14 year old Katina dog shot with a 38 cal. and dumped at a shelter

This is Duchess, a 14 year old Sheltie mix who needs a loving home. Click on the above link to see her Petfinder page at the Pontchartrain Humane Society in Slidell, LA.



Below, Duchess after her mats and
dreadlocks were shaved off.

Desperately Searching for Theo

Theo has been missing since February 2008. His family has done everything to locate him including hiring two different trackers.

Theo has an under bite; his bottom canines are crooked and one is longer than the other; he has a black spot (birthmark) on his penis; his dew claws get irritated if not clipped regularly and correctly and if that happens he does not like anyone to touch his feet.

We believe that someone has him although he/she may have adopted him from a shelter or rescue and not known the circumstances. We are hoping that if that person knows how much Theo has been missed every day, that he or she will return him.

If you have any leads on Theo's whereabouts, or if the person who has him wishes to return him with no questions asked, you may contact me at noanimalleftbehind@gmail.com to make arrangements, or contact Theo's owner directly at PinckneyK@usa.redcross.org

Thank you so much!

The Pit Bull Who Could Only Forgive

click title link above to read about Petey

Meet Molly

She's a grey speckled pony who was found abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a dog and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case.

But surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly and changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble.

The other important factor, according to Moore, is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana. The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca, DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,? Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

Below is Molly's most recent prosthesis showing the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

How does someone lose a 44 lb. cat?

Bumping old post and new comment about Katrina dogs

Just because GOD is DOG spelled backwards...doesn't give you or anyone the right to play God.

The following is Dave Gourley's response (in red) to an email sent to him by a Stealth Volunteer. His email response to her was forwarded to many of us who were volunteering to reunite Katrina pets with their owners and I posted it on my blog on 1/26/06. Today, Dave posted a comment:

(I have no idea what he means by people in glass houses but I'll be posting a comment soon, when I have some time)

I have not been able to read the orginial (sic) thread -however regarding the dogs of Katrina -We were instrumental in helping with the rescue of over 100 Rotts from Lamar-Dixon, in Gonzales, La I managed to rescue 3 rotts and assisted with the rescue of one Bullmastiff...The American Rottweiler Club mobilized & got out over 100 dogs themselves.

I have never in the 30 + years of being in the dog world ever seen dogs of all breeds go thru the TRAUMA that these dogs have.

Personal opinion -

NO DOG SHOULD BE RE-UNITED WITH PAST FAMILY MEMEBERS!!! (sic)

Now this is a brash statement - why would I make it...these people left their dogs...dogs were left on the side of the road - in crates - covered with clothing or blankets in 100 + degree heat.

They were abandoned by their owners an (sic) put through tremendous fear of the unknown,rescued by strangers,given a fresh look at like (sic) through the eyes of fear.

If the people who are yelling at this dog are trying to make the dog forget - IT WILL NOT HAPPEN - they are only reinforcing the fear and growing mistrust that the dog is going through.

This dog needs to totally resocialized from the get go and that means a NEW FAMILY - foster care - whatever - but should not be returned to it's owners -

Of the dogs that I rescued - the foster/permamnet (sic) families - started from the begining (sic) -I understand that Rottweilers are not Poodles - I am beginning to beleive (sic) that Poodles maybe more intelligent - but they still have memories - Rotties are less likely to accept immediate change...they are more suspect, but they also realize and accept HONEST caring and sense that the people who are working to rehab these dogs in questions are real in their efforts.

Poodles are a hearty breed - but are they as hearty as rotts - I do not know - But what I do know is the dogs who were abandoned and had to fend for themselves - regardless of breed - they are still somewhat distrustfull (sic) of their new areas

Once a dog has been rescued and re-introduced to society they should NOT be re-traumitized (sic) - they should not be returned to those that abandoned them in the their time of need!

Dave Gourley
Sandragon Kennels
Home of 1 Bullmastiff,1 Standard Poodle,2
Rottweilers,1 Chinese Crested & 5 Border Terriers
dragonman19465@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Dave Gourley here - had no idea this blog existed -
Yes - at the time of Katrina - I represented Sandragon Kennels in Pa. Yes - we have been in the dog world for over 30 years. - I had been involved in Rottweiler Rescue
for over 12 years prior to Katrina - NO - we did not come to bring your dogs out and breed to them - After seeing the sheriff department officers shoot those dogs in the school, I canceled my appointments in my real job ( providing homecare for seniors) rented a van and headed for Lamar-Dixon -I understand that those people who were ordered to leave their dogs did so extremely reluntant (sic)- I have no complaint with them -

It is the people who left their dogs on the sides of the road - bitches in whelp - whole litters in vari crates - covered with clothing in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees - it is with people who LEFT their dogs tethered to their houses and left them...
It is these people that I was so upset with.

