Man Attacks Dog

A Palm Beach County man is behind bars after repeatedly punching a 10-pound Shih Tzu and breaking the small pooch's jaw, law officers say. Edward Greiner, 40, who lives in Smith Farms near Lake Worth, was arrested Thursday and charged with cruelty to animals. Seymour, the black and white dog, required surgery to repair his jaw and is recuperating in a West Palm Beach veterinary's office. According to a police report, a witness told Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detectives she saw Greiner repeatedly punch Seymour in the face with a closed fist. The witness said that she saw Greiner carrying Seymour out his front door when the dog urinated on him. Greiner allegedly drop the dog. The dog scampered across the street with Greiner in hot pursuit, yelling "Kill that dog," the police report says. That's when, the report says, Greiner grabbed the little dog and repeatedly slugged it. According to the police report, Greiner told his girlfriend -- Seymour's owner -- that the dog got the broken jaw and other injuries from running into a wall. Greiner also told police that "everyone is against him and taking sides with his soon-to-be-ex-wife so that she can have sole custody of their children." According to the Palm Beach County Jail website, Greiner is being held without bond.

Commentary: Wow, what a lunatic. I would not want that guy around children. Can you imagine if he had been holding a baby and the baby had urinated on him? Animals depend on people to take them out and for just about everything. In many ways, domesticated animals are alot like children. Anyone who beats and abuses animals is not someone that I would trust around people either!

University of Miami Crocodile Murdered

(10/03/08)-The butchered carcass of an endangered American crocodile was discovered Wednesday in a canal on the University of Miami campus. A mesh bag with fishing chum found on the canal bank suggests the protected animal was lured to its death, then its head and tail were chopped off, said Officer Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. While large alligator heads are sometimes mounted as trophies, Pino said it would be pure speculation to guess at the reasons for the croc beheading. ''We're hoping that somebody will get outraged enough that they will call and tell us if they've heard or seen anything,'' he said. "Right now, the reality is we have little to go on.'' Crocodiles have been both a curiousity and a concern on the UM campus since 2004, when a couple popped up in Lake Osceola. One, an eight-foot, 200-pounder that students affectionately dubbed ''Donna'' after school president Donna Shalala, was removed and relocated. A second larger one eluded expert trapper Todd Hardwick for months -- despite the launch of the ''Croc-Tanic,'' a floating, 12-foot sun deck rigged with a net designed to ensnare the cold-blooded reptiles -- before disappearing. Since then, other crocodiles have been spotted on the Coral Gables campus without incident. UM issued a releasing saying the school was ''saddened'' by the killing and was cooperating with the FWC on the investigation. ''The university has been an understanding neighbor to this species,'' FWC biologist Lindsey Hord wrote in a statement.

UM worked with the state to develop an online program showing students and faculty how to co-exist with large and scary-looking creatures that are, at least typically, less aggressive than the alligators they are often mistaken for. There has never been a documented crocodile attack on a human in Florida. Biologists now estimate the population, which has expanded over the past decade, to be around 1,400 to 2,000 in South Florida -- with most of them living along the unpopulated coast of southern Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay. American crocodiles are listed as an endangered species in Florida and a threatened species under federal law. Killing them is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Pino said the croc was larger than most typically seen in campus canals and lakes connected to the Gables waterway.

The dismembered carcass, which still weighed several hundred pounds and took three men to handle, was transported to a lab for a necropsy that could reveal clues to the crime. Pino said a service worker made the gruesome find Wednesday afternoon. While it wasn't yet clear when the animal was killed, the remains had not yet begun rotting or bloating, suggesting the killing was recent. There were some signs of struggle along the canal, at the intersection of South Alhambra Circle and Ponce de Leon Boulevard near the campus police station, where the chum bag was found, Pino said. ''It lookes like they used that to lure the croc to come over to shore,'' he said. "Then they they used a sharp object, a machete or hatchet, to do the rest.''

UPDATE: (11/01/08) Donna the endangered crocodile, beloved by University of Miami students; was slaughtered as a thrill kill, university police said Thursday. John Michael Herndon, 16, was arrested as a result of tips about the crocodile's death, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said in a news release. He faces a number of charges, including felony animal cruelty. The carcass of the 9- to 10-foot crocodile was discovered in a canal on the campus Oct. 1. The head and tail had been removed. "It is really disturbing that this person and his friends could come onto our campus and viciously kill this crocodile, which presented a threat to no one," said Chief David Rivero of the University of Miami Police Department. Investigators said Herndon told them where to find the head. Miami-Dade police divers found it in a pond on campus. More arrests are possible in the case, police said. The American crocodile is listed as an endangered species in Florida and a threatened species by U.S. environmental agencies. Unlike the alligator, which has a wide range in the coastal south, crocodiles are found only in the southern tip of Florida.

