Updates on the case of Mary Wild, the dog handler whose neglectful actions caused the death by heat stroke of seven show dogs in June, have not appeared in any mainstream media sources in quite some time, but dog forums and news sources are still keeping an eye out. A reader’s letter to The Dog Press reports that the case has been continued until October 13, 2009 and a jury trial has been requested. Maximum possible sentence would be 8 years in jail plus $8,000 (1 year + $1,000 fine for each of 8 counts of animal abuse).
I’ve served on a jury twice (one criminal case and one civil case) and I came back with serious misgivings about the phrase “jury of one’s peers” and for that matter, the entire trial-by-jury process. I wonder whether a jury trial will result in the maximum sentence for Ms. Wild, or will a jury feel sorry for her, perhaps because of her youth or because to so many people, a dog is just a dog and a show dog is just an object?
There was also news last week on another case that shocked and angered me earlier this year. Lora Hunt was painting her fingernails as she drove, and struck and killed motorcyclist Anita Zaffke who was stopped at a traffic signal. On September 16, Ms. Hunt was indicted on 6 counts of reckless homicide. Arraignment is October 8.
If you’ve been here before, you know my thoughts on distracted driving. This case is the one I point at when people try to demonize technology as the root of all distracted driving evil. Ban texting while driving, by all means. But make sure that distractions like this, total low-tech distractions, can also be considered dangerous and punishable when the results are as horrible as this.
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.
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:
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:
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)
You know what we do here whenever we’re lost for a topic, don’t you? That’s right, the search stats page!
wiredtree provisioned in: I moved my VPS servers to WiredTree in May, and so far my experience has been overwhelmingly positive (see the related blog posts if you’d like). My first VPS server was provisioned in 2.5 hours from time of order to receipt of welcome e-mail with login instructions. My second VPS server’s provisioning was not quite so speedy, but the delay was primarily due to a screw-up on my part regarding the number to contact me for the required telephone verification. I have no experience with dedicated or hybrid servers and do not know how long those would take to be set up.
mary wild: I’m a bit surprised at the number of searches that still come here on that name. Unfortunately, I have no new updates to supply. The most recent article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was on July 6, and I’ve seen nothing since then regarding sentencing for the handler who caused heat-related deaths of seven of the eight show dogs she chose to leave in a poorly-ventilated cargo van overnight in late June. I do have alerts set up for this topic and others that I follow, and I will post should new information come in.
did michael jackson have a rottweiler: In the 15 years I’ve owned Rottweilers, I have never heard that Michael Jackson was ever a Rottweiler owner. Honestly. Does he really seem like a Rottweiler person? Jackson’s name does not come up on any searches for “celebrity +Rottweiler” or similar, so I’m guessing that the answer is “no.”
(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 28 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 185 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)
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)