The 3 dogs that I managed to get out - One was adopted in Staten Island by a rescue group, who spent $35,000 to rehab this dog - the dog had 4 major surgeries on its eyes, it tested positive for heartworm, the dog was 33 pounds under weight, he was neutered and finally place in a loving home.

One dog was a rottweiler mix - went to a couple of Doctors (husband & wife) who spent a ton of money rehabing the dog - mediacal (sic) bills - animal behavorist (sic)- etc. the 3rd dog - we guessed her age at between 6 to 9 months - she was positive for heartworm, she had tapeworms and a host of other parasites in her body, she was a mess. My wife n I kept her with our family for 7 months - getting her healthy - socializing her - and eventually found a retired nurse who fell in love with her to adopt her.

The Bullmastiff went to Bullmastiff rescue and was properly cared for and placed.

The poodles that Carolina Rescue took out were all properly cared for and placed in loving homes...

We are not bad people - we are dog people - we are horse people and yes I have been in your shoes - more times than I wish to speak of...

People who live in GLASS houses should not throw stones

Anonymous person paid entire vet bill for abused Philly cat.

click above to view NBC-10 video

There was quite a bit of interest in the story of Riley the cat NBC 10 first reported Monday night and someone, we don't know who, decided to do something about the cat attack. It's going to take weeks for Riley the cat to recover from a senseless attack.

The 1-year-old Manx is well known on the 900 block of Pine Street, often posing in the window of his owner's antique store City Chateau. He is so popular that one customer made him his own MySpace page. The cat's trademark greeting is sticking his paw through the front door mail slot until Fourth of July weekend.

"The cat put his paw through the door slot and it was grabbed and someone pressed the mail slot down against the cat's foot and broke his foot," Joe Connolley, Riley's owner, said."Who would have the capacity to doing something like that to such a sweet animal," a neighbor said."Just low, down dirty, horrible. It's a horrible act," another neighbor said.Neighbors think some young boys drinking on the steps of the store may have been responsible."We had to put a bone plate, which is a stainless steal plate, and screws to hold the fracture in place," the veterinarian said.On Monday night, NBC 10 reported neighbors planned to help raise money to pay the $3,400 vet bill."My coworker just came into my office and said someone paid the vet bill," Connolley said.

Someone anonymously paid the entire vet bill Tuesday morning."To whoever did this, you know, I don't even know how I can return this kind gesture. It was way out of the realm of what I even expected someone to do. I can't thank you enough. Please in a few weeks come to our store and visit our kitty," Connolley said.Unfortunately, Riley injured his paw again while NBC 10 was visiting him at the vet's office and he's going to have to spend some more time at the hospital before he gets to go home.

Infamous quotes from Tiffany & PawMatch

The following two quotes are from the "PawMatch Katrina Relief" blog:

(my comments in red)

Sept. 16th 2005:

Sorry, not a whole lot to report. Andy has been trying to conserve his phone minutes, as he is way over his plan for the month (that is why I post so late, I wait until after 9:00 PM to call him for updates). But our little cocker spaniel girl has had her checkup. She is approximately 6 years old and is suffering from a urinary tract infection and has a thyroid problem, but is negative for heartworm. We are waiting for additional bloodwork to come back. Please note that she is now available for adoption. If you are interested in giving her a loving home, please complete our Meet Your Match™ Questionnaire so we can see if she would be a good match to your lifestyle and expectations.

Tiffany Madura, who was then working as a Katrina reunion volunteer and given access to Petfinder records, KNEW that pets were not to be adopted until at least December 31, 2005. And then only if and after the shelter or rescue organization exhausted all known avenues for locating the pet's owner and cooperated with all inquiries from potential owners.

Sept. 28th 2005:
Great news, we have an update from Hope's foster momma on her condition: "Hope is doing really well. She was depressed for the first day but is now starting to come out of her shell.... She will look us in the eye more and roll over so we can rub her belly (this is a new development as of about 15 minutes ago).... She is just a wonderful girl who is a little sad and confused but as sweet as can be."

Of course Jazz was depressed, sad and confused.... she desperately missed Shalanda and had just been driven all the way from New Orleans to Austin, TX by two strange men.

(for those who don't know, Andy Odam/PawsMatch renamed Jazz, "Hope Floats.")

