physiotherapy ultrasound, electrotherapy and “a lot of love,” Kiri is recovering well.
While she now dedicates her life to rescuing animals, Mouawad wasn’t always an animal person.
“I was never overly fond of animals at first,” she said, “but after we adopted our first family dog I began to truly understand the pure love they can bring to your heart, and I couldn’t witness so much hate towards them and do nothing.”
Animal welfare is arguably not high on many people’s list of priorities in Lebanon.
“Due to the combined impact of the economic crisis, the absence of the government, the Covid-19 pandemic and the explosion that happened in Beirut in August 2020, pet owners are struggling more and more to afford to keep their pets while rescue organizations in Lebanon are facing a steep increase of pets being abandoned,” writes Florence Massena in The New Arab.
Kiri, who suffered a broken back, was rescued by Sandra Mouawad in Lebanon. Sandra Mouawad
Similarly, in some countries dealing with economic and social unrest, animal welfare is considered a Western indulgence.
“There’s so much ignorance here,” said Mouawad. “People don’t think that cats and dogs have feelings, and there are very few consequences for the evil actions against them here. New laws are coming to in to protect them, but people don’t take it seriously. They hit and run, poison and abuse when they’ve had enough of them or ended up with a breed they can’t handle, it’s crazy.”
Users on TikTok were full of support for Mouawad and Kiri.
“Why can’t people teach their kids to be KIND to animals. They are the best things on this earth,” said one user.
Another said: “How awful I’m so sorry I’m gonna interact as many times as I can to help.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Authorities are searching for the person who tied a puppy to a dumpster outside of a Texas animal shelter, resulting in his death, according to local police.
While pleading for information on Facebook Wednesday, the Humble Police Department (HPD) apologized for the quality of the photo shared of the suspect as well as the graphic nature of the post but said the person responsible for the puppy’s death “needs to be charged.”
“She appears to be a black female wearing grey sweatpants, a pink sweatshirt, a white hat and white slides for shoes,” HPD said on Facebook, sharing a grainy image of the suspect.
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Sunday to the HPD for comment and an update on the case.
Police tape is pictured at a crime scene. The inset shows the suspect wanted in a Texas animal cruelty case where police said she left a puppy tied to a dumpster outside an animal shelter where the dog strangled himself to death. Frederic J. BROWN / AFP/Getty, Humble Police Department
Police said that the video shows the tan and white male puppy, believed to be a 6 to 8-month-old Pitbull mix, walking with the woman from First Street to the Humble Animal Shelter at 240 Dennis Street in Humble, Texas, a city of roughly 16,000 located in the Houston metropolitan area. Video captured the woman outside the shelter where HPD said that she proceeded to “tie the dog who was struggling” to the dumpster with a piece of orange cord around his neck.
“The dog was struggling and thrashing while she did this,” HPD said in the online statement.
Police said that once the puppy was tied, the video showed him “struggling,” adding that the “suspect never looked back.” The puppy’s thrashing as the woman walked away caused the cord to tighten around his neck, ultimately leading to the dog’s death.
The dog was “unconscious and dead” roughly two minutes after being tied to the dumpster, HPD said, noting that the suspect was seen in the footage even after the puppy stopped “twitching.”
The woman in the picture is wanted for questioning in connection to the dog’s death. Police said she could face felony animal cruelty charges and urged anyone with information regarding the case to come forward.
“Please, please, please contact the City of Humble Police Department if you have any information on this suspect,” HPD said in the statement.
The department’s number is 281-446-7127.
While sharing the HPD’s post, the Humble Animal Shelter posted about the incident on Facebook saying, “She needs to be found ASAP.” Shelter officials also called on the public to come forward with information, saying to contact the HPD “with any information you have.”
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Sunday to the Humble Animal Shelter for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
More than three dozen Shiba Inus were rescued from a Missouri breeder in “one of the worst cases of animal neglect,” according to the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO).
Acting on a request from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department last week, HSMO’s Animal Cruelty Task Force, one of the nation’s largest animal rescue and disaster-response teams, conducted a rescue of 43 “starving” dogs from the property of a former commercial breeder in Douglas County, Missouri, HSMO said in a statement on October 19.
“The living animals were severely emaciated and suffering from various injuries and health conditions, and the remains of nine deceased dogs were also found on the property and recovered,” the humane society said.
