Pennsylvania House of Representatives pass TWO Puppy Mill bills

By SUSAN E. LINDT, Staff

Animal advocates were elated Wednesday as word came that the state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Bills 2525 and 2532, which are designed to improve the lives of breeder dogs living in the state's commercial breeding kennels.

The House voted 181-17 in favor of H.B. 2525, which would double the required minimum floor space for kennels, require annual vet checks for all kennel dogs, ban wire floors in kennels of adult dogs, require that dogs have access to outdoor exercise areas twice the size of their kennel enclosures and eliminate cage stacking.

The House unanimously voted in favor of companion legislation, H.B. 2532, which would allow only veterinarians to perform surgical procedures on dogs, including cesarean birth, tail docking for dogs over 3 days old and debarking, which destroys a dog's vocal cords to prevent barking. It also allows Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement wardens to enforce animal-cruelty statutes in counties where there are no humane-society officers.

Both bills now head to the state Senate, where they are expected to be dealt with next week.
Only one local legislator, Republican Rep. Gordon Denlinger, voted against H.B. 2525. After Wednesday's vote, Denlinger said he believed a slew of amendments to the bill that were defeated Monday would have improved it, but Gov. Ed Rendell's very vocal support skewed the process.

"I support some elements of the bill, but the opportunity to correct a few points was totally ignored by the other side," Denlinger said. "It's a tragedy when the legislative process is taken over by the governor. When that happens, we haven't totally heard from all the stakeholders, we haven't weighed all the elements of the bill. We're just playing to somebody's agenda. That was very apparent as the bill was moving through the House floor."

Specifically, Denlinger said he opposed elements of H.B. 2525 that would require kennel owners to dramatically reconfigure kennels, such as doubling cage sizes and replacing wire floors with solid flooring.

"In some cases, some of these (kennels) are very modern facilities that may be only a year old, and now they'll have to be torn down and reconfigured because of the narrow definition of the bill," Denlinger said. "Some (kennel owners) are good, upright breeders, and this is going to force them out of business, and I don't think that's appropriate. Everyone wants to see bad operators shut down, but with this bill, we're penalizing good breeders. That's a major concern."

Others who lobbied for the legislation for more than two years considered the solid House vote a good sign for the upcoming Senate vote.

"I'm delighted these bills passed the House, and I'm hopeful they'll pass the Senate," said Jessie L. Smith, the state's special deputy secretary for dog-law enforcement. "We got so many groups onboard with this legislation that most legislators felt their constituents want this. We didn't even think (the House) would get to H.B. 2532, but again, there was a consensus on that bill."

Rendell, who made sweeping changes to the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement over the past two years to rid the state of its reputation as "puppy mill capital of the east," praised legislators for not allowing amendments "filed on behalf of special-interest groups" to weaken the bill's intent.
"The House has delivered a strong legislation that reflects not only the needs of dogs, but the will of the public in improving the minimum standards in the worst of Pennsylvania's kennels," Rendell said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. "I believe the bills that came out of the House reflect the needs of reputable kennel owners while raising the bar for those who are concerned only with the value, and not the welfare, of the dogs they breed."

With just a handful of voting days left in this session, Joan Brown, CEO of the Humane League of Lancaster County, said she's cautiously optimistic the bills will pass.

"It's a great day for all Pennsylvania and especially Lancaster County," Brown said, referring to the county's high number of commercial breeding kennels. "We are now holding our breath and crossing our fingers for the Senate to pass it quickly so we can implement humane changes for dogs in these kennels."

H.B. 2525 gained momentum in August, when the Bureau announced that two Berks County breeders had shot and killed their 80 otherwise healthy dogs after inspectors ordered 39 of them to be checked by veterinarians for flea bites.

Many in the public expressed shock that current state law allows dog owners to shoot and kill their own dogs. The widespread publicity about the killings boosted interest in H.B. 2525, which would allow only veterinarians to euthanize dogs.

Meanwhile, Denlinger said he hopes H.B. 2525 is altered by amendment in the Senate, in which case, the amended version would return to the House for another vote.
Related Topics

Dog Food Recalled

Published: Sunday, September 14, 2008 4:20 AM EDT

As part of a manufacturer’s recall, Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets have removed from store shelves packages of Pedigree Dog Food because of potential salmonella contamination.