The following was posted on the nola.com Pets & Animals forum by Tiffany:

16001. Foster dog
by chiquitita75, 9/26/05 10:30 ET

I have a dog I am going to pick up and take to the vet before fostering today. Does anyone have any thoughts on - should I ask to see if the vet will give me a discount since I am a regular customer of theirs? I am a little overwhelmed with animal rescue efforts and then buying stuff for the hurricane in case it hit and now a little tapped, though she will get care - also I have a kitty with a hurt paw I need to take so do you think it would be unreasonable to ask the clinic if they could help me out a little on this one dog? Her owners were dead and she was found in an oily bayou. (has bladder infection).

16001.5.1.1.1. yes
by chiquitita75, 9/26/05 11:12 ET
I don't know many details but apparently they know the owners are dead and I don't believe she was found in a city.

* Andy KNEW that Jazz's owner was not dead. Jazz had an intake form duct taped to her crate with an address. Read previous post for time-line and complete story.

* Andy Odam and Tiffany Madura decided to play God, judge and jury and they lost.

* I don't know what Andy stood to gain from his mis-guided and selfish deception of Shalanda except for the money he raised by using Jazz as his Katrina poster dog.

* Tiffany obviously believed that she would get away with this, perhaps daddy would defend her actions.

Only problem is that daddy is not the one who will experience the karma that is sure to come as a result of all the pain and anguish she has caused Shalanda.

...and a personal note to Tiffany about the "assault."

Everyone said the same thing when they heard of it: "if it had been me, I would have ________." I'll leave it up to your imagination to fill in the blank.

You should be counting your lucky stars that Shalanda is a person of great dignity, intelligence and mental & emotional strength; that after all the lies, deceit, manipulation and emotional torment put her through, that all she did was yank a piece of your hair.

Tiffany goes wahhh....wahhh...wahhh... SHUT UP!

Jazz's timeline: her theft from New Orleans by PawMatch, Tiffany's refusal to return her to Shalanda, the DNA evidence and the crooked Texas judge

First, I want to acknowledge Barbara Cotters as one of the hardest-working and most dedicated Katrina reunion volunteers from the beginning. She is the one who found the photos of Jazz posted on Andy Odam's PawMatch website. Andy is the man who stole Jazz out of Jefferson Feed and took her to Texas.

Like many of us, Barb felt overwhelmed at the sheer volume of pets and the magnitude of the disaster and rescue/reunion efforts, so she decided to focus on the Cocker Spaniels, the breed she is most familiar with. She created the Lost Katrina Cockers website with photos and information on many of the lost and found Cockers.

At the time that Andy stole Jazz from Jefferson Feed, she was safe and healthy in a crate at the temporary shelter. Her crate had an intake sheet firmly attached with duct tape, which contained her rescue address and vet notes indicating that she was healthy.

Most importantly, her crate was with the group of animals that had been seen by the vet and cleared to go to Lamar Dixon. Animals that were sick or injured were not being sent to Lamar at that time but were being held over for additional vet care.

Charlotte Bass, currently the Executive Director of ARNO, was rescuing pets and volunteering at Jeff Feed at the time, and remembers seeing Jazz.
She made this statement:

The dog was dehydrated, though not drastically, suffering from the heat...but not in bad shape at all compared to many of the dogs who went through the storm. Look, I saw animals before Katrina and then rescued the same animals...and even within the first 10 days after the storm they looked bad. There is no way what looked ill and crappy after Katrina looked the same before Katrina. The animal would have been dead if that were the case. The dog was matted, but it looked like a recent development... the hair was long enough that I would say it was groomed about six to eight weeks before Katrina. I only touched it through the front of the cage, and did not take the dog out of the kennel. There were no obvious infections or skin conditions or the animal would have been moved from the 'okay' pile to the 'in treatment' pile of kennels, which were away from the kennels okay to go to Lamar. The treatment kennels were kept there overnight at minimum, in the air conditioning, with a vet overseeing their care. Every single animal that came into Jefferson Feed was examined by the vet, Dr. Missy Jackson, a friend of mine. Dr. Jackson is employed at Southern Animal Foundation in New Orleans.

Understand that the temperature outside was 99 degrees at minimum... inside the houses it was 120 to 150 degrees depending on how well shut the house was. Very old houses, built in the Victorian days, with real high ceilings were only at about 120-130. Newer structures, from 1920 on, were hell houses... without tall ceilings for the heat to rise to, and with tighter closures. Those were at minimum 150 degrees.

