DOOGIE’S MEMORY LIVES ON
Tammy was ordered to take everything down related to Doogie so I am posting ALL the information that Tammy was ordered to take down here! Try to shut me up! Try to tell me to take it down! I DARE YOU!!! If you try, I will sue you for violating my 1st Ammendment Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America! I served in the Air Force and fought for this right and my husband served in the Army and also fought for our rights as stated under the United States Constitution! So I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS DOWN!!!!!
Grimes Arrested for
Helping Dying Chained Dog
Alert Updates
Inside Edition ran: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:00 p.m. EST
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 7:00 p.m. EST
Update Monday September, September 25, 2006 7:00 p.m. EST
(Time varies according to community)
Press Release 9/11/06
Press Release 11/27/06
Press Release 3/3/07
Press Release 4/6/07
Press Release 9/3/07
Press Release 10/24/07
Press Release 12/17/07
Read Grimes Op-Ed: Every Life Matters:
|
Every Life Matters
An Opinion/Editorial Piece by
I question a society where those who step up to save a dying animal are arrested and prosecuted; yet those who allow an animal to suffer and die in their very own yards are rarely brought to justice and seldom even charged with more than a minor infraction. I am slated to stand trial for theft and receiving stolen property for aiding a dog who lay chained, unable to stand, and dying in it’s owners’ yard for three days. May 21st I am back in court to choose a jury in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
Ironically, May 21st is also the day the Good Mayor of a town in Minnesota goes back to court for a crime involving his chained dog. In this case the defendant sentenced his “wire-haired hunting dog” (we’ll call him Wiry for short) to death by freezing in sub-zero temperatures, with only a feces-laden crate for shelter. He is charged NOT with animal cruelty, as one who has any faith in the justice system would expect, but instead with failure to provide proper housing, a ‘petty misdemeanor’ charge. His ‘petty misdemeanor’ charge is even less for KILLING his dog than my ‘misdemeanor’ charge is for SAVING a dog. Neighbors say they heard the dog crying for help. None came. Before heading to archives, the comment section on the Good Mayor’s news story at sctimes.com numbered 105 comments and still climbing, indicative of a story that raises serious moral and ethical questions. One of the more pressing questions on people’s minds was “If the neighbors heard the dog crying, why didn’t they step up to help?” A person identifying him/herself only as Fed Up stated the story was indeed true, as he/she had personally heard the dog’s cries for help. Indignant questions of “Why didn’t you DO something” met only with silence from Fed Up. As one embroiled in the same ethical/moral dilemma that Fed Up faced, I truly empathize with his/her plight. Since my arrest, I have endured personal onslaughts of my character from the district attorney, police chief, and other organizations as well as from strangers, new-found enemies, and former friends. They range from mild (she broke the law, period) to the irrational (all the evidence is faked, any eighth grader with photoshop could have created both the photos and the video—fyi, my son is in eighth grade, but insists he has NO idea how to work photoshop, so I’ve proven that one wrong, thank God…) Fed Up was caught in a moral dilemma, and had to make a choice between his/her own personal safety and the safety of the dog. We know which choice Fed Up made. He/she now has to live every single day with the guilt created by this decision. Fed Up may well endure nightmares and go to the grave with the guilt of Wiry’s death heavy on his/her conscience. Given what I’ve had to endure at the hands of local authorities as a result of my decision to save Doogie, I can certainly understand why someone would not choose to act to save the life. How much worse would it have been for Fed Up to save the MAYOR’s dog? The Good Mayor would have plenty of community pull, and Fed Up would be tarred, feathered, and hanged by daybreak, any thoughts of Wiry’s mistreatment and impending doom completely forgotten and rationalized away by authorities and community members alike. They would all wonder what got into that darn neighbor, usually such a nice, quiet citizen…why would Fed Up suddenly go berserk and start stealing the private property of the Good Mayor? It would make no sense in a justice system centered on dogs as nothing more than property, having no feelings or right to life in and of itself. I myself was duly notified by the Upstanding Police Chief that if I ever came near his dog, he’d put a slug in my a**. He also stated in the Daily Collegian that my video could well have been faked, that he could take his dog out, drag it through the mud, and get horrible-looking video like that too. But Mr. Police Chief, would not that very act of dragging your best friend through the mud actually constitute abusive behavior on your part? As you probably have no fear of being prosecuted, I can see why you would feel free to envision such a form of torture for your pet.
