Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Last month, Mary Wild was convicted on eight counts of misdemeanor animal abuse for leaving eight show dogs in a poorly-ventilated van overnight, causing the deaths of seven of those dogs due to heat stroke. She could have faced up to eight years in jail plus up to $8,000 in fines. Instead, she will serve no time in jail (suspended sentence, two years probation), do 80 hours of community service at the Jefferson County Animal Control Center, and write a 750-word essay on how heat impacts dog.

I am saddened and disappointed in the leniency of the sentence by Judge Raymond Dickhaner. He said the matter of restitution should be handled by the civil courts. No word yet on whether the American Kennel Club will impose any sanctions on Ms. Wild. I sincerely hope they are less forgiving of the painful deaths of seven dogs than the courts of Missouri.

News and blog links:
The Dog Press: Mary Wild Sentenced
Di’s My Akita Kids: Mary Wild Gets a “Time Out”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Handler gets probation in deaths of seven show dogs

(NaBloPoMo | July ’10: 3 of 31)

It’s the ninth week of the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop, co-hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Nip and Bones. Join in, if you would, please! We missed a few weeks when last month went to… well, more like away from… the dogs.

Neil at Life With Dogs asks about holiday plans. I’m happy to say that our plans include relaxing, catching up, and more relaxing. That is, when the dogs are not involved in defending home and property from the “war” they are sure is going on. I mean, if there is no war, then why are things exploding? Although we will try to be safely indoors with television or music playing during the loudest part of the night, it’s still bound to be quite a long weekend until they are satisfied that we are at peace once again.
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