We need to change the "hearts and minds" of these type of simple-folk from one of callus indifference to that of a more compassionate lean. These people need to evolve and develop a little more respect for every living thing. That would be a dam good start down the road to a better world.
WARNING: GRAPHIC PICS
Back in Nov. of 2007, authorities in Cullman County, Al., began investigating a shocking case of animal cruelty. Police said a Vinemont family's beagle was skinned alive and had to be euthanized, but a second beagle escaped with minor lacerations. Neal Rodgers said he had let the family's two beagles run loose in a rural part of Vinemont located on Cullman County Road 1428 last weekend. He said he first thought his 3-year-old dog named Anne had been hit by a car, but after a closer look it was clear someone skinned his dog alive.
Rodgers said her coat was removed from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail and down to the nipple line. The second dog, 3-year-old Buttercup, suffered lacerations around the neck and shoulder before apparently escaping.
Cullman County Sheriff Tyler Roden said the case is under investigation.
A growing cash reward was offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction in this animal cruelty case. At last report, the reward is nearly $1,300; however, since it is funded by contributions from donors, it is likely to grow. (Note: The fund was last reported to have grown to around $14,000!) If you would like to donate money to the fund, you may do so at any Merchants Bank. Simply place the donation in the "Justice for Anne" fund.
If you have any information about who's responsible for the crime, contact the Cullman County Sheriff's Office at 256-734-0342, or the Secret Witness Hotline (to remain anonymous) at 256-734-0210.
BLOGGERS NOTE: I have called today to follow up on this case, to see what, if anything, had come of it. Today, being a sunday, I was told to call back on Monday and ask for the "Investigation Dept." I will most certainly do that tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I do believe that Annie was needlessly euthanized. The worst part of her ordeal was over and she should have been given a chance at recovery and a good rest of her life. There are plenty of sources of skin for grafting, including artificial "second skin" patches. Sounds to me as if someone didnt want to go to the expense of the surgical procedures involved, which we all know can be very pricey. So the tragedy of Annies torture was compounded, in my mind, by her un-necessary death due to economics and the high cost of vet care. Poor Annie. I would have gladly given her all of the skin off of my own meaty thighs just to see her thriving and happy and healthy again. .
PLEASE ALSO NOTE that the area where this atrocity occurred is a very rural area with only a handful of neighbors. How far could these dogs have wandered to have come into such gruesome hands? How many suspects could there possibly be in such a rural place? Surely someone knows something.
(Click on pic to enlarge)
The "pool" of suspects is VERY limited in this case so I am thinking surely the owners must have a good idea of who the offender is.....perhaps complaints have been lodged against this owner as he apparently has no problem in letting his dogs run free.
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:--Ayw3cOm0MJ:www.abc3340.com/news/stories/1107/475615.html maggie, the skinned alive beagle.
UPDATE: March 30, 2010
I have just gotten off the phone with the sheriffs dept asking for an update on this case. I have been informed by the secretary that a determination was made that the injuries suffered were "accidental,"....claiming that it somehow got itself caught in a chicken-grinder or some such non-sense. I asked her who had made that determination, imparting to her my belief that it looked very much like a professional job,....she wasent sure who made the determination but told me she would have the sheriff contact me directly for details. Apparently, the case is closed and they still have some REFUNDS to issue to the good people that gave to Annies Cause, so if you are a contributor I suggest you contact the sheriffs office to see about getting your money back.
Will post further updates as they come along. Thanks for carin. Meanwhile, click on title above to sign petition.
For more examples of "Southern-Style" Animal Cruelty, check out "Hog-Dog Rodeos";
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-quothog-dogquot-rodeos
Also beware of "Hillibilli's With Guns"; http://badlawyernyc.blogspot.com/2009/12/hillbillies-with-guns.html
Posts
Just to relate a first hand account of animal cruelty Alabama Red-Neck Style,..my 13 yr old grand-daughter was visiting some relatives down in Alabam (on her fathers side, not mine) and when she came back she related to me a horror story of how her "kin-folk" down there showed her how to train their dogs for coon hunting. She watched as they bought out a caged raccoon and shot all four of its feet off while it was still in the cage. Then they let the coon out and "sicked" a pack of their hunting dogs on it. She watched as the poor thing tried to run away on its bloody stumps as the dogs went after it and tore it to pieces. My grand-daughter was highly traumasized over this but wouldnt say anything to anyone about it but me. I do not think she is looking forward to another visit with those relatives, but then again, I am not sure. They are her fathers people.