The Humane Society of Missouri rescued 43 “starving” Shiba Inu dogs and found nine dead canines at a former commercial breeder’s property in the Ozarks. Humane Society of Missouri
The rescued dogs are all Shiba Inus of various ages and conditions and are receiving emergency veterinary treatment and health evaluations, HSMO said.
HSMO President Kathy Warnick referred to the case as “a horrific and heart-wrenching rescue.”
“The conditions at this property amount to one of the worst cases of animal neglect we’ve seen this year,” Warnick said in an online statement. “The caring citizen who tipped off the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department undoubtedly saved the lives of many of these innocent dogs and gave them a second chance at life.”
The rescue took place after a warrant was served by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department to seize the dogs and place the canines in the temporary care of HSMO. A disposition hearing to determine legal custody will take place on November 9 at the Douglas County Court in Ava, Missouri, the humane society said. Details about the dog breeder were not available, and it was unclear at the time of publication whether the breeder or property owner where the dogs were found will face charges.
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Sunday to the HSMO and Douglas County Sheriff’s Department for comment.
After receiving the tip about dogs living in horrific conditions from the “caring citizen,” who sent photos of “sick and extremely emaciated dogs,” HSMO worked quickly to round up and remove all the animals from the property.
At least one of the dogs photographed in the concerned citizen’s tip died by the time authorities arrived to rescue the Shiba Inus, according to the humane society.
Veterinarians from the Missouri Department of Agriculture joined the Animal Cruelty Task Force to assist with the rescue and examine the condition of the dogs prior to transporting them to HSMO headquarters for specialized medical care.
HSMO posted a video on Facebook showing some of the rescued Shiba Inus getting some much-needed cuddles.
“These 43 Shiba Inus are receiving the veterinary care and love that they deserve,” the shelter said in the post.
In another post, HSMO said the dogs still have a long road to recovery but are continuing to receive the love and care that they need.
“We’ll do everything in our power to ensure these sweet animals receive the care they need to fully recover and find loving forever homes,” Warnick said.
The dogs, which vary in price but can cost more than $3,000 for a purebred puppy, are also known to be inquisitive and playful, according to the AKC.
To care for the 43 Shiba Inus until they’re ready for adoption, HSMO is also asking the public for assistance through donations of blankets, newspapers, dog toys, dog beds, or “anything else that can make these animals’ recovery more comfortable.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Customs agents at France’s largest airport have spent months stockpiling a shocking discovery – the trafficked skulls and other remains of more than 700 animals headed for the U.S.
The skulls were found at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the largest international airport in the country. Customs officers tweeted about the incident on Thursday, saying they found the skulls in “several seizures” across the airport.
Nous avons le plaisir de remettre aujourd’hui près de 400 crânes de primates issus de trafics !
— Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (@douane_france) September 21, 2023
Remains of the animals were found from May through December last year, officials said, with 392 packages housing primate skulls, including macaques, baboons, mandrills and chimpanzees. Those packages were mostly from Cameroon and were meant to go to people in the U.S. More than 300 other packages contained the remains of other species – and none of the seized remains were legally authorized for sale.
According to Al Jazeera, whole animals and arms and hands were also discovered in some packages.
“Trafficking in protected species is one of the most lucrative trades, after drugs, weapons and people trafficking,” airport customs chief Gilbert Beltran said, adding that it generates between $8.5 billion and $21 billion every year.
According to Fabrice Gayet, a customs expert in animal trafficking, primates are generally hunted for their meat.
“The sale of the skulls,” he said, “is a follow-on business.”
Hundreds of skulls and other animal remains have been found over the course of several months at France’s largest airport.
French Customs/Douane Francaise via Storyful
Photos of the remains show well-preserved skulls of various species. Customs officials said they have since been given to the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence.
Sabrina Krief, a primatologist at the museum, posted on social media that the “staggering” discovery revealed an attempt to traffic the remains “to collectors and hunting associations” in the U.S.
“I am stunned to think that our closest relatives, apes and great apes, are being decimated and rainforests robbed of their endangered biodiversity for a business that is as stupid as it is outrageous,” Krief also said, according to Al Jazeera.
