1 – Tipperary family members jailed after 27 dogs rescued from ‘one of worst cruelty cases’
‘These dogs were living in conditions, as the saying goes, “not fit for a dog to live in”’
Three members of the same family were handed down jail sentences after 17 dogs and 10 puppies were removed from properties and land in Killeens, Ballinonty, Co Tipperary.
The dogs included Lurchers, Salukis, Belgian Malinois, a Greyhound, a German Shepherd, and a Chihuahua. The court heard that many dogs were discovered in “varying degrees of neglect” by ISPCA inspectors, who visited the property with gardai in 2021.
On January 19 2023, Mr. Michael Reilly (27), Mr. Martin Reilly Snr (43) and Ms. Katherine Reilly (71) received a total of 13 months in jail sentences at Cashel District Court after pleading guilty to a combined eight charges, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
The court heard that many of the dogs were chained at the dwelling house and at an abandoned building close by.
The living conditions for some of the dogs consisted of a metal cage, a cattle trailer, and an open-ended corrugated shed. One dog was found to be tied to a tree behind the dwelling house.
Most of the dogs were without clean drinking water and had extremely poor body condition. One of the Lurcher dogs removed had an old leg fracture, a female Lurcher was heavily pregnant and severely underweight, an emaciated Greyhound, a Belgian Malinois dog had an injured neck due to the chain embedding in its skin.
Many dogs were found to be suffering from parasitic disease and untreated wounds.
ISPCA Senior Inspector Alice Lacey “it was one of the worst cruelty cases that my colleague and I have dealt with,
“A total of 27 dogs were rescued, all in varying levels of neglect. One dog in particular was… on the brink of death, and it was a miracle he was still alive.
“It was extremely disheartening to think that these animals were left without their most basic needs.”
She added: “This case should lead as an example that there will be serious repercussions for anyone who chooses to neglect or treat animals in this manner.”
Judge Brian O’Shea imposed 25-year disqualifications from keeping all animals on all three defendants and ordered that they pay a total of €9,190 in costs. Forfeiture of two dogs seized at the time of the offences was also ordered.
Judge O’Shea said, on passing sentence: “This is a serious case of animal cruelty… These dogs were living in conditions, as the saying goes, “not fit for a dog to live in”.
“The accused had no regard for animals or their welfare. Many of the animals needed veterinary attention but were left aggrievedly waiting. These dogs were starving, thirsty, living in urine and faeces. This case lies on the upper range of gravity.
“The accused turned a blind eye, and this didn’t happen overnight. The cruelty was long-term and ongoing, and the harm was significant.
“The aggravating factors include the sheer scale of cruelty and the number of animals removed. Katherine Reilly and Michael Reilly entered an early guilty plea, but I can’t attach the same weight to Martin Reilly Snr as he entered a late plea of guilty. I take into account family commitments and health issues, but this case is egregious”.
Katherine Reilly was sentenced to one-month imprisonment on each of three charges with the sentences to run consecutively, Michael Reilly was sentenced to two months imprisonment on each of two charges to run consecutively and Martin Reilly Senior, who did not enter an early guilty plea, received two-month sentences on each of three charges, the sentences to run consecutively.
2 – Man gets 15 years for one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in state history
The man at the middle of what’s been called one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in Georgia history was sentenced Tuesday.
Devechio Rowland was found guilty of more than 200 counts of dogfighting and animal cruelty last month.
Last August, on Rowland’s property, police found 107 dogs that they described as “half-dead.” Horrifying video showed the emaciated animals in need of medical care chained in the woods.
On Tuesday afternoon, Judge Richard Sutton sentenced Rowland to 50 years – 15 years in prison and 35 years of probation.
Several animal rescue volunteers told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus that they were thrilled with the sentence.
“We’re very grateful that it was 15 years. It was more than we expected,” said Melissa Daywalt, a Barktown Dog Rescue volunteer.
Others said the sentence lays out the welcome mat for dogfighting rings.
“It’s basically telling people you can do it and you’re going to get away with it, and you’re going to spend little to no time in jail,” dog rescuer Stephen Phillips said.
Polk County District Attorney Jack Browning agrees, saying he doesn’t think Rowland will ever learn.
He said Rowland maintained all along that he loves dogs and he did nothing wrong.
Rowland’s family declined to talk with Klaus.
Browning said all 107 dogs needed medical care. Rescuers report the dogs are doing dramatically better now, and many have been adopted.
