Tag: atlanta

Thieves walk off with 10 tons of dog food


Thieves stole more than 20,000 pounds of dog food from an Atlanta warehouse last week, and the owner of the kibble says the loss may put him out of business.

James Galloway, owner of Intown Healthy Hound, told WSBTV that the stolen food was worth $35,000.

It was stored in a warehouse that was broken into Wednesday. Police said the thieves apparently cut a hole in the fence of the next-door property, climbed through the warehouse window and used a forklift to move pallets filled with the dog food and load it onto a vehicle.

There was no camera or alarm on the property, police said, and Galloway said he didn’t think his insurance covered items being stored outside of his shop.

Nearly 100 dogs shot in the last two years by police officers in metro Atlanta area

Channel 2 Action News took a look at how often police officers in the Atlanta metropolitan area shot dogs in the course of their duties, and counted nearly 100 cases in the past two years.

Individual department records show sthat, since 2010, dogs were shot 25 times in Atlanta, 32 times in DeKalb county, 19 times in Gwinnett County, 10 times in Clayton County and eight times in Cobb County, including the most recent shooting this past September.

In that case, Cobb County officers responding to an alarm call shot and killed Luke, a chocolate lab when he ran out of the home barking.

In that case — in fact, in each of the more than 100 cases — the officer or officers were cleared of any wrongdoing.

“There isn’t an officer out there I know that wants to shoot a dog, any animal!” said Kliff Grimes a national representative for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. Officers often only have a “split-second” to make the decision to fire their guns, he added.

Channel 2 found only one metro area department, Cobb County, that requires officers to have specific training on how to respond to dogs, and that just started this year.

“With training there would be some accountability,” said Elizabeth Cullifer, whose dog Basil was shot two years ago. “There is no accountability in the situation with us. It was like he felt threatened, he shot your dog. That’s it,” she said.

Cullifer had left the fmaily’s 45-pound dog outside when marshals arrived to serve papers in a civil lawsuit.  Cullifer heard gunshots and found Basil dead. The papers were for someone who had not lived there in eight years.

Dog trapped on interstate leaps to safety

A Labrador mix, trapped on a busy section of Interstate 85 near Atlanta, was rescued by two state troopers who were in the right place at the right time — and with the camera on.

The dog was trapped Thursday in the inside lanes of I-85 northbound, near Spaghetti Junction, according to 11Alive in Atlanta.

Georgia State Patrol Troopers First Class Jason Kent and Dallas Vanscoten were in their cruiser, with their dashboard camera on when they came upon the dog.

The troopers turned on their lights and siren, and straddled the northbound lanes sideways to stop traffic. When they got out of the vehicle, leaving the doors open, they expected the dog to run from them.

“Usually when we pull up on animals like that, that’s gotten caught in the interstate, they’re usually pretty wild and don’t want to have anything to do with humans, and that’s what I was expecting … the dog just to run off,” Kent said.

Instead, they watched as the dog ran to the vehicle and jumped inside, taking a seat in the front passenger side seat.

Kent said it was like, “Okay, I’m ready to go, now. Thanks for saving me.”

Uninjured, she was taken to Gwinnett County’s animal shelter in Lawrenceville.

The officers didn’t have a clue how the dog ended up on the stretch of interstate, which has concrete barriers on both sides.

Her owners have five days to claim her, after which the Gwinnett County animal shelter will put her up for adoption.

This just in: Poop in the mailbox, delivered by the former president of CNN Headline News

The former president of CNN Headline News in Atlanta was caught on a security camera when he placed a bag of dog poop into the mailbox of his neighbors.

Bob Furnad, who also served as CNN’s political director, was fined $180 for his act, which he told police in Covington was the result of an ongoing feud.

Video from the security camera shows Furnad walking his dog, and stopping to place the bag inside the mailbox in front of a neighbor’s home.

