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)

Last June, dog handler Mary Wild left eight show dogs, including her teenaged assistant’s dog and the #1 Akita bitch in the country at that time, in a poorly ventilated cargo van overnight after returning home from a show. Seven of the dogs, including those two, died of heat stroke. This afternoon, Ms. Wild was convicted on eight counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Sentencing will be in July. The maximum penalty for this type of offense is up to one year in jail and a fine up to $1,000. I sincerely hope that the maximum penalties are applied in this case.

Links to coverage from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Judge convicts dog handler on all counts – June 4, 2010
Trial opens in deaths of 7 show dogs – June 3, 2010
(this link also contains the original news story from June 24, 2009)

(NaBloPoMo | June ’10: 4 of 30)

It’s pushing 90° F today in Chicago. I have gone through too many rainy sixtysomething degree Memorial Day weekends to jump the gun on storing all of the heavier clothing, but I will let myself hope that summer may have actually arrived on schedule this year.

I have to admit that this year we were somewhat underprepared for yesterday, the first truly hot day of the summer. The outdoor condenser unit had been uncovered and cleaned, but for some reason we didn’t flip on the power switch the day following cleaning. We discovered this sad fact right around the time we were hot enough to want air conditioning. All is well now, but humans, canines, and felines alike wilted our way through a few uncomfortable hours (the parakeet did not seem to mind the heat). This was minor discomfort, though, and far from a dangerous situation. We were well-hydrated, with shade available outdoors, and ceiling fans and standalone fans going indoors.

But extreme heat can definitely be very dangerous, particularly to the very young, the elderly, and pets. I have not heard any local stories of heat-related deaths so far this year, but one that is still on my mind is one that I’ve talked about here before: the heat-related deaths of seven show dogs left in an unventilated cargo van overnight by their handler, Mary Wild, last June. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for today, May 24, and a jury trial for June 3. With summer weather upon us again, my hope would be that jury members experiencing the summer heat will be clearly able to imagine the agony these dogs went through in their final hours, something that may not have been so easy to relate to if the trial had indeed happened in the dead of winter.

I doubt anyone who visits me here on a regular basis would even think about leaving a dog, or any other living creature, in an unventilated vehicle overnight. But remember that when outdoor temperatures are high enough, it only takes a few minutes for the interior of a vehicle to reach dangerously high temperatures.

Here are the signs of canine heat stroke, from AKC’s Summer Safety Tips:

Early stages: Heavy panting, rapid breathing, excessive drooling, bright red gums and tongue, standing 4-square, posting or spreading out in an attempt to maintain balance.
Advanced stages: White or blue gums, lethargy, unwillingness to move, uncontrollable urination or defecation, labored, noisy breathing, shock.

Get the dog to a vet immediately, and in the meantime, cool it down:
- Apply rubbing alcohol to the dog’s paw pads.
- Apply ice packs to the groin area.
- Hose down with, or immerse his/her entire body in cool water
- Allow the dog to lick ice chips or drink a small amount of water.
- Offer Pedialyte to restore electrolytes.

Monitor rectal temperature; once temperature drops to 100-102° F, stop the cooling efforts.

Also see PetMD’s article about heat stroke in dogs for more information and emergency care advice.

Obviously the best strategy is prevention. Think twice about strenuous exercise in extreme weather. Think about leaving your dog at home if he would have to remain in the car for any length of time on a hot and humid day.

Thanks to Di for this update. Mary Wild’s arraignment was scheduled for yesterday, August 12. According to the Jefferson County public court records, Ms. Wild waived formal arraignment and criminal setting scheduled for September 15.

Contact information for the Jefferson County prosecutor’s office is still available at Kinship Circle. Help make sure that this crime is punished with the maximum penalty allowable.

Links to earlier posts on this topic (some contain links to news stories if you are just now hearing about this):
Killer heat: don’t let it get you and yours
Update: show dog heat stroke deaths
Update: more on show dog heat stroke deaths

(NaBloPoMo | August ’09: 13 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 201 of 274)

I am still getting a fair amount of traffic from those looking for updates on Mary Wild, the Missouri dog handler who left eight show dogs in a cargo van overnight, causing the heat-related deaths of seven of those dogs. Previous posts with links to news stories are at:

Killer heat: don’t let it get you and yours
Update: show dog heat stroke deaths

Di left a comment today reminding us that there is still time to write to Jefferson County’s prosecuting attorney to ask that a plea bargain not be allowed. Ms. Wild has been charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, and arraignment is on August 12.