How long can an animal stay alive in a car which will reach 180 degrees in twenty minutes in the oppressive heat of the south?

I can tell you this, there was definitely an intake form duct taped to the top of the cocker's kennel. The boys who delivered the donations, from an animal organization in Austin, were just volunteers. I don't know why they took the dog, or why the dog was let go in their hands.

Jazz Timeline

August 27, 2005
Shalanda Augillard leaves her home in Kenner, La., and takes her eight-year-old cocker spaniel, Jazz, to her parents’ home on A.P. Tureaud in New Orleans. She is on her way to work and knows it will be a long shift as they prepare for the hurricane. Jazz frequently stayed with the Augillards when Shalanda was at work. Even though the family initially considered evacuating New Orleans, as they and many New Orleanians had done many times before, they decided to stay because they did not want to leave without Shalanda. However, they did move their vehicles to higher ground and made sure they had adequate supplies.

August 28, 2005
After working through the night, Shalanda gets off work early Sunday morning and goes home to pack, then goes to her parents’ home. They spend the afternoon making sure they and their neighbors and friends are prepared. Shalanda leaves to take some supplies to a friend west of them and then is unable to get back to her parents’ home because a curfew had been put into effect earlier than expected.

August 29, 2005
In the very early morning, Hurricane Katrina makes landfall just east of New Orleans. Within hours, the first of many levees break and parts of the city begin to flood. The Augillards’ home sustains little damage and no flooding. Phone service is disrupted, and the Augillards are not able to contact each other.

August 29 -September 1, 2005
The Augillards provide a refuge for neighbors, several of them elderly people with no families.

September 1, 2005
The National Guard evacuates the family. As Shalanda’s mother tries to board the boat with Jazz in her arms, the Guard orders her to leave the dog behind. She places Jazz in their second-floor apartment with lots of water, food, and access to a well-ventilated porch, thinking they will return soon. CBS reporter John Roberts is on the boat with the Guard.

September 1, 2005
Shalanda succeeds in contacting her parents and learns that they were forced to leave Jazz behind.

September 8, 2005
Shalanda's employer, which never suspended operations, sent teams to survey hard-hit areas to determine the most efficient way to continue service. Shalanda is assigned to survey the area in which her parents live and goes to her parents’ home. The door has been kicked out, the home has been ransacked, and the building has been marked with the date of September 7th . Jazz is not there.

September 9, 2005
Shalanda makes the first of many trips to Lamar-Dixon to look for Jazz, who needed her medication for a thyroid condition. She inputs all of Jazz’s information on Petfinders.com.

September 11, 2005
Andy Odam of PawMatch and Thomas Darnell of Rivers & Reefs leave Austin with a truckload of supplies. They are told by a representative of the Louisiana SPCA that they must deliver the supplies to Jefferson Feed Store, an official animal triage shelter operated by the Louisiana SPCA to process animals. The store was staffed by many volunteers, including veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

September 12, 2005
A black cocker spaniel appears at the Jefferson Feed Store. The spaniel had been examined by a veterinarian and had documentation attached to her crate. No one reported seeing any other cocker spaniels that day. See statement below from Charlotte Bass for the full account.

September 12, 2005
After being told not to remove any animals from the Jefferson Feed Store, Andy Odam steals the black Cocker and transports her back to Austin in violation of protocol established by the U.S. Humane Society for dealing with animals displaced by Katrina.

September 12, 2005
Jennifer Hays, then a PawMatch board member, posts information about the black cocker spaniel on the PawMatch blog before Odam returns to Austin, stating that he is bringing a cocker spaniel with him and that sponsorships benefiting Jefferson Feed Store will be available. In an earlier posting, Hays stated that PawMatch is a 501(c) (3) organization, which it was not.

September 13, 2005
The PawMatch blog recounts Odam’s return to Austin with a black cocker spaniel. Odam later stated in his deposition that he took the dog so that he could provide her immediate medical care and so that he could put a face on his rescue efforts. A picture of the dog appeared on the blog right above a PayPal button.

September 14, 2005
Andy Odam and PawMatch place the black cocker spaniel in foster care with Catherine Danie of ARF, an animal rescue group, in Wimberley. At the time of placement, Odam had not provided any medical care for the dog.

September 15, 2005
Another ARF volunteer takes Jazz to veterinarian Dr. Thomas House at San Marcos Veterinary Clinic. Dr. House exams Jazz and determines that she has numerous health issues that are all treatable. His tests indicate that her urine contains triple phosphate crystals and that she is Heartworm NEGATIVE. He suspects that she has bladder stones and that she is hypothyroid. The ARF volunteer declines any further treatment.