Benjamin Dameron and Ralph Miller said they couldn’t understand why Furnad, who also was once an instructor at the University of Georgia, did it.

The incident was reported by CBS in Atlanta.

“We were working, getting ready for a wedding and we were out on the driveway,” explained Dameron. “We thought, well, we’re this close, we’ll check the mail box to see if the mail’s come.”

“Something had, a package,” said Miller.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” said Capt. Kem Malcom with the Covington Police Department. “In this situation the victims actually had video. ”

“Mr. Furnad stated that he did place a bag containing dog feces in the victim’s mail box,” Malcom said. When asked why, Furnad told the officer it was the result of “an ongoing feud.”

The neighbors agreed to settle the issue at a local court in Covington.

27 arrested during North Carolina dog fight

A raid on a Robeson County, N.C., dog fighting ring Saturday night resulted in the arrests of 27 people.

Authorities seized 18 dogs, thousands of dollars and several guns, according a news release from the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agency (ALE).

Those arrested were from the Carolinas, Ohio and Maryland, and charges included dog fighting, animal cruelty, animal neglect, weapons violations and possessing controlled susbstances, the Fayetteville Observer reported.

“Dog fighting is unquestionably a cruel and vicious event,” ALE Director John Ledford said in a release. “An event can last as long as several grueling hours while the dogs bite and maul each other to death,” he said. “With the help of state and federal partners, this inhumane bloodshed was stopped.”

The arrests were made at the home of Jimmy Jacobs, where almost everyone in the crowd tried to run away when authorities arrived. The state’s Air National Guard provided a helicopter to help track them down, the release said.

Some of the dogs that were seized had serious wounds as well as scars from previous injuries. Veterinarians from North Carolina and the Atlanta Humane Society provided medical care for wounded dogs.

ALE agents were assisted by state Wildlife Resources Commission and Department of Correction officers, Highway Patrol troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and representatives from Norred & Associates, an Atlanta security company whose owner donates services to help break up dog fighting rings.

It was a tip to the company’s dog fighting hotline that led to the investigation.

(Photo: Atlanta Humane Society)

Dog shot when cop goes to wrong house

A DeKalb County police officer responding to a domestic dispute shot and killed a family’s dog Tuesday night.

That happens far too often, but this time there’s an even sadder twist — he was at the wrong address.

The officer went to Bobbie Currie’s home on Silva Court around 9 p.m. in response to a domestic dispute call that possibly involved an armed person, Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News reported.

When the family’s German shepherd lunged at the officer, he shot and killed the dog, even though it was on a chain in the garage. He then pointed his gun at Currie’s husband, Anthony.

“I said, ‘Why you shoot my dog?’ And he said, ‘Well, I’ll blow your brains out,’” Anthony Currie said.

A DeKalb police supervisor sent to the scene said the officer made an error.

“Subsequent investigation determined that the actual address that he was looking for was actually across the street,” DeKalb police Lt. Dane Cunningham said.

Arrow lands in happy home in Georgia


Last week’s report about the Ohio dog found with an arrow poking out of both sides of his body got me to wondering about whatever happened to the Georgia dog who, in September, was found in a similar situation.

And, just as I started wondering, the answer came.

In the Ohio case, a 15-year-old German shepherd mix named Hershey disappeared from his home, ran off into the woods and was found 17 days later with an arrow going in one side of his chest and coming out the other.

A veterinarian removed it and he was last reported to be back home with his family and recovering.

In the Georgia case, a police officer discovered a one-year old pit bull mix wandering the streets of Atlanta with an arrow through his head. It had gone in near his left eye and came out behind his right ear, but veterinarians at a VCA Pets Are People Too Veterinary Hospital were able to remove it and treat the dog’s other injuries.

Interest in adopting the dog, dubbed Arrow, was high after news reports about him were aired, according to the Fulton County animal shelter.

After six weeks of recuperation, we’re happy to report, Arrow ended up getting adopted by Kevin Bryant, executive director of Pets Are Loving Support (PALS).