The voluntary Class I recall involves the following products:

Pedigree Large Breed Original, UPC 2310029158;

Pedigree Mealtime Crunchy Bites Small, UPC 2310005104;

Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites Beef, UPC 2310031483;

Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites, UPC 2310014719.

At this time, no illnesses or injuries to dogs associated with the consumption of these products have been reported by pet owners.

Customers should check for the above UPC numbers on any packages of Pedigree Dog Food in their homes. Consumers who have purchased packages of Pedigree Dog Food with any of these UPC labels are urged to return the packages to the store for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the Mars Consumer Care Line (866) 298-8332.

All Class I and Class II product recalls of products carried in Giant Food Stores or Martin’s Food Markets are posted at www.giantfoodstores.com and www.martinsfoods.com.

Shame on you, Camden County Animal Shelter

for allowing Prince Chunk, the big fat celebrity cat to become nothing more than a money- making side show attraction for you. If you truly cared about the well-being of this cat, then you would do the right thing and acknowledge that you adopted him to a new family. Now you are trying to claim that they are only fostering him and are required to shuttle him around to events to make money for you? This is a horrendous decision for an animal shelter to make.
You placed him into what you must have considered to be the best home from among the 500 applications (which is pretty disgusting if the other 499 people wanted to adopt only this particular celebrity cat and not one of the many other lovely cats awaiting a home of their own).

Reading this made me so sad:

Prince Chunk was spotted at a local PetSmart Sunday, sadly cowering in a cage as shoppers and photographers poked and prodded at the unhappy cat.

A collection jar was placed by the cage asking for donations to a save-a-stray campaign.

While he may have been overweight, he was a homeless cat who needed a home and he got one. Nothing more and nothing less.

He was given away by his previous owner to "a friend" of hers who then let him go. Luckily for him, he was found and brought to a shelter where he was adopted.

You are behaving like Lindsay Lohan's crazy mother.

He now has a new home and family. Please don't destroy that. Please do the right thing.

The Story of Ode

the pup who had her ears burned off and learned to forgive and trust.

Dog Rescues & Saves Newborn Baby

(CNN)

A dog sheltered a newborn baby abandoned by its 14-year-old mother in a field in rural Argentina until the boy was rescued, a doctor said Friday.

The abandoned infant was found in a field with this dog and her newborn puppies.

A resident of a rural area outside La Plata called police late Wednesday night to say that he had heard the baby crying in a field behind his house.

The man went outside and found the infant lying beside the dog and its six newborn puppies, Daniel Salcedo, chief of police of the Province of Buenos Aires, told CNN.

The temperature was a chilly 37 degrees, Salcedo said.

The dog had apparently carried the baby some 50 meters from where his mother had abandoned him to where the puppies were huddled, police said.

"She took it like a puppy and rescued it," Salcedo said. "The doctors told us if she hadn't done this, he would have died."

"The dog is a hero to us."

Dr. Egidio Melia, director of the Melchor Romero Hospital in La Plata, told CNN that police showed up at the hospital at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday with the baby who doctors say was only a few hours old.

Though the infant had superficial scratches and bruises and was bleeding from his mouth, he was in good shape, Melia said.

The next morning, the child's mother was driven by a neighbor to the hospital and told authorities the 8 pound, 13 ounce infant is hers, Melia said.

The teenager was immediately given psychological treatment and was hospitalized, he said. She has said little about the incident.

The child has been transferred to a children's hospital in La Plata, 37 miles from Buenos Aires.

Public Meeting on Preventing Cruelty to Dogs in PA

If you love dogs you need to be there - Join us September 7th from 1-3 for this special day in Ridley Park, PA at Borough Hall.

WHAT: Public Meeting on Preventing Cruelty to Dogs - FREE meeting for animal lovers
WHEN: Sunday, September 7th, 2008, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
WHERE: Ridley Park Borough Hall - 105 East Ward St., Ridley Park, PA, 19078.
Click here for directions.

If you could help prevent animals from being abused by making a few phone calls, would you do it? If so, this is the meeting for you! Join animal lovers from across Pennsylvania for this exciting meeting!

Currently, three bills are being considered in the state House that would strengthen dog and animal cruelty laws in Pennsylvania. House Bill 2525, H.B. 2532 and H.B. 499 are focused on ending puppy mill abuse in PA and increasing fines for animal cruelty. On September 15th, the House will reconvene and now it is more important then ever that PA animal lovers unite to speak on behalf of the dogs! Come to the public meeting and learn more about how YOU can help millions of Pennsylvania's dogs!