ReplyDeleteYour poor daughter....That part of the country has a great disregard for animals.I hope she never has to go back...I have terrible visions now and I don't have to go back. If she sees things like this,she will become DE-sensitized... all the best..
DeleteOMG! This is horrible! Although I do believe that euthanizing her after her ordeal wasn't such a bad thing because she's already been through too much trauma, I don't believe a word the doctor reports. If you know something and don't do anything, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE, too. Your conscience, assuming you have any, will haunt you. And to the post with the raccoon, OMG! I, too, had seen something horrible as a child, and it remains embedded in my mind. I can't believe humans!
ReplyDeleteMy questions would be how long were the dogs gone? Are there any pictures of the second dog? And are there any types of these so called "machines" anywhere in the area?
ReplyDeleteDogs smell fear and just like in a shelter when they're walked down the hall to the killing room, if they'd gone near an area where chickens were killed, thye could have smelled that fear as well. Being an animal advocate, mainly dog, we are well informed of these things and I know these dogs would have never gone near any machine that was killing chickens. What kind of moron made this decision?
It was my grand-daughter (not daughter) and I did talk to her mother (my eStranged daughter) who absolutely refuses to say anything to the southern relatives let alone press charges. They are not my hubbies people, but HER hubbies people. Anyways the story goes that this "hunting dog training practice" goes on all the time down south, "as if" it was legal, so I am thinking how hard it would be to get a prosecution or even an investigation going in areas where this is known to occurr. If "everybody" does it, who will report it? Does this sound like a defeatist attitude or what? AR folk SHOULD "get on" this issue. Know what else is a popular "sport" down south? Ever hear of "Hog Dog Rodeo?" If not, look for it in "google vids." Here is another cruel blood-sport that if not illegal already, should be. So there is another battle for us!
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely horrendous. The petition link is broken (or I'm trying to use the wrong one). I want to write to someone in authority there and demand that this case be re-opened. Has the ALDF (Animal Legal Defense Fund) been contacted? They may well take this case on and demand justice for Anne. I would not have euthanized my pet. In the picture she is still walking around and she could have healed but I think a decision to euthanize was probably based on a combination of economics and the owners having a lesser degree of the 'redneck lack of compassion for animals'. You don't spend big money on animals is the general consensus and I wonder if vets in such a rural area would even have the know-how to have helped poor Anne.
ReplyDeleteAs to the horrible Racoon/hunting dog story. PUBLICITY is what we need I think if you believe it to be common practice in the south let's contact all the animal advocate groups (like Peta and HSUS) and maybe some talk show hosts, maybe 60 minutes, 20/20 and newspapers and get some exposes done. I'm certainly willing to help with everything I've mentioned.
Maria, thanks for comment. Dont know why the link isnt working for you but here is the link again;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/justice-4-annie-victim-of-horrific-cruelty
If you continue to have trouble let me know and I will try to fix it for you. Yes you are right we need to expose these cruelties more. As for notifying HSUS or PETA, I am quite sure I read someplace that PETA was involved, initially, at least, though it wouldnt hurt to contact them again for an update. For more "Southern-Style" animal cruelty, check out "Hog Dog Rodeos";
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-quothog-dogquot-rodeos
@ Mz.Many Names: If you don't report this kind of cruelty to the authorities, then when it becomes public knowledge, you could be fined for knowing about it and NOT reporting it. Never mind the fact that this is disgusting, and I can't believe you HAVEN'T reported it! Man, seriously. Give you head a shake woman! PLEASE! I'm a member of PETA, and I'M going to report it right now!
ReplyDeleteAs a southerner and animal activist I find your stereotyping disgusting and unfair. Animal cruelty is a problem nationwide, and laws are in need of reform many places (goggle Nitro’s Law and the back story for that if you think this is a southern problem – better still, here is Nitro’s legacy). You can kick over rocks anywhere and find vermin. As to Mz. Many Names story, most people I know would not participate in “training” as was described here and would report it. Abuse is wrong, be it toward a domestic animal, including companion animals, wild animals, children, elders, spouses, or strangers. But abuse is not a regional (or specific population group) issue, it is a national crisis in this country and in many countries.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am originally from this piece of crap town (regrettably) and can tell you firsthand what scumbags the so called authorities here are and what a joke their law enforcement is. They harrass innocent people and don't do a damn thing when soemthing like this occurs. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "good ole boys" were involved or are at least dog fighters. They ALL are sadistic backwoods types...more shotguns and hunters than people who can read in Cullman county.