Until we force our nation to evolve, acting as a Good Samaritan for dogs on chains will be a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” kinda’ thang. If you DO step up to save the life, you may well be the one arrested; and if you don’t, you will live with the poor creature’s death on your head for all eternity. Not a pleasant choice by any stretch of the imagination.
I am certainly not the first to take action to save a dying chained dog. I may be the first to get such compelling evidence of the crime committed against the dog, to fight for the right of a dog not to die on the end of a chain, and to stand for my right to act as a Good Samaritan. I won’t be the last. Fed Up is not the first to let fear stop him/her from saving a life, and Fed Up will not be the last. The Good Mayor and Doogie’s owners are not the first and will not be the last to get away with animal cruelty by allowing their dog to die on the end of a chain. They are merely links in a chain of abuse that has been ongoing for centuries, and which only we can stop. It’s up to US to make these kind of Americans a dying breed. It’s up to US to stop tolerating the abuse, start enforcing laws protecting animals, and create stronger laws limiting chaining for man’s best friend. Every social movement succeeds ONLY when the people stop letting fear get in the way of taking the necessary action. When the people stand up, the power shifts from abuser to right action. Laws change, tolerance of social injustice ends. I consider myself lucky, despite facing charges, that I am not in Fed Up’s shoes. I know Doogie would thank me if he could, and nothing man can do to me could take that away from me. I wake up each morning knowing I did as Jesus would have done, and Doogie’s life being extended almost six months in a loving, caring environment is more than all the proof I need. Wiry never made it through the night; dying a cold, sad, lonely, frightening death. I urge everyone placed in the horrible position of Fed Up and myself to push fear aside, to do whatever it takes to save the life. If time is not of the essence, fight hard for authorities to take the necessary life-saving steps. Don’t back down to authorities if they act like you don’t know what you’re talking about or you should mind your own business. If the dog is suffering and death is imminent, that is EVERYONE’S business! If they refuse to take the plight of the dying animal seriously or do not respond at all to pleas for help, realize you are on your own, and that life is depending on YOU. You may be the only lifeline that dog has, please do not toss it aside lightly. Doogie’s life mattered. Wiry’s life mattered. Every life matters. Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better I want to help DDB with financial support. We can now accept donations over the phone using a major credit card at 1.877.636.1408. To donate by mail, send check or money order to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684. Thank you! Doogie eating, forgetting for a moment that he is camera-shy.
|
Read Article by Grimes:
Just Another Piece of Garbage? I Don’t Think So.
Article by
Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better
Just Another Piece of Garbage?
I Don’t Think So.
Every week at Dogs Deserve Better we receive pictures of chained dogs that are obviously just another piece of trash, left and forgotten, in the caretaker’s yard. The dog sits, day after day and year after year, amidst old junk cars, broken toys, rusted tools, and nameless and sundry other used up and broken paraphenalia, becoming too sad to even bark or make a fuss anymore.
I believe a good portion of the blame for the pervasiveness of this attitude rests upon the shoulders of this state’s law enforcement agencies and judicial system. Three recent Pennsylvania cases not only support this argument, but were, in fact, what has led me to this conclusion.
Contrary to what many of us may think, Pennsylvania DOES in fact have anti-cruelty laws in place. They state: A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal’s body heat and keep it dry. A person convicted of a summary offense should pay a fine of not less than $ 50 nor more than $ 750 or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
So why does Pennsylvania have so many cases of dead and dying dogs, oftentimes abandoned on the end of a chain or locked in a shed where they remain until death?
The problem seems to lie in the actual ENFORCEMENT of these laws. More often than not they are simply not enforced. The police feel it is not their job to enforce them, and the humane officers, few that there are, are both overwhelmed and beaten down by a judicial system that all too frequently sides with the abusers. They become lackadaisical about enforcement because they know whatever work they put into building a case, the judge may very well throw it out and let the abuser walk. There is no reward for their efforts on behalf of the animal, only loss after loss in the courtroom, leading to an eventual paralysis of both heart and mind.
