Friday, September 15, 2006

Good Samaritan arrested for rescuing dog

Posted by Eric @ 3:23 AM

Dogs Deserve Better

From Pennsylvania (at one time called the Puppy Mill Capital of the East) comes more proof that we have a long way to go when it comes to protecting animals, and in this case we're talking about our companions.

Tammy S. Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, was arrested on Monday for freeing a sick chained dog in East Freedom, PA, after a couple of neighbors' repeated calls for assistance to Central Pennsylvania Humane Society went unheeded after two days.

Grimes, after giving the CPHS time to come out on Monday (the office was no doubt closed over the weekend), responded to those neighbors' calls due to concern for Doogie's health. As you can see in the photo below, it didn't look so good:

Grimes photographed and videotaped Doogie upon arrival, determined his owners were not home and, while their neighbor (Kim Eicher, who has agreed to testify) came over and cried about his condition, they assessed his condition and Grimes decided that he needed to see a vet. I'm no professional, but I was tipped off to this story by a DVM, and I've known many a dog. It doesn't take a vet to see that there's something amiss with Doogie in this video:

But, of course, only a vet can diagnose and treat. According to Grimes,

The vet documented [Doogie's] general negligent condition, low weight, sores, missing fur, and took xrays of his back and hips. He determined that he has very bad back spurs that are causing him a lot of pain and are most likely responsible for his inability to walk. He also saw an undetermined mass near his hip on the xray. He gave him a shot for pain plus some B vitamins for energy, so that perhaps he could have even one good day or a few good hours. He wrote a letter stating his condition.

The story continues with Grimes bumping into the CPHS Humane Officer Grimes at the vet, of all coincidences, and supposedly the officer was just out on the way to respond to the neighbors' calls and visit Doogie.

It's understandable that the officer would be concerned that Grimes took the law into her own hands, as the law is pretty clear about animals being property, and with her not being Humane Officer, she basically did commit theft. This goes right to the problem of considering animals property, as if a table needed fresh water frequently, or a TV needed to be fed.

As evidenced by Doogie, chained dogs typically lack adequate veterinary care, food, water, and often even shelter. They are rarely exercised or socialized with other dogs or people and suffer from neglect. Even if they do receive adequate care, they lead what amounts to an unhappy, frustrating existence for such social animals. Dogs on chains suffer intense boredom, anxiety, even neuroses; their lives are very sad and lonely.

It's inexcusable that a compassionate individual who rescues a dog in an egregiously bad situation is arrested out of hand and treated like a genuine criminal. Didn't we treat all those that rescued abandoned animals in the wake of Katrina as heroes, and rightly so? Anyone that rescues an animal from potential starvation should be considered a hero. According to Grimes, none of the law enforcement involved with this case, including CPHS and the police department asked to see any of her evidence, as they were more concerned about her breaking the law than the crimes against Doogie.

If anything, criminal charges should be filed for leaving Doogie chained without food and obviously needed medical attention. Unfortunately, only California is anywhere close to an anti-tethering bill, with S.B. 1578 having recently passed out of the legislature and on to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk, where it awaits signature. If that bill passes, it will be an infraction or a misdemeanor to would to tether, fasten, chain, tie, or restrain a dog to a dog house, tree, fence, or other stationary object for longer than 3 hours.

Some states do have cruelty laws that penalize owners for leaving animals without access to food, but you shouldn't have to be an officer to do something about an urgent situation unless you're going to have those officers on the streets 24/7, just as we do for people. I realize that we can't just have people picking up animals whenever they feel like it. There's obviously a need for professionals on the job, but Grimes documented her rescue and was very responsible about it. She clearly tried to do the right thing.

But instead of being praised for her heroic measures, Grimes was arrested by no less than four police units that descended on her home, charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass. She was later released on a $50,000 unsecured bond and ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing September 21, 2006. If good-hearted people think they will be arrested and possibly jailed and fined beyond their means, they may not take the opportunity to help those in need, risking death to countless innocent animals.

Don't wait. Call today to insist that the charges against Tammy S. Grimes are dropped, and that animal cruelty charges are instead filed against the Arnolds of East Freedom, Pennsylvania:

PA Governor Edward G. Rendell is very sensitive to his state's reputation for insensitivity toward animals, and has recently cracked down on puppy mills. If he gets enough calls on this issue, and it gets enough media attention, he may become interested in this case as well:

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office

The D.A.s office at Blair County District Attorney David Gorman, Esq.:

(814) 693-3010

The Altoona Mirror, whose front page story was evidently biased, not showing any photos Grimes took of Doogie, nor did they interview the neighbor that brought Doogie to Grimes's attention:

e-mail

WTAJ-TV10 also refused to interview Kim Eicher:

(814) 944-1414

WJAC-TV 6, on the other hand, did interview her. Thank them for their willingness to hear the story:

(814) 255-7600

You can learn more about this situation, and what you can do to help Grimes and Doogie, by visiting the page DDB set up to get the word out.

And if you're a California voter, call or write Gov. Schwarzenegger immediately as well to politely request he signs the bill for the sake of our furry friends:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
e-mail the Governor

The HSUS also has a handy webform you can fill out to take action on this bill.

Special thanks to Armaiti May for getting the word out on this injustice.

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