40 animals seized
Woman assaults animal control officer
By AMANDA KIMBLE
Published: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:12 PM CDT
Source: http://www.empiretribune.com/articles/2008/04/22/news/doc480e1dd6b12e1240930308.txt
Eighteen dogs, 11 puppies and 11 cats were seized from a home in the 800 block of Paddock Street Saturday. The owner of the animals was arrested and booked into the Erath County Jail after she refused to cooperate with law enforcement officials and allegedly attacked a city code enforcement officer.
Iris Jean Edwards, 59, was arrested for assault of a public servant, a third degree felony punishable by a maximum fine of $10,000 and two to 10 years in jail. She was also charged with interfering with public duties, a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.
Edwards was released from custody Sunday after posting a $5,000 bond for the assault charge and $1,000 for interfering with duties.
According to Police Chief Roy Halsell, Edwards was arrested after authorities received a call reporting that a dead dog was in the street in a neighborhood near her home. When animal control officer Frank Morecock responded, eight dogs were seen roaming in the immediate area. When asked about the dogs’ owner, neighbors pointed in the direction of Edwards’ home.
Halsell said when Morecock went to Edwards’ residence, she began throwing the animals inside of the house. Morecock explained that city ordinance states that only three dogs are allowed within city limits and she would have to relinquish five of the dogs to be in compliance. Edwards refused and the code officer requested assistance from the Stephenville Police Department.
Due to Edwards’ continued refusal to cooperate, a seizure order was obtained from Judge Shawnee Bass, which allowed officers to enter the property and take control of the animals. When presented with the order, Edwards punched Morecock in the chest, arm and face.
Upon entering the home, officers were faced with conditions unfit for animal or human inhabitance.
“There was a horribly strong odor in the home. Feces were everywhere. The dogs were thin and drawn, obviously underfed. They were covered in fleas and mange and some were even running a fever,” Halsell said. “Closed in one room of the home were 18 barking dogs, living in their own excrement. Officers found a pit bull locked in a pantry or small closet. Officers also found 11 puppies and 11 cats which were underfed and covered in mange.”
Halsell also said that once inside the home, Morecock was attacked by a fearful feline.
Perhaps more shocking was the dead dog found inside the home and the skulls of four dead animals littering the yard outside the residence.
All 40 animals were taken from the home and moved to the Erath County Humane Society where they remained Monday morning. Shelter manager Judy Hallmark said she was present when the animals were removed from the home and conditions at the residence were unimaginable.
“The bad thing is, in cases like this, the people involved think they are somehow helping the animals,” Hallmark said. “They tell themselves if they bring them to the shelter, they will be killed. The truth is, the conditions they were living in are far more cruel.”
Hallmark said overcrowding has become a bigger issue with the additional 40 animals.
“We can feed the animals, that is not a problem,” Hallmark said. “The problem is we have nowhere to put them.”
While the fate of their owner is uncertain, the fate of the animals is now in the hands of the shelter. Hallmark said that due to their condition, many would have to be euthanized.
“There are a few of them that we will be able to save, Hallmark said. “Sadly, the rest will never have a chance to be adopted.”
The judge said that a hearing would decide if Edwards could be reunited with some of the animals.
“If it is determined that she can care for the animals, she could be able to get back the number of animals that the ordinance allows,” Bass said.
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If you want to help and donate and/or adopt an animal in and around Erath County, the following links are a way to start!
4/24/08
40 animals seized in Stephenville, Texas
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1 comment:
Love. What is love.
You can not touch it.
Or can you.
A loving wife can be touched.
My 2 dogs Pandora and Cypress can be touched.
My past girl friends who I was in love with could be touched (one of them by my friend with out me knowing, but thats another story).
Love. Can you hold it in your hand?
I can hold my dogs in my hand.
They are pure bread American Pit Bull Terrier.
The breed is very smart, strong and loving.
No other breed has been temperament tested (by way of 2 dogs in battle with
2 dog handlers with in inches of the fight knowing that the dog would never
bite them) the way the APBT has.
Love.
I would never, ever, ever even think about fighting my dogs.
I have never seen, wanted to see, or been to a dog fight (or a cock fight for that matter).
Does that mean I can not respect how someones grandpa can win The Ultimate Strong Man competition,
or be boxings' Heavy Weight Champion of the World?
Love.
Does that mean that you love unconditionally.
Can I say "I love the way I see your grandpa Swartz in your eyes to your Jewish grandson
wile being in front of Nazi guards looking for Jews to exterminate and throw in jail?
I love my Jew.
I love my American Pit Bull Terrier.
Hear me scream.
Here me Thomas Jefferson!
Here me god!
Here me you people on the "left" trying to take away my rights.
Here me people on the "right" trying to take away my rights.
Here me fellow amputees who are in pain!
Here me single people who have no family but there pet!
Here me!
Here me!
Here me! The humane society openly hired ALF members and claim to want to help the APBT -
by putting them to sleep.
The rights that are the most important are the ones you don't believe in.
America here me!
America I cry for you.
I am 34 years old.
What has happed to our freedom loving ways?
Is it just the "headline mentality", or are we as a country judging people way to much?
Punish the deed, not the breed.
Any one remember Our Gang.
The Little Rascals?
The dog Pete was a match dog.
He was an APBT.
Did you ever see him act mean toward the kids?
Were they scared, or did they love the dog Pete with his big black circle around one eye?
My dogs have been on TV to promote kids to be good people.
It was a 3 minute Character Education Program that ran on many cable channels.
We should have made one for the "adults",
I think they needed it more.
They wanted to pay me for the use of them, but I said no.
Its my duty to help make the APBT more respected and loved.
It helped!
My photo of my dog Cypress was chosen to be displayed at a local museum in a photo contest.
She did not win, but the breed did!
Among various photos was mine.
"Cypress at the Salmon".
A older lady asked me at the opening night show "where is the Cypress tree".
I told her the dog was named Cypress.
Cypress and her puppies were the only photo used in the American Dog Breeders Association magnet
handed out at the Las Vegas Dog Convention in 2003.
They were used for the cover of the ADBA Spring 2003 gazette.
Our girl Addy is helping mentally disabled children at a school in San Francisco.
The parents and kids love their Addy.
Come and kill her.
Come and take Addy away from the children in the Bay Area.
She is Vicious!
She is a pure bread American Pit Bull Terrier.
Thousand of family members killed off in Denver!
I will die for her.
I will die for America.
We fought (along with our dogs, some of which were APBTs') to long for our rights to loose them in
my life time.
Cypress is love.
Pandora is love.
A strong marriage, thats love.
The bond between myself any my family who live 720 miles away, thats love.
Willing to die for your family, that is love.
Good luck America.
I still love you.
a guy trying to keep the SS away
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