September 19, 2005
PawMatch posts that the cocker spaniel needs a new foster home.

September 25, 2005
Tiffany Madura agrees to foster the black cocker spaniel.

September 28, 2005
Madura takes the dog to Dr. Barrett Donop at Oak Springs Veterinary Hospital in Austin. The dog had received no veterinary care in the interim. If this is Jazz, she has now been without her medication (for thyroid problems and urine crystals) for almost a month. Dr. Donop says that there is no evidence of stones. He does not check her thyroid.

November 2, 2005
The dog undergoes surgery for removal of bladder stones at Oak Springs Veterinary Clinic.

December 27, 2005
Barbara Cotters sees the PawMatch web site, which has photos of a black cocker spaniel on the home page, along with a link to contribute to PawMatch through PayPal. Barbara believes that the dog is Jazz and sends the photos and link to Shalanda who notices that the dog has white markings on her mouth that are very similar to Jazz's distinctive white markings.

December 27, 2005
Shalanda contacts Odam, who refuses to let her see the dog.

January – April, 2006
Shalanda continues her attempts to persuade Andy Odam to allow her access to the dog on his web site. She provides the medical records that she was able to retrieve from Jazz’s veterinarians (their clinics had been destroyed by Katrina) to Louisiana Deputy Attorney General Mimi Hunley, who tries to negotiate a meeting between Augillard and Odam. Odam cuts off contact with Hunley.

March, 2006 – May, 2006
Many people involved in animal rescue throughout the United States try to arrange a meeting between Shalanda, Odam, and Madura. It is later learned that Madura used at least three different user names to post information discouraging the return of the cocker spaniel to anyone; under one of those names, she asked Barbara Cotters to remove all of the information she posted on her website about the PawMatch cocker spaniel, contending that the dog should not be returned. Some rescue people contacted attorney Mimi Smith, in Alpine who coordinated the initiation of legal proceedings.

May 5, 2006
Shalanda obtains a temporary restraining order from the District Court of Hays County to have the cocker spaniel removed from Madura’s home and placed in a kennel at Augillard’s expense. Mimi Smith and Austin attorney Susan Philips, brought in by Smith as local counsel, meet with a Hays County constable who instructs them on the procedure to be followed in enforcing the court’s order. The constable and a deputy remove the dog from Madura’s home and her property and then transfer her to Smith. A confused-looking and apprehensive dog immediately begins wagging her tail and wriggling when she is called “Jazz.” , With the constable leading the way, Smith, and Philips, drive the dog to where Augillard, her mother, and a friend were waiting. Before the car stops, with the windows and doors still closed, the dog starts barking frantically and charges out of the car the moment the door is opened. She runs in circles around Augillard and her mother and friend, all of whom have tears running down their faces. For the first time since the hurricane, Shalanda is allowed to see Jazz. She, her mother, and her friend positively identify the dog as Jazz.

They then drive to a nearby kennel, the constable still leading the way, with Jazz riding in Susan Philips’ car, pursuant to the court order and Augillard behind in her car. When Augillard gets out of her car at the kennel, Jazz jumps in and takes her place on the center console, where she always loved to ride. Shalanda lifts Jazz out of the car and says it would be too painful to spend any more time with her, thinking that she would be taking Jazz home on May 16, after the hearing for the preliminary injunction. Shalanda then prepays the kennel costs while Mimi Smith stays with Jazz. Shalanda, her mother and her friend then begin the drive back to New Orleans.

May 5 -30, 2006
Jazz is held at a kennel at Shalanda’s expense.

May 16, 2006
The first of two parts of the preliminary injunction hearing is held in San Marcos in front of Judge Bill Henry, and Shalanda is in attendance. The temporary restraining order is extended two weeks after the hearing is cut short due to an infestation of tropical mites in the courthouse.

May 30, 2006
When the preliminary injunction hearing resumes, Judge Henry is not available. Because Augillard has again traveled to Austin and is eager to take Jazz home, she agrees to a visiting judge, Judge Paul Davis, who is unfamiliar with the case. This hearing is also cut short due to the mite infestation. The Court denies Shalanda’s motion for a preliminary injunction and orders, among other things, that Jazz be returned to Madura because the judge does not want her to have to stay in a kennel any longer. He orders the parties to arrange for DNA comparison testing and to return to the court once the results are received.