Bryant, whose organization provides pet food and money for veterinary care to people with terminal illnesses and disabilities, emailed me last week to share the news.

He reports that Arrow is doing well, and that both dog and human are helping each other heal: Five months ago, Bryant lost Murphy, his dog of 12 years, to cancer.

Bryant explains his decision to adopt Arrow in this video, produced by the website Fashionado:

Pit mix found with arrow through his head

A pit bull mix — who looks like he has a little Great Dane in him, as well — was found this week wandering the streets of southwest Atlanta with an arrow through his head.

The reward for information leading to the perpetrator had risen by Friday to $6,000 — including a $5,000 donation from Norred & Associates, an Atlanta-based security firm, according to WTVM.

A Fulton County Animal Control officer discovered the 1-year-old dog on Kenner Drive after a resident contacted Atlanta police.

The dog was taken for emergency veterinary care and the arrow was removed.

Once he recovers from his injuries the dog, who has been nicknamed Arrow, will be available for adoption.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Fulton County Animal Services at (404) 613-0358.

Former Vick partner cited for kennel’s state

A former business partner of NFL quarterback Michael Vick is facing charges in Henry County, Georgia, after authorities found kennel dogs living in deplorable conditions and one dead dog stuffed in a plastic trash bag, according to WSBTV in Atlanta.

Art Washington owns Premier K-9 in Ellenwood, which the television station reported is operating on a revoked business license.

Fox 5 in Atlanta reports that Washington was issued 16 citations in connection with the conditions at the kennel, and may face additional charges after further inspection of the facility.

Animal control officials say Washington also was operating without a breeders permit.

Washington told investigators he is selling the business, which raises, sells, trains and imports German shepherds, Rottweilers and Presa Canarios.

Washington has had extensive business ties to Vick, WSBTV reported, including a partnership in a former car rental venture. ESPN Magazine reported the Vick and Washington were also partners in a horse farm at one point.

According to the Premier K9 website, the company has provided dogs to many athletes and celebrities, including the NBA’s Joe Johnson and Ron Mercer, baseball players Rick Ankiel, Kris Benson and Brian Jordan, NFL players Fernando Bryant and Dunta Robinson, and recording star Monica.

Apparently, in 2007, Michael Vick was briefly pictured on the satistifed celebrity customer page, too.

The Premier K9 website describes the company as “responsible, well respected breeders who have established a reputation for meeting and surpassing their customers’ expectations.”

But according to the county’s animal control director, the business may have been abandoning many of its dogs — and calling animal control to pick them up as strays.

Gerri Yoder said the “strays” were of the same breeds the kennel sells — Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and other purebreds.

“These dogs were extremely fearful or they were extremely aggressive, and in every case they were malnourished to the point of emaciation,” she  told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.

Yoder said inspectors visiting the kennel found debris and animal waste on the floor, animals with feces matted to their hair, piles of dog hair, overflowing sinks and thick spider webs. “The lack of cleanliness of the kennel was not something that happened over a weekend,” she said. “The conditions at the kennel were a direct result of long-term neglect.”

Washington, in a statement, said he had been out of the country and blamed the conditions on employees. You can see his full statement here.

Neighbor sues rapper in death of her Yorkie

An Atlanta woman has filed a lawsuit against Rick Ross, seeking damages for the death of her 3-year-old Yorkshire terrier, who she says was killed by the rapper’s three pit bulls.

The woman, a neighbor, says the three dogs — described in the lawsuit as pit bulls — escaped from Rick’s mansion and attacked her dog, Banks, on her property.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, the Yorkie suffered “3 large bite wounds on his back ” along with a “very large bite wound” around his neck.

Police responded to the scene and managed to free the smaller dog, but his wounds were so severe he had to be euthanized.

According to TMZ, Ross was cited for the incident.

The lawsuit seeks $15,000 in damages and court costs.