Speakers:
Representative Bryan Lentz
Tom Hickey, Sr., a member of the Pennsylvania Dog Law Advisory Board
Howard Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, PSPCA
Bill Smith, Founder of Main Line Animal Rescue and recently featured on Oprah!
Jessie Smith, Pennsylvania's special deputy secretary for Dog Law enforcement
Nicole Wilson, Executive Director, Delaware County SPCA

Meeting attendees will be able to participate in a question and answer session with the panel!

Cat Lovers - while this meeting is mainly dog oriented due to the House Bills, we would not dream of leaving the cats out! The Philadelphia Community Cats Council will have a table with information on adoptable cats as well as information on how you can help them with their spay/neuter efforts.

Animal Welfare Groups Participating:

Reach Out for Animal Rights, an advocacy group working to educate the public on animal mills and spreading the word about the pet store-puppy mill connection.

ZACH ALERT, a PA organization assisting in the safe and timely reunification of lost pets and their families and educating the public on how to keep their animals safe and out of the hands of those who can harm them.

Daisy's Delights Barkery and Boutique will be on site selling their preservative free, great tasting and healthy treats, bones and cakes, for your furry companions. Daisy's Delights products are all natural, and made with human-grade ingredients.

Refreshments will be served!

If you are unable to attend the two-hour meeting but are interested in helping in the fight, please stop by Borough Hall between 1-3 to speak to the advocacy groups outside and pick-up a handbook that will provide details on what YOU can do!

Statement from PA Dept. of Ag. on the murder of 80 dogs

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff released the following statement in response to the shooting of 80 dogs at two Berks County kennels:

"The recent shooting of 80 dogs at two Berks County kennels is saddening. The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying to repair a kennel and seek veterinary care is alarming, and will likely outrage many people. Unfortunately, the killing of the dogs was legal under current Pennsylvania law.

"The two kennels involved have both voluntarily closed, but until our state's outdated dog law is changed kennel owners may continue to kill their dogs for any reason they see fit, even if it is simply to save money. We can't afford to wait any longer to pass legislation that would ban commercial kennel owners from killing their dogs.

"House Bill 2525, introduced in May, would allow only veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels. The bill would strengthen current dog laws and provide better standards for the health and safety of dogs in commercial breeding kennels without burdening other types of kennels that house dogs. The legislature has an opportunity to pass this important legislation this fall, and they should -- as doing so will assure that this activity will be illegal in PA commercial breeding kennels moving forward."

Rather than seek medical attention for dogs suffering from fleas and fly sores, kennel owners Ammon and Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot all 80 of their dogs to save costs. The Zimmermans, owners of A&J Kennel and E&A Kennel, voluntarily surrendered their licenses on July 29 after killing the dogs.

Dog wardens inspected E&A Kennel on July 24, noting several violations for kennel sanitation and maintenance. Wardens also noted fleas and fly sores on 39 of the dogs and ordered veterinary checks. Wardens issued four citations for violations and planned to confirm the veterinary checks during a follow-up inspection. The wardens were notified on July 29 that the owners of both kennels chose to destroy the dogs and dismantle the kennels.
News Articles:
Maxatawny Township kennel owners kill 80 dogs rather than seek treatment:
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=102118

Thoughts on Paws: Maxatawny's Zimmerman brothers should be shot for killing dogs
http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=17&id=17135&a...

PETITION: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pa-kennel-owner-shoots...

INFORMATION on the House Bill 2525:
http://www.doglawaction.com/

PA Puppy Mill Owners Shoot & Kill 80 Dogs

Two eastern Pennsylvania kennel operators shot 80 dogs after wardens ordered some of the animals examined by veterinarians, dog law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Elmer Zimmerman, of Kutztown, shot 70 dogs after a July 24 inspection, officials of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement said. His brother, Ammon Zimmerman, operator of a kennel next door, shot 10 dogs, officials said.

Wardens had ordered 39 dogs checked for flea and fly bites. They also issued citations for extreme heat, insufficient bedding and floors dogs' feet could fall through.

Elmer Zimmerman told The Philadelphia Inquirer he feared the state was trying to close his kennel, and said a veterinarian recommended destroying the dogs.