3 – Couple starved dog to brink of death in ‘one of most shocking cases of animal cruelty’
WARNING: Distressing content
A couple who starved their Lurcher pup to the brink of death in one of the worst cases of animal cruelty officers have ever seen have been jailed.
Kerry Patterson, 35, and Reece Milburn, 30, pretended they had found three-year-old Tiggy dumped by the side of a road and reported it to Northumberland County Council.
An animal welfare officer attended their home in Blyth, Northumberland, and he was so disgusted by the state of the animal he said it was the “worst case he’d seen during his 15 years in the job”.
Shocking photographs of Tiggy show she had barely any fur and her ribs were jutting through her emaciated body.
She was also severely dehydrated and suffering from dermatitis and a mite infestation and was so weak she was unable to stand.
Northumberland County Council launched an appeal to find Tiggy’s owners after she was found just days before Christmas in 2019 and the harrowing images went viral.
Days later the council received dozens of emails saying Tiggy actually belonged to Patterson and Milburn.
The couple admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal when they appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates Court last Thursday.
They also pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the welfare of their Staffordshire bull terrier Enzo who also had a skin condition and mite infestation.
The pair were jailed for 12 weeks, banned from owning and keeping animals for life and each ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge.
Council spokesperson Philip Soderquest said it was “one of the most shocking and high-profile cases of animal cruelty the county has ever seen”.
He added: “Our animal welfare team work tirelessly to investigate cases of animal neglect and cruelty and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We were absolutely determined that Tiggy’s former owners would have had their day in court and although it has taken two years, today we got the result we were after.
“Thanks to the dedication of the team at Berwick Animal Rescue Centre, Tiggy had a happy ending.
“She is a picture of health and happiness with a new home, a new life with dog companions, and even a new name.”
The couple’s other dog Enzo is still being cared for in kennels and is looking for a new home.
4 – Man to serve jail time for repeated animal abuse in ‘one of the worst cases’ Nassau DA has seen
NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) — A Long Island man has been sentenced to a year in jail for killing two puppies and nearly killing a third.
Ellie Knoller and his wife were arrested in 2019 in what the Nassau District Attorney calls one of the worst animal abuse cases they have seen.
“The internal injuries these animals sustained are uncommon – even in animal abuse cases – and are consistent with terrifying blunt force trauma,” District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.
Officials say that on Feb. 8, 2019, Knoller adopted a 10-12-week-old male Shepherd mix from a local animal selter and a little over a week later, the puppy died of a kidney rupture.
Knoller inflicted blunt force trauma that caused internal bleeding to the defenseless pup.
The abuse unfortunately did not stop there. A few days after the Shepherd puppy’s death, Knoller adopted a 10-12-week-old male Goldendoodle from a breeder.
Just two days later, the puppy went into respiratory and cardiac arrest. Knoller had once again inflicted blunt force trauma, which resulted in the puppy dying from a lacerated liver.
Officials say these incidents only came to light after Knoller brought an 11-week-old female Goldendoodle to the vet a week later. The pup had multiple fractured ribs, bruising on her lungs, and a broken leg, among other things.
In March 2022, Knoller pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. His heinous acts resulted in a year-long jail sentence, as well as five years of probation and a 50-year ban on owning animals.
DA Donnelly said New York’ State’s animal crime laws need to be strengthened, as Knoller’s maximum sentence was two years in jail.
5 – Man gets jail, probation in ‘one of the worst cases of animal cruelty’
The dog formerly known as Bullet sat with the family who’s been taking care of him outside of the Palm Beach County Courthouse on Friday afternoon where Phillip Rodriguez, who once was the pit bull’s caretaker, pled guilty to beating and starving the dog.
The 19-year-old from West Palm Beach was sentenced to one year in jail plus four years of probation, during which animal control will conduct random inspections.
He is also not allowed to own or live with animals while on probation.
The sentencing came at the end of an emotional hearing where supporters of the dog, now known as Olaf, detailed the horrific injuries suffered while Rodriguez was caring for the dog, which belonged to his girlfriend, this year.
It was one of the worst cases of animal abuse Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Sgt. Jennifer Batchelor had ever seen, she told a packed courtroom Friday afternoon.
“Overwhelmed with feelings, I unleashed anger, bitterness and resentment on a harmless victim,” Rodriguez, whose mother died in January, said. “Unfortunately, these are feelings I had been harboring and carrying for so very long.”
