Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy
Associated Press
BELLEVILLE, Ill.
A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.
Traci a Johnson of Cahokia was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty. Other misdemeanor counts were dropped.
Prosecutors had pushed for Johnson to spend 60 days in jail.
Authorities say the abuse surfaced in October 2009 when a trash collector found the then-9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Besides the electrical cord in his neck, the dog's body was bruised and burned, and he was 20 pounds underweight.
The dog, named Tommy, survived and made an appearance with animal-welfare advocates outside the courthouse Wednesday.
Prosecutors had pushed for Johnson to spend 60 days in jail.
Authorities say the abuse surfaced in October 2009 when a trash collector found the then-9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Besides the electrical cord in his neck, the dog's body was bruised and burned, and he was 20 pounds underweight.
The dog, named Tommy, survived and made an appearance with animal-welfare advocates outside the courthouse Wednesday.
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“A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.”
This woman is sick and it sickens me she only received a year of probation. The penalties for such abuse must be tougher! If we made sickos like this serve some jail time it might make a difference. Probation isn’t even a slap on the wrist. She will probably do something like this again… Why wouldn’t she?
I wish this little guy, Tommy, the best and I am glad he has recovered. I hope he has found a good home permanently!
Child, 5, Recovering After Pit-Bull Attack
Posted: 10:21 pm EDT June 8, 2010 Updated: 2:32 pm EDT June 9, 2010
PITTSBURGH -- A 5-year-old girl has undergone facial surgery after being bitten by a pit bull in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.
Police and animal control officers are investigating the attack that happened Tuesday night.
Kallie Schaffer's grandfather, Steve Schaffer, said the girl needed 600 micro-stitches to reconstruct her lip.
"She is getting plastic surgery. They are going to repair her bottom lip," Schaffer said.
Schaffer said they were visiting the roommate of the dog's owner when the attack happened. He said he let the dog back into the house as they were getting ready to leave and it lunged at the girl.
He said he doesn't know when the girl will be released from the hospital.
"I am dumbfounded. It is my granddaughter. I feel terrible. I feel terrible, like it’s all my fault," Schaffer said.
The dog owner was not home when the attack happened.
Animal Control officials said they plan on issuing citations to the dog's owner.
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This was a preventable attack as well. I never trust anyone else with my dog… I know how to handle Kangol and not to put him in situations that would make him feel uncomfortable. The roommate should have waited until the family left before he let the dog back in. I don’t know that dog’s history, but from reading this story, I feel that the roommate should be cited.
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