ReplyDeleteThis town is as close to a "chain saw massacre" variety as you will find anywhere in the USA today..I firmly believe that. I luckily moved away from there over ten years ago. When I was a young Mom and poor (if you have money or are from a select few families you wont be touched) My baby daughter was teething and crying and riding in the car soothed her. My husband and myself (he worked nights second shift and got home at 11 pm so midnight was our evening ..and since the baby was teething our downstairs nighbor was a cranky old lady we didnt want her complaining about the baby whining and up late running around making noise...but I digress. We stopped in a convenience store coming in from one end of a parking lot to get a soda and snack..started out the other one and a bottle was obstructing the driveway...seeing it was an open beer bottle I wasnt going to put it in my car so I tossed it aside so we could pull out...a cop immediately whips in and starts accusing and when I finally made him realize I waa telling the truth and we werent drinking and it wasnt my bottle ..he then informed me that "fit" and "decent" parents wouldnt have their baby out at that time of night and that we were trashy ass kids etc..yada yada. I have 100 other stories...this town is a horrible little peyton place..and should be evacuated and fumigated and started over. Sad but true.
Sorry for all my typos but when I realized this heinous abuse on this dog was committed here..I had a few overwhelming emotions..sadness and complete belief that it was in Cullman County and that it was a complete cover up by the police who dont want to do anything but harrass. My Dad was a farmer there... I don't know of a piece of machinery that would do that if he fell in a thresher or something he would have been hamburger.
ReplyDeleteI have a brother who i am sure died there from an over dose..(my issue is as to whether it was by his own hand or his girlfriend) the coroner ruled it COPD...he was 40 years old..no autopsy. It was ridiculous. Crooks and scum run this town. Tyler Roden is a joke. please feel free to contact me if anyone would like to start an expose' or case against any officials in this town. Im in!
Of course I am not implying that animal cruelty is a regional problem. That would be absured! Its just that it seems to be more prevalent (and less reported and/or enforced) in the southern states. I got nothing against hillbillies, I am a NY hillbilli myself, its just ignorance I cant stand and you have to be ignorant (I think) to be cruel. Ignorance is not a regional problem either, I know, but it also seems epidemic "down there." Anyways, if Jeff Foxworthy can poke fun at them and get away with it, why cant I? Oh, thats right, Im not a star.
ReplyDeleteI am just a citizen of Portugal who tries to defend animals and sign all the petitions in facebook and other sites defending the rights of animals. That's how I got here. I can´t believe there re people so sadistic as this case depicts. And that's what matters , those people belong in jail. Southern or northern, who cares about those issues , are you still having ghosts from civil war? There are so many issues that can unite people accross the world ...like fighting against cruelty, and violence against any God's creature specially those that can feel pain and have feelings.
DeleteThank you Karen for sharing that info with us and will keep you in our thoughts and hope that we can change things for the better down there if we keep hacking away at them for their blatent disreguard for the animals and the laws made to protect them.
ReplyDeleteWill keep you in mind if we ever do open a case against the corruption going on down there.
Exactly!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I am VERY insulted by the way you try and act like your talking hillbilly when you have not lived anywhere close to the south, Guess it shows true what we have always thought about those brainless yankees!!!I DO NOT believe in any form of animal abuse!! BBut I would never stand on the same side of the fence as your ignorant self!! When you talk about black people abusing animals do you call the niggers and write like your talking ole negro style Miss Karen??!! You have more respect for animals than people, and that is stupidity at its finest!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry that wasn't suppose to be MISS KAREN it was suppose to be Mz Many Names.
ReplyDeleteAs A southerner myself and living about fifteen minutes from Cullman in Alabama I also am a little shocked by the stereotyping not only in this post by by the comments being posted.
ReplyDeleteIve traveled all over the US and have seen the most rural of neighborhoods to the most populated.All the way from NYC to San Diego California and their is evil everywhere,and small towns in EVERY STATE.
This could have happened anywhere. The location is not relevant to the actual act.
IF THIS IS ACTUALLY DONE BY SOME ONES HANDS and not a freak accident of this dog being caught up under a vehicle or heavy machinery.
Posting this as a "HILLBILLY" act is an immature accusation.
Who is to say that a visiting northerner to the area could have done this?
NO On knows all the facts yet other than this dog was found wandering the streets in this shape so pointing fingers and assuming this was done by an actual person is as we southerners say JUMPING THE GUN dont cha THINK?