"They were old, and we were hearing that they don't want kennels anymore," he said. "The best thing to do was get rid of them."

Ammon Zimmerman told a reporter the decision to destroy the dogs was "none of your business."

State law allows owners to put dogs down by shooting them, though Gov. Ed Rendell is trying to change that. He backs legislation pending in the state Legislature that would only allow veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial kennels.

"It's horrible, but it's legal," Jessie Smith, special deputy secretary of the dog-law bureau, said of the shootings.

"That someone would shoot 70 dogs rather than spend money to do a vet check is extremely problematic," Smith said.

Ken Brandt, lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Professional Dog Breeders' Association, said the group didn't support the operators' actions. He said there were other ways to resolve the situation, "like in a court."

The breeders could have turned the dogs over to rescue groups, said Howard Nelson, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Every humane society in the state would have taken those dogs," Nelson said.

The two men surrendered their kennel licenses. Elmer Zimmerman pleaded guilty to four charges of violating the dog law, Smith said.

Please say a prayer for the victims of yesterday's fire in Philadelphia (Conshohocken)

Luckily, none of the 375 people who lived in the complex were injured, but many of them owned pets. It was heartbreaking to watch the evening news last night, as people watched the building go up in flames with their pets inside. One man was shown holding a cat carrier with his cat inside; he went back in for her against the advise of the fire fighters. Thankfully both the man and the cat made it out safely.

Pets that were rescued by fire fighters were taken to the SPCA for the owners to re-claim and owners & pets are being put up in hotels together.

from local news reports:

"Many of the residents who streamed into the firehouse - arriving on school buses or in their own cars - owned pets. Authorities said the rescued but unidentified animals were being housed at a local SPCA shelter. Officials were making sure people with pets could stay at hotels that accommodated them."

Kyle Aaron, 29, was driving home with his girlfriend when he saw his building on fire. After he arrived, he could do nothing but watch as the blaze crept closer toward his own apartment— and worry about his dog, an 11-year-old blond Corgi named Elvis.

After hours of anxiety, a firefighter called his cell phone about 3 a.m.—Aaron thinks the number must have been on Elvis' dog tag—with the good news that the animal was fine.

"We could sleep once we got him," Aaron said. "I honestly don't know how they got him. ... You get your loved ones and life goes on."

NO pet should be cloned, let alone a pit bull

I would have much less of a problem with this incredibly selfish woman if she had paid a lot of money to buy a top of the line pit bull puppy. But to CREATE five pit bull puppies is beyond comprehension.

Cloning only replicates the DNA and not the environmental factors and influences that shape an animal's personality. You can't clone the bond between a pet and the person who loved and nurtured it over the pet's lifetime.

To clone a dead pet when there are so many others already born and waiting for homes is selfish, stupid and ultimately inhumane.

Woman pays $50,000 to clone beloved pit bull

By Hyung-Jin Kim
The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea — Bernann McKinney says her beloved pit bull “Booger” saved her life when another dog attacked her, then learned to push her wheelchair while she recovered from a severe hand injury and nerve damage.

He died in 2006, but now he’s back — at least in clone form, after the birth last week of puppies replicated by a South Korean company.

“Yes, I know you! You know me too!” McKinney cried joyfully Tuesday, hugging the puppy clones as they slept with one of their two surrogate mothers, both Korean mixed breed dogs, in a Seoul laboratory. “It’s a miracle.”

The five clones were created by Seoul-based RNL Bio in cooperation with a team of Seoul National University scientists who in 2005 created the world’s first cloned dog, a male Afghan hound named Snuppy.

It is headed by Lee Byeong-chun, a former colleague of disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, whose purported breakthroughs in stem cell research were revealed as fake. Independent tests, however, proved the team’s dog cloning was genuine.

Lee’s team has since cloned some 30 dogs and five wolves but claims Booger’s clones, for which McKinney paid $50,000, are the first successful commercial cloning of a canine.

The procedure, which costs up to $150,000, is drawing criticism from animal rights groups, which oppose cloning pets.

“It’s fraught with animal welfare concerns, and it does not bring back a loved one,” said Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at The Humane Society of The United States, based in Washington.

“A dead animal’s DNA does not guarantee the offspring will be identical to the deceased. It takes more than just genes to create an animal,” said Stephens.