June 2, 2006
Two sweaters and a hairbrush belonging to Jazz are sent to Dr. Joy Halverson, a veterinary geneticist at QuestGen Forensics in Davis, CA. Dr. Halverson is a nationally respected DNA expert who performs DNA tests on dogs to verify pedigrees for the American Kennel Club and provides court testimony in human criminal cases.

June 7, 2006
Dr. Halverson reports that even though she found hairs on the sweaters, there is inadequate amplification. She does, however, find a serum exudate encrusted at the base of the bristles of the brush that yields adequate DNA. She then requests a reference sample from the dog in Texas.

June 13, 2006
Attorney for Madura files a motion for a protective order, arguing that Jazz should not be made available for DNA sampling because Augillard, Philips and Smith had access to her on May 5, 2006.

June 15, 2006
Even though Judge Davis had ordered the DNA testing, an additional hearing is required to compel Madura to produce the dog for DNA sampling. Judge Henry orders the defendants to produce the dog within one month; Shalanda is at the hearing.

July 14, 2006
DNA samples are taken from the cocker spaniel by Thomas Beckett, DVM, in the presence of Dr. Donop at Oak Springs Veterinary Clinic . The samples were sealed by Dr. Beckett in the presence of Dr. Donop and Susan Philips. The envelopes were signed by both Dr. Beckett and Dr. Donop and sent to Dr. Halverson. Once more, Shalanda makes the trip from New Orleans to Central Texas.

July 19, 2006
Dr. Halverson concludes that the samples from the hairbrush are from the same dog that the samples were taken from in Texas, stating that “with scientific certainty, I can unequivocally say the samples came from the same dog.”

August 8, 2006
A hearing is held to determine if the Court would allow Dr. Halverson to testify by telephone. The request is denied. Shalanda attends the hearing.

September 28, 2006
Dr. Halverson is deposed in Sacramento, CA.

October 19, 2006
Dr. Halverson travels from California to testify at a hearing regarding the DNA test results. Shalanda comes from New Orleans to attend the hearing. Both are present in the courtroom when the hearing is canceled. The clerk reschedules the hearing for December 12.

December 12, 2006
Dr. Halverson and Shalanda again travel to Austin for another hearing to introduce the DNA results by testimony from Dr. Halverson in order for the Court to reconsider its decision of May 30, 2006, which returned Jazz to Madura.. Dr. Halverson testifies that “typically, when we have a 17 marker DNA match in a case, the likelihood ratio exceeds a trillion. It’s a trillion times more likely that the match occurred because the DNA came from the same dog as that it came to happen by random chance. Later on in the report, further on, I actually did the calculation, and the number gets –– the actual number is much higher … ten to the 16th, which is a quadrillion or something like that. In a nutshell. it means that to a very, very, very high degree of scientific certainty the samples match because they came from the same dog.” Judge Henry makes no findings, denies the request that Jazz be returned to the kennel pending trial, and orders the parties to seven hours of mediation.

January 17, 2007
The parties mediate for four hours.

February 14, 2007
The parties mediate for an additional three hours but do not reach an agreement.

March 2007
To provide even more proof that Jazz and the dog in Texas are the same dog and to refute the vague inferences that samples had been tampered with, AKC records are obtained by subpoena of all of the litters born to the mother of Jazz. A half-sister of Jazz who was born a year after Jazz from a different sire is found in Virginia. Dr. Halverson compares the DNA from the Virginia dog with the DNA of the Texas dog and determines that they, too, are both related to the same female.

April 2007
Laura Maloney, director of the Louisiana SPCA, writes to Andy Odam, requesting the immediate return of the cocker spaniel he removed from Jefferson Feed Store in violation of established protocol. Odam never responds to that letter.

June 12-13, 2007
Trial is held in Hays County District Court in San Marcos before Judge Henry. The parties are limited to a total of four hours for the trial, and Shalanda’s attorneys are unable to call eight of her witnesses. Dr. Halverson was present and repeated her testimony from December.

June 29, 2007
Judge Henry faxes a letter to counsel stating that the Court renders judgment in favor of Madura. No explanation is provided.

July 20, 2007
Judge Henry releases his findings of fact, contending that the testimony of Augillard’s witnesses was not credible and alleging that the DNA evidence had a “high potential for tampering” even though no evidence of tampering was ever introduced.

July 30, 2007
Susan Philips files a motion for a new trial.

September 17, 2007
Shalanda’s attorney files a notice of appeal.

July, 2008
Appeals Court overturns the trial Judge Henry's asinine decision and Shalanda is reunited with Jazz almost three years after Katrina.