As they have in every hearing since Rodriguez’s February arrest, dozens of Olaf’s supporters showed up wearing “Olaf’s Army” T-shirts. Danielle Perez, a volunteer at Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, said she understands Rodriguez is young and has had a difficult life.
“(People) don’t get a pass because they had a bad thing happen to them,” Perez said.
Authorities said Rodriguez starved the pit bull, beat him, kept him standing in urine or feces for extended periods of time and even shot fireworks at the dog on July 4 “as if it was a game.”
On Jan. 10 the dog was removed from Rodriguez’s house by animal control. The pit bull then began recovery from a skull fracture and multiple eye socket fractures and underwent surgery to remove 18 of his 42 teeth.
The beatings may have continued if not for a neighbor who called law enforcement Jan. 6 saying she could hear Olaf “screaming constantly and can hear the dog being slammed against the walls,” according to Rodriguez’s arrest report. When animal control officers asked to see the dog, they noticed him “shaking severely” when Rodriguez approached him.
Rodriguez could be free by the end of the year. As part of his sentence, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley ruled that Rodriguez will have to attend anger management classes, undergo a mental health evaluation and perform 200 hours of community service.
6 – Two people arrested for animal cruelty after 1 dog dead, 4 others rescued from extreme cold
Two people are facing animal cruelty charges after officials said dogs were left out in the extreme cold, causing the death of one.
Mark Miller, Jr., 42, and Nyssa Richards, 39, are charged with animal cruelty and neglect.
Deputies responded to an address in the 4300 block of North Taylor Rd. on Dec. 23 after a concerned citizen called to say several animals at the property were suffering from extreme cold.
Deputies said the animals did not have protection from the cold. The base temperature was 1 degree with a wind chill of negative 16.
An American Bulldog was found near death. It ultimately had to be euthanized at the University of Illinois Veterinary Clinic in Urbana.
Four other dogs were rescued by the Macon County Animal Control.
Miller and Richards were given notices to appear for a court date of March 14, 2023.
Illinois law requires pet owners to provide sufficient food, water, and shelter suitable to sustain outside temperatures and weather conditions.
Animal cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor.
7- Texas woman accused of leaving dogs to rot in ‘worst’ animal cruelty case sheriff has ever seen
Carly Jo Underwood, 29, has been charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty-torture after more than a dozen dog carcasses were found caged in her home.
What Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter found in a home Dec. 13 would become the most disturbing case of animal abuse he has seen in 32 years.
Two people found the carcasses of 16 dogs caged in a Midland home on East County Road 144 while serving a foreclosure notice, Painter told Us Thursday morning.
The home once belonged to Carly Jo Underwood, 29, who was arrested Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. after getting off a flight from Nevada at Midland International Airport. She faces 16 counts of animal cruelty torture, each of which carries a maximum two-year prison sentence, Painter said.
“This is the worst case I’ve ever seen,” said Painter, who has been sheriff since 1985. “The stench from the feces was horrible. They were just bones and hair.”
8 – Puppy Named “Peanut” Kidnapped, Tortured, And Decapitated
In 2008, a pair of Australian men kidnapped a fox terrier puppy named “Peanut” in the middle of the night, took him to a park behind some rodeo grounds, and recorded themselves slashing him with a knife and garden shears, amputating two of his legs and severing his nose before finally decapitating him. They reportedly laughed throughout the video. One of the two men, Jonathon Blake, had previously been convicted of sex crimes. He allegedly had a falling out with Peanut’s female owner and tortured the dog as an act of revenge. It was described as “the worst case of animal cruelty in Australian history.”
9 – Woman Tortures And Kills Dozens Of Dogs And Cats In Front Of Her Kids
In 2011 a Long Island mother of seven, Sharon McDonough, was sentenced to two years in prison for child and animal abuse. She had hosted what her adult son called “a concentration camp for animals.”
McDonough allegedly forbade her younger children from using the bathroom, instead demanding that they urinate and defecate in a bucket. She would kidnap neighborhood cats and dogs, forcing her kids to hold them down as she’d tape the animals’ mouths and noses shut before watching them slowly die. Police found 42 dog carcasses in her backyard.
Her adult son, Douglas McDonough, was the one who informed authorities of his mother’s activities. In a letter to prosecutors, he wrote:
As one who has witnessed his “mother” choke the life out of a living animal and physically and emotionally abuse and destroy her own children, I know what she is capable of doing. I fear for my well-being, my sisters and my six-month old child. She has already destroyed us to a certain point.