He said the cloning process also subjects hundreds of dogs and cats to invasive procedures as egg donors and surrogates. According to a report released by The Humane Society in May, 3,656 cloned embryos, 319 egg donors and 214 surrogates were used to produce just five cloned dogs and 11 cloned cats who were able to survive 30 days past birth.

There are millions of homeless dogs and cats in the U.S., Stephens said, and “we don’t need new sources to compete with animal shelters and reputable breeders.”

Ra Jeong-chan, company head of RNL Bio, said his firm eventually aims to clone about 300 dogs per year and is also interested in duplicating camels for customers in the Middle East.

Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals rejects adoption application from cancer survivor

The original comment has been deleted from the ZooToo site, so I've posted it here.

Here is the link to previous comments about the problems at Francisvale.

Francisvale discriminatory to cancer survivor.

Reviews: 33

Avg Rating: 4.2

Pros: Selection on pets to adopt.

Cons: Treatment of cancer survivors.

Reviewed: 5 days ago -- Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Pet Service Reviewed by: LabradorLover

Supporting Shelter: Montgomery County SPCA

Supporting rescue: Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue

Review Details

A very good friend, Sharon, and her husband, Ray, applied to adopt Sherman, an adorable Beagle mix, but were summarily denied.

After filing all the required paperwork, including veterinary receipts for the care of previous pets, and sitting through and cooperating with the various interviews, they were denied. Not just denied, but told they didn't qualify to adopt any of Francisvale's pets. Why? Because Ray mentioned that he had (past tense) cancer. Ray is a cancer survivor.

Whomever at Francisvale made the decision to exclude Sharon and Ray as possible adopters did so, not because Sharon and Ray are unfit to care for Sherman, or any other pet, but rather because of Ray's medical history.

Actually, Francisvale denied Sharon, the primary applicant for Sherman, because Ray had cancer. He mentioned it during one of their interviews. He told them how he loved his previous pets and how he missed playing with and caring for them now that they were gone. His latest, a Golden which passed on about a year ago, lived into its early teens. Sharon still has pictures on her desk at work.

Ray told Francisvale how his life changed when he was diagnosed with cancer. He told them that he wanted to get another dog, but decided to postpone an adoption until he went through his cancer treatment and beat the disease.

Sharon and Ray know what commitment is when it comes to raising and caring for pets. Sharon and Ray produced veterinary bills for their previous pets. They showed the Francisvale staff photos, as proudly as parents show photos of their children.

I would hope that Francisvale does much good for the animals they take in. I know that Sharon and Ray would have been excellent companions for Sherman.

This isn't a depiction of how a couple lost an opportunity to adopt a pet to another applicant. It's a depiction that Francisvale management was very callous, possibly even discriminatory, in the treatment they extended to Sharon and Ray. According to Francisvale management, Sharon and Ray don't qualify to adopt any of Francisvale's pets, because of Ray's recent medical history.

Sharon and Ray will find another pet to adopt and they'll make fantastic companions for that animal.

Discussion

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2 comments found.

Reply

Anonymous

4 days ago

I cannot help but to comment. I feel bad for the treatment these two adopters, especially for the husband Ray. There's no excuse in the world why a cancer survivor cannot have a pet and according to the review, they are not qualified for any pets?? Sounds like the francisvale shelter has some serious personnel issues going on there. I cannot speak for them but I hope they lodge a complaint of some kind to the proper authorities.

Reply

harriet97

3 days ago

This outrageous incident with Sharon and Ray is just another example of the clueless and callous management now at Francisvale. I guess you can't expect any better from a so-called "no kill" animal shelter where the board vice president lets bow-hunters come onto shelter property and kill deer; and, where the so-called "wonderful" new "executive director" puts 7 newborn puppies in a locked room with a BUCKET of water and when one drowns in the bucket of water - to cover up her own incompetence, negligence, or even malice - calls the police and makes a false report that a longtime, dedicated employee - who didn't even have access to the room where the puppies were located - had purposely drowned the puppy. This new "executive director" commented on Zootoo that a former, dedicated, Francisvale employee, who was having mini-strokes, was a "brain-damaged retard." Plus, you can only get in "by appointment only" and they charge $250 to adopt "puppies." Now that's a really welcoming place, isn't it? I guess if you're a hunter.

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.