Another video of Shalanda's reunion with Jazz

Watch as Tiffany's lawyer tells even more lies. This guy is quite a piece of work - a walking caricature of a sleaze-bag, conniving lawyer.

For those who have not followed this from the beginning:

Jazz was one of the most well-cared for, most loved
and cherished dogs rescued after Hurricane Katrina.
To insinuate anything else is just stupid.

All the true facts of this ordeal will be posted soon.

Below: Mimi Smith, one of Shalanda's lawyers, holds Jazz.

Video of Shalanda's Reunion with Jazz

Watch as Tiffany's S-L-E-A-Z-Y lawyer lies and squirms when confronted by direct & clear questions from Shalanda's lawyer.
Watch as he completely avoids eye contact with her.
Watch as he exhibits the classic signs of lying.

But best of all - and have a tissue ready for the ending.... Watch as Shalanda comes out of the courthouse, scoops her baby up in her arms and walks away. Triumphant. Joyful.

A beautiful site to behold.

(the full story will be posted soon)

NEW ORLEANS GETS ITS JAZZ BACK !!!!!!! WE ARE ALL SO VERY HAPPY FOR YOU, SHALANDA

Above: Jazz escorted by Mimi Smith, one of Shalanda's lawyers.

Below: SHALANDA REUNITED WITH HER JAZZ

Animal Abuse Irony of the Year

James Valley, pathetic excuse for a mayor, set 10 dogs loose in the

St. Francis National Forest

a few weeks ago.

As of yesterday, half the dogs have been found (with one already enjoying a new home) "and two or three others were shot by a resident who saw them on his land."

Hopefully St. Francis will look after the remaining dogs until they can be found.

A special judge authorized an arrest warrant Friday for Helena-West Helena Mayor James Valley, finding reasonable cause to believe that Valley committed animal cruelty by releasing stray dogs to fend for themselves near a national forest.

In a one-page order, Circuit Judge David Henry of Stuttgart also found reasonable cause to arrest Valley over accusations that he obstructed the Humane Society from caring for the canines.

Humane Society officials have said they asked Valley to let them find homes for the eight to 10 dogs that he removed 2 1/2 weeks ago from the city’s makeshift animal shelter.

The charges of cruelty to animals and obstructing the prevention of cruelty to animals are misdemeanors.

“The fact that this complaint has been signed and is going forward makes us happy,” said Ruby Burton, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Arkansas. “That’s good news to us.”

On June 16, Burton signed a criminal complaint against Valley, alleging animal cruelty and neglect over a period of almost five months, from Jan. 24 to June 11.

On June 11, he authorized a city worker to let the dogs go near the city landfill and the St. Francis National Forest on the outskirts of town.

Valley said he released the dogs after residents complained that the makeshift animal shelter at the city’s sanitation department was inadequate. The shelter consisted of nothing more than penned cages, Valley said.

He said he has committed no crime.

“I look forward to my day in court,” the mayor said Friday. “It’s been a rough and rocky road the last few weeks. It’s been a real distraction to the good public service we’re trying to perform for the citizens.”

This is not the first time Valley has gotten sideways with the Humane Society. After receiving complaints in January, people with the Humane Society of Southeast Arkansas used wire cutters to pop the locks on the city’s old animal shelter. Inside, they found rats the size of puppies, dehydrated dogs and layers of feces, Burton said.

Valley called the Humane Society’s January actions “renegade.”

Phillips County Sheriff Ronnie White said he hadn’t seen the warrant as of Friday. He said that because the warrant is on misdemeanor charges, a deputy will likely notify Valley of his court date instead of arresting him.

A court date has not been set.

Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher Long of the 1 st Judicial District said this week that his office will likely prosecute the case if it remains in Circuit Court.

Valley could also face federal charges if he is found to have released the dogs in the St. Francis National Forest. It is against federal regulations to release animals, livestock or abandoned personal property on public land.

The U. S. Forest Service has turned its investigation over to the U. S. attorney’s office in Little Rock, forest service spokesman Tracy Farley said this week.

Valley said he has been bombarded with nasty e-mails from angry animal lovers all over the country.

In an open letter published June 22 on his Web log, jfvalley. blogspot. com, Valley apologized to Helena-West Helena residents for dragging them into the mess involving the animal shelter.

“I am sincerely sorry that a decision made by me, in the run of the hundreds of decisions I make every day, has brought the wrath of the animal loving world to your front door,” Valley wrote. “This saga has lasted too long and is a distraction to the good work that has been and is being done in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. We are a community that has made a major turn-around. We are resilient people.”