Officials say a pit bull puppy that California police believe got into its owners’ fentanyl stash was administered the overdose-reversing drug naloxone and is recovering
ByThe Associated Press
September 10, 2023, 3:51 PM
This Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, video image released by the Irvine Police Department shows Irvine police officers holding a pit bull puppy tha may have gotten into its owner’s fentanyl stash in Irvine, Calif. The puppy that California police believe got into its owners’ fentanyl stash was administered an overdose-reversing drug and is recovering, officials said. The dog’s owners, a man and a woman, were arrested and could face charges including drug possession and animal cruelty, according to the Irvine Police Department. (Irvine Police Department via AP)
The Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. — A pit bull puppy that California police believe got into its owners’ fentanyl stash was administered an overdose-reversing drug and is recovering, officials said.
The dog’s owners, a man and a woman, were arrested and could face charges including drug possession and animal cruelty, according to the Irvine Police Department.
The incident began with a “consensual” encounter between the couple and police on Wednesday outside a Walmart, department spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said. After officers discovered fentanyl in their car, the two were arrested, he said.
“Then the female said, ‘Oh, I think my dog is overdosing,’ ” Oldoerp told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday. “She knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed.”
He said it wasn’t immediately clear how the dog would have been exposed to the drug, which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A dose as small as 2 milligrams can be fatal to a human, though dogs are less sensitive to the drug, according to the Times.
“If they’re using drugs in their car, we can only speculate,” Oldoerp said.
At the station, officers administered overdose-reversing naloxone to the dog, which made a “pretty quick” turnaround, Oldoerp said.
The man and woman were not identified. Authorities will hold on to the puppy until there is a hearing to determine whether to give the dog back to its owners, the Times reported.
Winchester, Va. — – A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general’s office announced Tuesday.
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a news release. A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.
Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.
The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters, The Winchester Star reported.
This image provided by the Horry County Sheriff’s Office in Conway, S.C., shows Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who was arrested by the FBI on June 3, 2022, on federal money laundering charges.
Horry County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari’s lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a “cub pipeline” from Virginia to South Carolina.
When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park’s former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.
Antle was indicted in 2020 on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals – including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo – were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care.
Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.
Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday.
Defense attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle’s prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.
“This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation,” Harrigan said.
Harrigan maintained that the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.
“These were not sales,” Harrigan said.
Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on Sept. 14.
The Supreme Court says it won’t get involved in a dispute over a California animal cruelty law that bars foie gras from being sold in the state
ByJESSICA GRESKO Associated Press
FILE – A serving of salt-cured fresh foie gras with herbs is displayed at Chef Didier Durand’s Cyrano’s Bistrot and Wine Bar in Chicago, Aug. 9, 2006. The Supreme Court is leaving in place a lower court ruling against duck liver lovers, declining Monday, May 22, 2023, to step in and hear a dispute over a California law that bars foie gras from being sold in the state. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t get involved in a dispute over a California animal cruelty law that bars foie gras from being sold in the state, leaving in place a lower court ruling dismissing the case.
Foie gras is made from the enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese, and animal welfare groups had supported the law. As is typical, the court did not comment in declining to hear the case, and it was among many the court said Monday it would not hear.
The law doesn’t completely bar Californians from eating foie gras in the state. Courts have ruled that residents can still order foie gras from out-of-state producers and have it sent to them. Restaurants and retailers are still forbidden from selling it or giving it away, however.
The foie gras case had been on hold at the high court while the justices considered a different case involving another California animal cruelty law, that one governing the sale of pork in the state. In that case, the justices earlier this month backed that law, which requires more space for breeding pigs. The pork industry has said the ruling will lead to higher costs nationwide for pork chops and bacon.
California’s foie gras law, however, predates the pork law and went into effect in July 2012. It says: “A product may not be sold in California if it is the result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size.”
Farmers and producers of poultry products in Canada sued over the law along with New York-based Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The case has been going on since 2012. Most recently, a trial court dismissed the case and a federal appeals court agreed with that outcome. The Supreme Court’s decision not to step in leaves that decision in place.
In a statement released through their attorney, Michael Tenenbaum, the groups that brought the case said they were disappointed both with the way the high court resolved the California pork law case earlier in the month and with the high court’s decision not to step in to their case.
“Like farmers across the Nation, we are disappointed with the Supreme Court’s fractured ruling in the pork producers’ case, which allowed California’s politicians to tell people what they can and can’t eat. And we believe the Court should have agreed to add our case to its plate for the upcoming term, since it presents an even more compelling challenge to these nanny-state bans,” the statement read.
A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office defended the law, said in an e-mailed statement the office was pleased with the decision.