Police are also looking for an adult who they say also took part, luring the reptile with fishing chum, tying it down and chopping it up. The crocodile suffered, authorities said. ''They used knives to kill it,'' said UM Police Chief David Rivero. "It was a very disturbing killing of the crocodile.'' Campus police said a tip to Crime Stoppers about 10 days ago led them to a nearby apartment, where authorities executed a search warrant at the apartment of an ''associate'' of one of those involved. ''We were able to find some critical DNA evidence that told us we were on the right path,'' Rivero said. Five people, three of them juveniles, were at Lake Osceola when the crocodile was killed between 2 and 3 a.m. Oct. 1. Police said they were all friends and one had fished in the canal. The 16-year-old and an adult actively participated in the slaying, police said. ''We have an incredible amount of corroborating evidence including video, DNA,'' Rivero said. "We've recovered the knives. We've recovered the chum bag that was used to draw the crocodile close to shore.''

Crocodiles have called the UM campus home since 2004, and Rivero said the college community's attachment to the crocodile gave police an "incredible zeal to solve this case.'' A service worker made the gruesome discovery in the afternoon on Oct. 1. There were signs of struggle along the canal at the intersection of South Alhambra Circle and Ponce de Leon Boulevard, not far from the campus police station. Police say the group lured the crocodile with chum, tied it up and then killed it, cutting off its head and tail. There are only thought to be between 1,400 and 2,400 of the endangered American crocodiles left in Florida, said Officer Jorge Pino, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "That's why it hit home,'' Pino said. The pieces are often used as trophies or sold, Pino said, adding, "In this case and cases similar to this, it's all about the rush and it's all about wanting to commit this crime. We're not going to tolerate it.''

Commentary: How sad that sick bastards like these can kill innocent animals that are hurting nobody and doing harm to no one. These sickos who engage in the sadistic ritual killing of animals often move up the sicko ladder by becoming murderers. The Zodiac Killer is a perfect example. That guy used to catch squirrels in order to "disect" them and graduated to serial killer. Too bad that these animal molestors cannot be given Biblical Justice, an eye for an eye.

Animals Euthanized At Record Pace

Several dozen animals are euthanized daily as population explodes and county lacks space. It was shortly after 11 a.m. when a man walked into the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control offices Friday and turned in his dog because it was terrorizing his neighborhood. After a computerized background check on the dog, the two parted. What the pit bull didn't know was that he had joined "the list" of animals to be euthanized, then cremated, within days at the county's new $80,000 incinerator. With the pet population soaring, the shelter on Belvedere Road, west of West Palm Beach, has almost doubled its capacity. A lack of space in an old, smaller building forced officials to make life-and-death decisions. "We have nearly 30,000 animals coming in each year, and the old place was built for 17,000. So, if you have no space, a certain number has to be put to sleep every day to make room for those new ones coming in," said Dianne Mercer Sauve, director of the Animal Care and Control Division.

Each year, thousands of dogs, cats, pigs, raccoons, horses, birds and even emus pass through the doors of the animal shelter. Some will be adopted. Most will not. Every animal that enters the facility gets five days. Pet adoption advocates say there's been a rise in the number of animals being abandoned. "It's really terrible," said Jeannette Christos, founder of the Tri County Humane Society, which advocates for pet adoption. "Every day when we come to work, people tie animals to our fence. With the economy the way it is, that contributes to it." She would like to see people keep their animals. "I can never, ever see how anybody could abandon their animal. It's just sad," she said. Animals at the county shelter that show signs of aggression or have bitten before have little chance of adoption and are quickly put on the death list. Officials euthanize as many as 50 animals a day. When county officials built the old shelter 15 years ago, they did not expect it would outgrow the building. In April, county commissioners passed a $1.6 million improvement plan to replace three kennels that had deteriorated and the incinerator. They replaced the incinerator and plan to have the rest of the facility finished next month. The new incinerator replaced equipment built in 1990. It was too small for the workload and ran all day and at nights. The new incinerator is adjacent to the old one, which was in the back of the shelter. "It literally was just rusting apart and not very efficient," Sauve said. (story by C. Ron Allen, South Florida Sun-Sentinel).

