Hearing for Rocket Thursday in Bucks County, PA

WHO:
Plaintiff is Sheila Combs of New Orleans, LA
Defendants are Lynne Welsh & Joseph Welsh of Doylestown, PA
Mollys County Kennels of Lansdale, PA
Holiday House Pet Resort of Doylestown, PA

WHAT: Replevin Hearing

WHEN: November 9th at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Bucks County Courthouse - Courtroom A-9
4th Floor
55 E. Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-6000
Map of Doylestown
Map to Doylestown

WHY:
To return Rocket to Sheila Combs, his rightful and legal owner.

Media:
Oct. 7, 2006 Doylestown
Oct. 9, 2006 San Diego news
July 16, 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer
July 3, 2006 Philly Daily News

View Pam Bondi's Crocodile Tears

Click on above link to the WSVN.com site to view the video of Carmen Cafiero's investigative report about Katrina pets. Features Hunter, Missy and Master Tank. And a display of histrionics by Pam Bondi . Below is a partial transcript of of the video from the news site.

Imagine having to give away your dog or cat to a stranger. Tonight, families nationwide are being sued over their best friend. But these aren't ordinary animals. They actually once belonged to Hurricane Katrina victims who lost their pets in last year's flood. Investigative reporter Carmel Cafiero has more in tonight's Special Assignment Report -- Dog Gone.

WSVN -- The only thing that comes close to the human suffering after new orleans flooded - is the suffering of thousands of animals. The profound loss even continues today.

Entire communities remain ghost towns with spray paint reminders of the grim searches for people and their pets.

Fay Bourg: "But they don't realize when you get 15 feet of water coming at you, you have nowhere else to go. Either you're going to jump, or you're going to drown."

Fay Bourg lives in St. Bernard Parish, just outside New Orleans. This is the way it looked weeks after Katrina.

This is the way it looks today.

Fay lost everything in the flood, including her dog, Hunter. She says a rescuer threw him out of the boat. She jumped in after him but was pulled back and handcuffed. The last time she saw Hunter, he was paddling behind the boat.

Fay Bourg: "Like, 'Why are you leaving me?' I tried. I tried so hard to get him back."

So imagine how thrilled she was when she and her cousin Heidi Guerra discovered Hunter had been saved and taken to California.

Heidi Guerra: "We have been searching for over a year for him."

But there's no happy ending here. At least, there is no happy ending yet. The agency that rescued him says the dog was adopted, and it's up to the new owner to decide if Hunter will be returned.

Heidi Guerra: "And for them to sit back and say, 'I'm not giving him back,' is cruel."

And there may be hundreds of other hurricane victims in the same situation. Activists and attornies are now helping some original owners file lawsuits across the country.

Pam Bondi: "Hi, baby boy. You're beautiful."

Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi has refused to return her rescued Saint Bernard.

Pam Bondi: "I promised that I would never let anything bad happen to him again. And I would care for him and protect him for the rest of his life. That's what I plan on doing."

But Steve and Doreen Couture, who are raising their orphaned grandchildren, say the dog belongs to them.

They say they want him back and have filed a lawsuit.

Steven Couture: "Whatever it takes, the Governor Jeb Bush, if that's what it takes, I will put legal action against him."

Army Lieutenant Jay Johnson was in Iraq when he learned the levee in New Orleans' Ninth Ward had collapsed.

Lt. Jay Johnson: "I knew my house was under water."

His family survived, but his dog Missy had been left behind. After a year of searching, he found her on the internet.

But he says the Texas agency that had her won't tell him where she is today.

Lt. Jay Johnson: "And she's like, 'Leave the dog alone, find you a new dog, you know. Go on with your life. Things have changed. Move on.'"

Coral Springs attorney Steve Wise represents Johnson who is suing to get Missy back.

He believes the lawsuits over Katrina will eventually lead to new legislation.

Steve Wise: "If they can't have their jobs back, if they can't have their homes back, they at least want to make their families complete again."

Louisiana pet owners have a powerful ally here in the state's capitol -- the Attorney General.

Charles Foti is trying to mediate cases. He believes Louisiana law is clear. The pets were lost, not abandoned, and should go back to their original families.

Charles Foti: "We want to take off our hats to the people who took the dogs and other animals in. But now is the time when the owners want them back. It is time to return them.

But time and again people who have the pets insist they are in better, more caring homes.