Di also left a link to Kinship Circle’s post on the subject, where you will find all of the contact information and a sample letter should you need help gathering your thoughts.

From some recent articles in The Dog Press, it would appear that the Jefferson County prosecutor’s office is taking this case quite seriously, but it is a sad fact that in general, it’s rare for animal cruelty cases to get the maximum sentences available. Put in your two cents if you feel, as I do, that your opinion might make a difference. And read the articles from The Dog Press:

Dog Handler Charged
Mary Wild Kills 8 Dogs

Even if you do not think this has anything to do with you because you don’t send your dogs out with a handler, or you don’t show dogs at all, please read at least the portions of the posts and articles that talk about heat stroke. Remember it’s August and the possibility of heat stroke should be a concern to us all. It’s not only show dogs in the so-called care of an irresponsible handler that are at risk. There have been deaths or illnesses reported this summer to police dogs (and you would think K9 handlers, like show handlers, would have more concern and consideration than the average person), pets… and children. Stay cool, everyone.

(NaBloPoMo | August ’09: 5 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 193 of 274)

I don’t have enough to say on any one topic, so you get to listen to… ermmm… read… this “brain dump.”

• I’m awaiting the arrival of my WordPress 2.8.1 automatic update bar. It is sad that even the five-minute update is too much work for me now that I’ve gotten accustomed to the automatic updates, which work great for me. I know some have had issues with the automatic updates. I am not one of those users. If I were smart, I’d be backing up my database and files while I wait, instead of waiting for the update bar to remind me.
• I really enjoy Thursday’s Monthly Mingle and the bloggers I’ve “met” there. Thanks, Indigo, for the fun that is the Mingle!
• As part of my rally obedience education (remember, I’m the dumb half of the Freya and me team), I joined one Yahoo! Group devoted mainly to AKC rally, and one specifically for UKC rally. I am truly appreciative of the good information that is shared freely in messages and files, and I hope to be able to contribute in time as I do in other groups where I actually know something useful about the subject matter. However, the signal to noise ratio of forums and e-mail lists just amazes me. So many people just don’t seem to care about netiquette, or maybe they simply never learned it. There was a time when only “smart” people had computers, but there was never a time when only polite people had computers, so what gives? This isn’t about the two groups I just joined, by the way. It’s an observation about forums in general (these two actually have a very good signal to noise ratio).
• Bird neighbor update: I haven’t seen the male cardinal in a while, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he hasn’t been around. I think we keep very different hours. The female cardinal has been sitting on her nest daily. According to several different sources online, cardinal eggs take from 11-13 days to hatch, and the babies leave the nest in about 10 days. I’m not sure when the eggs were laid, but based on when we first noticed the cardinal pair, I’m going to start being very careful with the dogs near the rosebush starting late next week.
• I’m really amazed at how many hits have come here as a result of searches for “Mary Wild” or “show dog deaths.” That awful incident has been in my thoughts as well quite a bit ever since it happened on June 22.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 9 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 166 of 274)

I’ve tried to keep my June 26 post about Mary Wild and the heat-related deaths of the show dogs left overnight in her van after a show weekend updated with new links as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has posted additional articles.

Today’s update reported that Wild has been charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, and is free on $2,500 bond.

While I absolutely think that Wild was criminally negligent and that criminal charges are appropriate, I was a little surprised to find that this would still be considered a misdemeanor; specifically a Class A misdemeanor, which could involve up to one year of imprisonment and up to $1,000 in fines.

I say a “little” surprised because in the past few years, many states, including Missouri, have made changes to their animal cruelty statutes. But as in most states, the death of an animal, even in a case like this, would not be a felony unless it was a repeat offense or unless torture was involved. I’d put heat stroke up there as a horribly torturous way to die, but I don’t believe that is how it will be seen by the courts.

We’re about to get another wave of high temperatures here in the Chicago area this week. Put the safety of your human and animal family members as a major priority. If you see someone stupidly putting their children or pets in danger, get help or get involved. Stay safe and cool, everyone.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 6 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 163 of 274)