Dangerous Dogs, Animal Cruelty (leading to death)
Charged with two counts of having unvaccinated dogs, total $1,100 fine. Court date 4/21/17 for cruelty to animals relating to the death of one of her dogs, Mista, a shepherd that had to be euthanized due to the condition it was found in. The other dog, Keeko, will apparently also be put down. Please contact the State Attorney General's office if you would be willing to write a letter asking for a state animal abuse registry.
Office of the State Attorney
311 W Monroe St. Jacksonville, FL 32202
904-255-2500
Email: SAO4th@coj.net
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Tracey Sparagis added 40 new photos.
04-12-2017
This is what rescuers face everyday. We need better animal cruelty laws. I am posting this because I think people should see the truth. It's not always great before and after photos. I am still recovering and have a ways to go.
Please feel free to SHARE.
A chow was posted on facebook on March 11th that needed help.
This chow was discovered after a Private Investigator doing work was alerted by the mail lady regarding a German Shepard being kept inside an airline crate in the hot sun for over a year.
Animal Control was called and the story the owner gave was that the owner’s brother raised a leash at the Shepard like he was going to hit him (probably intended to) and the Shepard bit the brother. So, they decided to crate the dog in an airline crate outside, the airline crate is the size big enough for a 30lb dog. The Shepard could not even stand up in it. They left the Shepard in that crate for a year and NEVER let the dog out. That's right..ate in there ( when fed ) went to the bathroom in there..
Of course, when Animal Control arrived the dog was so ruined by this he was kennel crazy, and unfortunately could only be handled if tranquilized. Even then, an officer was bit. Sadly, the dog was euthanized. His name was Mista.
The owner’s also had a chow that they stated was not aggressive and were willing to surrender to animal control or rescue. Primarily because they did not want to pay the fine for having an unvaccinated animal.
Animal Control did not remove the chow the same day they removed the Shepard.
A post went out on Facebook for rescue help for the chow. An out of state rescue had an available foster in Florida willing to take him if his evaluation went well.
So my rescue partner Wendy and I went to evaluate him since we were closer than the foster. The owner would not allow us to handle the dog and only see him and interact through the fence. Saying he is not aggressive and has gotten out several times and never hurt anyone.
The chow named Keeko, responded well to my dogs through the fence and even took treats gently from me through the fence. I felt he would be so grateful to get the heavy chain that was around his neck off. Keep in mind, this dog was chained to the house by the front gate with no shelter, no water bowl and no food, and had no current vet care. We did notice the brother to the owner carried a big metal serving spoon around him.
I took video and sent it to the foster, it was all I could get. The next step would be for me to get him out of there and evaluate him and meet the foster. After some time working around the owner’s schedule I was able to get her to meet me for pickup.
March 25th, I think it was around 11:40am when I arrived and by noon I was headed to the hospital.
Arrived and the Private Investigator’s son, Robby was waiting for me, he came to help me. The owner’s brother took the crate I had brought and put it inside the fenced in area. I had brought a metal barrier with me, coral, to slowly ease him into the crate. I stood behind this and let the brother work with him as instructed by the owner. Keeko starts sniffing the crate, and is curious. He remembered me and my dog and was happy to see us. Keeko was halfway in the crate and the brother kicked him to get him all the way in, Keeko reacted and turned to snap at the brother. The brother yelled at him calling him by his name and then Keeko instantly turned and lunged up over the barrier I was behind for my face. I put my arm up instinctively and he held on tearing like a K9 police dog. The brother backed away and literally watched and did nothing. The PI’s son raced over and asked what he could do. Not much really..you don’t want to pull away from a bite. So I backed up slowly to the main gate and the PI’s son and I were able to close Keeko’s head in the gate and apply pressure. During this time Keeko is trying to follow us out through the gate, he is still on his chain so the PI’s son yelled to the owner’s brother “you’ve got to hold him back!” Next thing I see is the brother coming after Keeko with a two by four. Then the PI’s son used his foot to try and distract him, it worked and Keeko let go but grabbed his shoe ripping the sole right off and biting his foot. I can’t imagine what would have happened if the brother had hit the dog with the wood, the dog would have turned on him for sure as he was so hyper fixated. And I would not have been able to help or get to the hospital in time. There was a lot of blood. I worked in an ER and OR and..it was a good amount of blood.
Robby sprang into action and we got in my car as I had my dog with me, he raced me to the nearest hospital where they wheeled me into trauma. Meanwhile, Robby drove my dog home and got my husband. I passed out in trauma probably just from shock. I didn’t feel much and only started to feel anything once they started taking x-rays. No arterial spraying so I was moved to the ER where they put me under anesthesia and cleaned the wound out really good and then had to do some loose sutures because tendons were showing. Keeko was not vaccinated. The police responded to the ER pretty fast and it was decided that they would quarantine the dog for the ten days instead of having to inject me with the rabies vaccine into the wounds.
So for the past several weeks it has been a lot of doctor’s appointments making sure I did not get compartment syndrome or infection. My most recent visit, yesterday determined the infection has gone to the bone so I have to have my arm in a sling for at least two weeks, on a new antibiotic and they don’t want me using my arm. Will re check next week. Then once the open wounds heal I can start rehab for any nerve damage. I have a total of 29 punctures.
AFTER I was bit I got a text from the owner saying he has bitten several other people. Had this have been disclosed it would have been a very different situation. In my opinion I believe Keeko was abused just like their Shepard Mista. I believe he was trained to be a guard dog…very poorly trained as good training would never have allowed a situation like this to happen. Also, I have been told but have not verified myself, that the owners had been trying to sell the dogs as guard dogs prior to.
What did the owners get? A $255 fine for having an unvaccinated dog. What will Keeko get? Death.
What did the owners get for Mista the Shepard? A $755 fine. What did Mista get? Death.
The owner Delores West of Jacksonville, FL has a court date on April 21st concerning cruelty charges for Mista. I am asking that any Florida citizens please write a short letter to the judge explaining why Florida needs an animal abuse registry and why Delores West deserves the maximum punishment. She and her brother should not be allowed to own an animal ever again.
She now has 4 citations. AC cited her $500 for having a chained dog with no shelter, food or water. Case numbers are in photo comments.
Anyone willing to stand in court with me on the 21st of April would be a great help and show of force. You can private message me. Thank you!
On another note, I was not alone that day. I had tachy symptoms that morning so took a beta blocker which slowed my heart rate down which allowed for my heart to pump blood a bit slower and probably kept me calmer. I had not had to take a beta blocker in months..so strange I did that day. Robby was awesome and was really good under pressure, I know all the blood freaked him out. He got me to the hospital right away and got my dog home- huge relief!! Had he not been there I probably would have passed out driving to the hospital or in their yard. ALWAYS have someone with you!
And in a way I am glad it was me that got bit- it easily could have been a child and the damage could have been much worse.