Pam Bondi, for example, says her dog had heartworms. Another new owner wrote "humidity will kill this dog." Still another claimed "Savannah could not possibly be better off."

The SPCA orchestrated the massive effort in Louisiana to find shelter for the displaced pets.

It says about 20 percent have been reunited with their owners, but the court fights. Broken hearts over others is upsetting.

Laura Maloney: "And I would ask those new owners to find it within their heart to return that animal to the person that owned it. They've already lost enough."

It's impossible to know how many hurricane victims are affected. But when you can't even rebuild your home, fighting for a lost pet is doggone difficult.

Rescue angel reunites Katrina cat

This was posted to an animal rescue Yahoo group. With Cathy's permission, I'm posting it here. Cathy is in New Orleans right now returning Spicer to his family - the cat she rescued and loves.

Hi All,

With all of the serious problems at hand I thought you'd like to hear of a success.

Last October I went to New Orleans to help with cat rescues (I have family there) and I brought back a big white Odd-eyed cat (one blue eye and one yellow). I named him General Beauregard. He has a crunched ear from an old wound and, it's a long story, but I just couldn't put him into the shelter system so I brought him home to Austin. He's a big sweet lug and we've fallen in love with him!

Well, some volunteers from an organization named STEALTH have been trying to match up pets with their owners all over the country. They don't even live there. One of them put Beauregard's picture on a flier in the neighborhood where I found him and his family saw it and called. It's definitely him from the pictures they sent and I'm going to take him back to his home
next week. His real name is Spicer.

Yes, I'm a little sad but I've worked through it and the reunion is going to be amazing! I'm hoping to video tape it so everyone can see how it goes.

His family had to evacuate when the waters started to rise and he was out gallavanting around, so they had to leave without him. They took his mom-cat, sister and their dogs.

It's been a year and a week since I picked him up. We all can't believe he going home after all this time. He has inspired my artwork - I keep drawing cats with weird eyes and ears- and I hope to finish the story I'm writing about how he survived for 5 weeks after the storm, through HIS EYES ! I will MISS him but I'm OK and looking forward to the trip.

If anyone is in New Orleans Next Fri Nov 3rd and want's to be a part of it or to help video tape it, you're welcome to come. Just call me.

I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Thanks for being here,

Cathy

This is just one of the many thoughts and reactions I have to this: anyone who has ever fostered and loved an animal that they had to give up feels a loss. It's normal to feel sad for a period of time. But all these people who are now being sued or about to be sued have known for 4, 8, 12 months or longer that the cat or dog they "adopted" belongs to someone else who wants it back. If they had returned the pet THEN, they would be over it by now. They would have moved on, perhaps adopting another one from their local shelter. They would not still be sad and upset. Plus, like every foster I know who returned their Katrina pet to its rightful owner, the sadness they felt was balanced by the joy they experienced from helping a family reunite and heal.

It is the adopters (who have refused to return Master Tank, Nila, Missy, Jazz, Nahnook, Goldie, Timmy, Romeo, Turtle, Mittens, Chelsea, Milo, Max and many many other cats & dogs) who need to move on and get another pet, not the Katrina survivors who are their legal owners.

Some examples of "owner surrender"

We found X today. He made it through Katrinia, and spent the last four days locked inside a horrible house. X is a good dog .

He's hungry, injured, and has seizures some times because of ants and mosquitoes. We have nowhere to bring him. Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter refuses to help save him. We will continue to try feed him, but he has to eventually leave that unliveable house. Please help us. The address is xxx. Here are the numbers I can be reached.504-xxx-xxxx or 504-xxx-xxxx. I can get acess to X whenever someone can help. Waiting for help. This is our 2nd plea to you for help.

My family was lifted by helicopter last Wed Aug 31. X had to be left behind. She lost her collar when they tried to bring her to the roof. She needs attention ASAP! She is a non-hostile, friendly dog. X is located on the 2nd floor of our house because the 1st floor is flooded - PLEASE RESCUE HER!!

X is still young and gregarious. He is a little obnoxious but an awesome dog thst anyone who spends 2 minutes with him, falls in love him. Our grandmother was air-lifted out of mid-city in the Orleans & Carrollton area. He was last seen in the bed of a green Toyota Tacoma pick up that didn't make it. They were trying to get him out but the army guys wouldn't take him. Our hearts are broken and we want X back!!!!!!!!!!!!!