Valley said most of the angry e-mails and phone calls have come from out of state, including one from as far away as Canada.

Even fellow mayors from across the state are chiming in. Last week, at the annual Arkansas Municipal League convention, outgoing league president and Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill introduced the mayor as James “Who Let the Dogs Out” Valley, referring to the song released in 2000.

Valley said other mayors from across the state have offered him oral support.

Arkansas Chief Justice Jim Hannah on Tuesday appointed Henry to review the Humane Society’s complaint after district and circuit judges in Helena-West Helena and Forrest City recused themselves from the case.

Henry found reasonable cause to believe that Valley violated Arkansas Code 5-62-101 and Arkansas Code 5-62-111.

According to Arkansas Code 5-62-101, “a person commits the offense of cruelty to animals if, except as authorized by law, he or she knowingly abandons any animal; subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment; subjects any animal in his or her custody to cruel neglect; or kills or injures any animal belonging to another without legal privilege or consent of the owner.”

According to Arkansas Code 5-62-111, “any officer, agent, or member of a society which is incorporated for the prevention of cruelty to animals may lawfully interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty upon any animal in his or her presence. Any person who interferes with or obstructs any officer, agent, or member of a society which is incorporated for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the discharge of his or her duty is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

The director of the Humane Society of the Delta, Gloria Higginbotham, said the group is working to attain funding to open a new shelter in Phillips County.

“The Humane Society of the Delta is trying to acquire land — if anybody wants to donate some outside the city limits — and we’re trying to work to build our own shelter because we’re the ones who want to be in the dog business,” she said. “The city and county don’t need to be in the dog business. We do.”

As for the released dogs, Higginbotham said about half of them have been found, and two or three others were shot by a resident who saw them on his land.

One of the dogs, a mixed breed, is enjoying his time at a new home in Helena-West Helena, owner John Warnken said.

Warnken said he found the dog about two miles from where a city worker released the strays.

“At first, I couldn’t get him to come to me,” Warnken said. “I tried to feed him, but he was real skittish.”

He said a group of children was able to earn the dog’s trust and catch it.

“They asked me if I wanted to keep him, and I said ‘yeah, ’” Warnken said. “I was going to name him Killer, and I joked about naming him Mayor Valley, but I decided to name him Redneck. He’s a pretty good dog. He looks like Spuds MacKenzie.”

Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com

Chained Dogs

Mama dog and her pup chained together


Small pit bull mix living on a chain.


This neglected mama dog was kept on a chain for 13 years!



Three dogs chained together - notice how the chains
are tangled and restrict the two dogs in the foreground even more.



This dog lived like this for 12 years;
her owner refused an offer of a better home for her.

Attention pet owners & animal lovers in metro Houston

A wonderful rescue organization in the Houston area Pals for Pooches operates the Animal Charities Thrift Shop.

"Our mission is to raise funds to support and subsidize the spay and neuter program of pets in our community, help fund Pals for Pooches, assist senior citizens with medical and food needs for their pets and assist other local animal organizations."

They rely on "the generosity of the public and welcome any donations with open arms" and request that donations of clothing, household items, furniture and pet items be brought to the thrift shop at 22323 Loop 494 in Kingwood, TX

The phone # is 281-359-7166

Their stated hours are:
Tues-Fri from 10:00 - 4:00 and Saturday from 11:00 - 2:00

but as with any business or service that is all-volunteer run, it's always a good idea to call first to confirm hours ... especially with $4 a gallon gas!

Pals for Pooches also has a wish-list of items needed for the animals in their care.

Dogs most likely to be stolen by breed and location

According to the Dog Detective, the breeds and colors of dogs listed below are the most likely to be stolen. Statistics are based on dogs reported as stolen to Dog Detective in the past two years.

Breeds Most Likely to be Stolen:
Pit Bull Terrier - American
Labrador Retriever
Chihuahua
Yorkshire Terrier
Pomeranian
Shih Tzu
Boxer
Bulldog - English
German Shepherd
Siberian Husky

Highest Number of Dog Thefts by City
Houston
Los Angeles
San Antonio
Miami
Dallas
Chicago
Phoenix
Indianapolis
Las Vegas
San Diego

Color of Dogs Most Likely to be Stolen
Brown & White
Black & White
White
Black & Brown
Gold/Yellow/Tan
Black & Gold/Tan
Black
Gray & White
Red
Brown/Chocolate

Highest Number of Dog Thefts by State
California
Texas
Florida
Georgia
Arizona
Ohio
North Carolina
Washington
New York
Illinois