News Alert: September 18, 2009

1. ASPCA Locates Dog Attacker Through Facebook
2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Stray Cat Strut
3. Tiger Ranch Raid Update: Rescued Cats Now Up for Adoption!
4. Protect Your Horse When Disaster Strikes

1. ASPCA Locates Dog Attacker Through Facebook

Last Friday, September 11, ASPCA Special Agent Paul Lai arrested New Yorker Donnell Walters for allegedly beating his boyfriend’s dog, a 4½-pound Yorkshire Terrier named Lucy. Lucy’s owner alleges that in late July, a verbal dispute triggered Walters, 22, to assault the tiny canine. He is accused of repeatedly slamming or dropping Lucy to the ground, shattering one of her legs.

When ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) began its investigation, Agent Lai had trouble finding Walters. He cleverly used a variety of tools, including Facebook, the popular social networking website, to locate the suspect. Friday’s arrest was made at Walters’ Manhattan workplace; he has been charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, which carries a penalty of up to two years in jail.

"Lucy was the innocent victim of a domestic dispute,” says Stacy Wolf, ASPCA HLE Vice President & Chief Legal Counsel. “As unfortunate as these kinds of incidents are, it is good to know that the criminal justice system is treating them with the seriousness that these crimes deserve."

After the incident, Lucy’s owner phoned the ASPCA to report the dog’s injuries. He then brought her to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, where her broken leg was operated on and repaired using screws and a metal plate. Lucy was returned to her owner and is recovering well from her ordeal.

If you know of an animal who is being hurt, please report it—those who intentionally hurt animals may move on to abuse the people in their lives. To report animal cruelty in New York City, call the ASPCA’s tip line at (877) THE-ASPCA. Visit our Report Cruelty FAQ to learn how to report cruelty elsewhere.

Do you Twitter? Use this hashtag to tweet on this article: @aspca and #FacebookArrest

2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Stray Cat Strut

Working at the ASPCA, it’s a given that your job rarely ends when you leave the office for the day. This truism recently hit home for Bronx resident and ASPCA Department Coordinator Veronica Rodriguez. Earlier this summer, Veronica was walking toward the building where she lives when she noticed some kids throwing rocks. As she got closer, she saw a small injured cat huddling in a corner.

“I immediately told the kids to stop, and not surprisingly, they started saying terrible things back to me,” Veronica explains. “To make them stop, I sat on the sidewalk in front of the cat. He was still very scared and wouldn’t let me touch him or even go near him. I sat there for a half an hour, and then suddenly, he climbed into my lap. That was the green light for me to bring him to the ASPCA!”

Named Josh by the medical staff, the two-year-old stray passed his medical exam and behavior assessment with flying colors. “He stole the hearts of everyone on the third floor, where we set up his crate when he first arrived,” says Gail Buchwald, ASPCA Senior Vice President. “Even right after he got here, he was rolling on his back and ‘making biscuits’ in the air whenever anyone stopped to talk to him.”

The staff could hardly contain their enthusiasm for sweet, loving Josh. In fact, Veronica was telling her story to other team members, when a potential adopter overheard her and asked to meet this special kitty who’d captured the hearts and minds of so many.

“We went into the socialization room and sat down on the floor, and Josh immediately head butted the adopter’s daughter—it was love at first sight!” enthuses Veronica. “The adopter said, ‘He’s coming home with us—that’s it, he’s mine!’”

The rest is history: Josh’s new family renamed him Poppy Seed, and thanks to the quick thinking and compassion of an ASPCA team member, a lucky cat now has a loving home.

Do you Twitter? Use this hashtag to tweet on this article: @aspca and #PoppySeed

3. Tiger Ranch Raid Update: Rescued Cats Now Up for Adoption!

More than one year after being rescued, nearly 250 of the 390 cats seized in one of the largest anti-cruelty raids of recent times are on the lookout for new forever homes. The cats, who were held for over a year as evidence during the investigation and subsequent prosecution of Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary owner Lin Marie, have spent this time recovering from such ailments as malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory conditions and various skin conditions.

Back in March of 2008, members of the ASPCA Field Services and Disaster Response Teams found the cats living in squalor on the 28-acre property in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. Investigators also found hundreds of dead cats, some in freezers inside the home, others in open burial pits and still others in plain view.

On July 13, 2009, sanctuary owner Marie, also known as Linda Bruno, pleaded guilty to 12 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and two other counts of tampering with evidence. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Marie will never again be able to own, control or possess any animals. She also will have to pay $200,000 in restitution to the Clarion County Humane Society in Shippenville, which has been caring for the surviving cats since the raid took place. Marie will be sentenced on October 5, 2009, and could face jail time.

"The Tiger Ranch cats were held for such a long period of time because they were still technically the property of Lin Marie,” explains Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “Because of due process laws, the animals cannot be adopted out to anyone else until a court has ruled that the owner cannot keep the animals, or the owner agrees to voluntarily surrender the animals. Prior to that, the animals must be held as potential evidence in the criminal case.”

Adoptions are taking place at the Clarion County Humane Society. For more information on how to adopt the cats contact (814) 226-9192.

Do you Twitter? Use this hashtag to tweet on this article: @aspca and #AdoptRescuedCats

4. Protect Your Horse When Disaster Strikes

Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and fires—devastating natural and man-made disasters can enter our lives at anytime, often without warning. Are you prepared to take care of your horse if tragedy strikes? Emergency situations may require anything from a brief absence from your home to permanent evacuation. Even small-scale events, such as a gas leak, can have a significant impact on your ability to help the animals in your care. It is vital for all horse parents to plan, prepare and prevent.

To help you protect your horse from the dangers of both natural disasters and ordinary, everyday accidents, the ASPCA has provided a list of 10 vital actions you can take.

Here’s a preview of some of our life-saving tips:

Get a Move On

Practice putting a halter on your horse, and get him used to trailering. Periodically, you should practice quickly getting your horse on a trailer for the same reason that schools have fire drills—asking a group of unpracticed children to exit a burning building in a calm fashion is a little unrealistic, as is requesting a new and strange behavior of your horse. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Keep it Clean

Keep a clean and tidy stable and pasture. Remove any hazardous and flammable materials, debris and machinery from around the barn's walkways, entrances and exits. Inspect your grounds regularly and remove dangerous debris in the pasture.

Be a Social Butterfly

Get your horse well-socialized and used to being handled by all kinds of strangers. If possible, invite emergency responders and/or members of your local fire service to interact with your horse. It will be mutually beneficial for them to become acquainted. Firemen’s turnout gear may smell like smoke and look unusual, which many horses find frightening—so ask them to wear their usual response gear to get your horse used to its look and smell.

For a complete list of actions you can take, read our Top 10 Disaster Readiness Tips for Horses.

Do you Twitter? Use this hashtag to tweet on this article: @aspca and #ProtectHorsesInDisasters

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