X was left with 2 sinks and the bathtub filled with fresh water and a whole bag of dry dog food. I'm still very worried it's too hot in New Orleans!

She was lost in New Orleans East. She is white with beige spots. She was lost during Hurricane Katrina. 1000.00 REWARD for her safe return. We lost our sister who drowned in her home and are desperate to find our animals

X had to be left behind by a renter. His rightful owner is a heart patient transfered to Harnbeck, La. He was left with some one, and then that some one had to evacuate himself with out the dog.

hes very friendly, house broken and likes to sleep in the bed under the covers. he likes to play ball and my daughter taught him how to play hide and seek

He belongs to my Dad and he is 79 years old and greiving for his dog. the dog escaped from the yard the day after the hurricane. please help me find my Dad's dog. Not too sure of X's exact weight. thanks.

Can not keep dogs where I am staying I was evacuated for hurricane. was able to get back briefly and see dogs. they have food but no water. need someone to take them soon. now all in good health but will not last without water. please help

He was a VERY sweet dog. He loved pig ears. He was a black labrador retriver. We left him behind during hurricane Katrina.

Q: How many people does it take to euthanize a pet?

A: Two. One to give the injection and an owner not to care.

Every year, almost eight million pets are euthanized in animal shelters because pet owners don’t care.

Some pet owners don’t care enough to keep their animals safe at home. They let them roam the neighborhood without collars or tags. Many of those pets get lost or picked up by animal dealers who see them to laboratories.

Some pet owners don’t care enough to have their pets spayed or neutered, and their animals produce litter after litter of unwanted puppies and kittens that end up at the shelter because there aren’t enough homes for them all.

Some pet owners don’t even care enough to take unwanted puppies and kittens to the shelter. They abandon the animals to fend for themselves. The lucky ones end up at the shelter as strays. The rest suffer on their own until they meet an untimely death from exposure, disease, traffic accidents, or starvation.

Not caring about pets is costing tax-payers millions of dollars to care for the overwhelming number of unwanted animals. Not caring about pets is costing millions of animals their lives.

The veterinarian or shelter worker humanely takes the life of an unwanted, lost, or sick pet. But the uncaring pet owner is the real killer.

Provided by the Humane Society of the U.S.

Judge Rules on Master Tank's Toenail

October 30, 2006

Judge: Noah is Master Tank

A judge has ruled that the dog adopted by Pam Bondi is the same dog a Louisiana couple lost during Hurricane Katrina.

Court proceedings continued today over the two dogs who were adopted from the Humane Society of Pinellas by Bondi of Tampa and Rhonda Rineker of Dunedin. Steven and Dorreen Couture of St. Bernard Parish, La., began court action to reclaim the dog they know as Master Tank.

A veteranarian who read in the Times about the court fight over ownership of the dogs testified Monday morning that it was impossible for one dog's toenail to have been removed without a surgical procedure.

Marie Y. DeCaire, a Largo vet, said the only way the toenail could not have grown back was if the digit was removed. This dog still has all of its digits.

Bondi, a Hillsborough County assistant state attorney, asserted in court Friday that the St. Bernard she adopted and named Noah is not the same dog that the Coutures lost.

Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Henry J. Andringa today ruled that the dog was Master Tank, the same dog that was rescued and adopted by Bondi. Andringa ruled that Bondi must return the dog to the Coutures.

Bondi's lawyer, Camille Godwin, said Bondi would post a bond equalling the dog's value so that Bondi can keep the dog until a final ruling is made during a trial. Otherwise, the dog would be returned to the Coutures until the trial is concluded.

After a short recess, court reconvened so that Andringa could determine the value of the dogs.

As if there was any doubt about Pam Bondi

...she has proven that she is in possession of Master Tank, the dog belonging to the Coutures (in photo below) and simply does not want to give him back. It is painfully obvious that all of her legal maneuvering have been nothing but stall tactics.

(click on title link above for the newspaper article and comments)

You have the audacity to now claim that "Noah" is not Master Tank because Master Tank once had a toenail removed and "Noah" has all his toenails?? What's next? Are you going to take "Noah" for gender reassignment surgery and claim that "she" could not possibly be Master Tank? Or maybe take him to get hair extensions and claim that he's a Newfoundland?

Even if Master Tank / "Noah" has all his toenails, we're supposed to take your word for that? Additionally - and I realize this may be a newsflash for you - TOENAILS CAN GROW BACK. Even an entire claw has been known to grow back.