Commentary: Very sad that so many people who buy pets do not make a lifetime commitment to these helpless animals. Let's face it, how many people sell their Playstations, TV, etc., before they are down to getting rid of their pets? Sadly, the dog, cat, or other pet is often the first one to be sacrificed when financial problems arise in a household.

Solutions? Personally, I think that half the Puppy Mills should be closed down, and that the sales of dogs should include a major tax to fund the upkeep of abandoned animals. All dog and other larger animal sales should be registered, and the owners should be required to get an annual check-up and tag for these dogs, cats, etc. There needs to be accountability for pet owners. There also should be tax breaks for people that have pets, and less restrictions against pet owners for rental homes and apartments. How many people that are getting their homes foreclosed are moving into an apartment that does not allow any pets?? What do you think?? It is very sad that an endless amount of innocent creatures are dying and being let down by their owners. After all, God created all creatures, not just humans.

Man Fights Shark to Save Dog

A man has saved his pet dog from a shark attack by jumping into the water and punching the fish in the neck. Greg LeNoir and his rat terrier Jake were swimming at a Florida Keys marina when the attack happened. The 53-year-old carpenter said: "I saw a big, dark green shape, which I realised was a big shark's head. It zoomed up from under Jake. "Jake screamed - a death scream - and it sucked him under. I dove straight down like a battering ram, and I drove my fist under the water into the shark. "And it pushed him down - it felt like concrete on my hand." The shark's teeth punctured Jake's skin and some muscle on the dog's abdomen, chest and back. Jake also suffered lacerations on his right side and front left leg. The incident happened on Friday afternoon when Mr LeNoir took Jake to the Worldwide Sportsman's Bayside Marina pier in Islamorada, Florida for the dog's daily swim. Mr LeNoir said he was terrified when he saw the shark, but his only thought was saving Jake, who he described as a fast and fearless swimmer, often retrieving jellyfish and coconuts. "Jake is such a big part of mine and my wife's life - we don't have children," he said. "This is what she considers the closest thing to a child. And I couldn't abandon him." Mr LeNoir's brother, Phillip, told the Miami Herald: "Jake's doing great. And I still can't believe my brother jumped in the water and punched a shark."

Comments: WOW! It is great to read about someone who loves his dog so much he was willing to put his own life on the line!! But then there is this SAD NEWS from Australia:

Dog Burned to Death: A dog has died after being badly burned in Sydney's west yesterday, police said. The male terrier cross was found by a man walking his own dog along Orchardleigh Street at Old Guildford about 5.30pm, police said. Police said the man took the dog to the RSPCA at Yagoona but its injuries were so severe it was put down. Inspector Slade Macklin from the RSPCA said it appeared the dog had been set on fire deliberately. "Unless the dog was in a house fire or if someone turned around and said 'the dog jumped in an open fire', it's sort of unlikely that a dog would [do] something like that," Inspector Macklin said. But a police spokeswoman said Bankstown investigators were following a number of lines of inquiry and had not ruled out the possibility the dog's injuries were accidental. It is believed police last night made contact with the dog's owner, who lives in the Yagoona/Old Guildford area. Inspector Macklin said the dog, which was "only a couple of years old", was in shock when it was delivered to the RSPCA.

Dog Hanging From Tree: Yesterday a dead dog has been found hanging from a tree in Sydney's west, the RSPCA says. RSPCA NSW is appealing for witnesses to what it has labelled a shocking case of animal cruelty. The female cattle-dog cross was discovered this morning in RAAF Memorial Park, on the corner of Belmore Avenue and Woodstock Road in Mount Druitt.
The tan-coloured dog, thought to be no more than five years old, was probably hanging there for at least a few days, the RSPCA said. RSPCA NSW Inspector Matt Godwin said it was not clear if the animal was already dead before being strung up in the tree, but there were no other obvious injuries. "It is without a doubt, the worst case of cruelty and the most disturbing that I have ever seen," Inspector Godwin said. "We're appealing to anyone who has any information or who may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area over the weekend, to come forward. "The dogs' owners might still be looking for their pet." Anyone with information is urged to phone RSPCA NSW on (02) 9770 7555.