Recently in Centre County, PA, Dogs Deserve Better volunteers twice tried to get a humane officer to go look at chained dogs to ascertain if laws were being broken. They were told both times that the officer had more than 30 counties to oversee, and there was no way she could get there anytime in the near future. What happens to a dog who is near death in these counties without adequate humane enforcement and police who feel it’s not their job? I think we all know the answer to that. And I think it’s happening daily, with no one held accountable for yet another death of another helpless companion.
The attitude that dogs in Pennsylvania are JUST PROPERTY, and can be treated as such, is archaic and in need of some serious overhaul. In a sad nod to the effects of this ‘just property’ notion, and in what may horrifyingly become a legal trend, is convicting animal abusers of ’scattering rubbish’ instead of the actual crime of cruelty to animals.
Scattering rubbish, a dead dog? With insane verdicts such as these appearing in our state newspapers and other media, the court system and law enforcement agencies are putting forth and reinforcing the notion that dogs are just another piece of garbage; that it’s ok to kill a dog as long as you dispose of it properly. This lends credence to the already prevalent notion amongst Pennsylvania’s animal abusers that dogs are not living breathing creatures deserving of our respect and just treatment according to the law, but merely chattel, refuse, something worthless and of no value. That you can dispose of one and get another with no consequences and no thought.
On January 8, 2008 in Stroudsburg, PA, Arnold Wheeler was acquitted of animal cruelty charges in the 2006 shootings of three of his dogs. Wheeler use a .22-caliber rifle to shoot a 2 year old male dog 4 times, an 8-month-old female dog 3 times, and another female with puppies 1 time, and then dumped their bodies off along the road. For these crimes he walked, but was instead convicted of scattering rubbish for dumping the dog’s bodies. He was ordered to pay a $200 fine and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Then on January 24th, 2008, Cheryl Magnotta of Smethport, PA was sentenced for 6 counts of animal cruelty, after pleading guilty to abandoning 21 Great Danes and leaving them to die of starvation on her property. She was initially charged with 44 counts of ’scattering rubbish’ and 21 counts of animal cruelty, but she pled out of all 44 counts of rubbish charges and all but 6 of the animal cruelty charges. She received time served and probation.
On September 11, 2006, I helped a dog left to die on the end of a chain in a yard, a useless ‘piece of refuse’ who could no longer stand or even bark. Despite video and photo evidence of cruelty, as well as eye-witness and vet testimony, no charges were ever filed by either the police or the humane officer against the dog’s caretakers. Private criminal charges filed by myself and Dogs Deserve Better remain ‘in limbo’, probably in a ‘let’s avoid this’ stack of charges on the DA’s desk. Instead, I was arrested for ’stealing property’, and refusing to give it back when it was demanded of me. I was convicted and will be sentenced on February 22th…for standing up for ‘just another piece of Pennsylvania garbage’.
Maybe, and that’s a big maybe in East Freedom, Pennsylvania, if Doogie had died that day and been dumped along the road by the Arnolds, they too would have been convicted of ’scattering rubbish’. We will never know, because this one time someone stepped in and picked up the trash before it was all the way dead. With my conviction, the message being sent once again to the Pennsylvania public is that it’s ok to kill your dog, because it’s just another piece of junk laying in your yard; treat it as you see fit.
Just make sure you dispose of it properly when you’re done.
Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better
I want to help DDB with financial support!
We can now accept donations over the phone using a major credit card at 1.877.636.1408.
To donate by mail, send check or money order to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684. Thank you!
2/25/08. Grimes today met with the probation officer as ordered, then went to Costs and Fines. At these two places she discovered the most bizarre circumstance she could ever imagine. She had seen a ‘cost $5.00 hour’ beside the 300 hours community service, but assumed that meant she was somehow working off a whopping $5.00 hour. However, that was not the case. Instead, she is EXPECTED TO PAY $5.00 FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE. THEY WANT HER TO PAY $1500 TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE. How is that even possible? That is absolutely not possible! The total they want her to pay, note that there are no ‘fines’ here, is $3878.99. This includes court costs of $225.00, judicial fee of $41.50, probation fee of $360.00, and then come the little ‘extras’ they’ve thrown in. Sheriff fee, not normally charged to defendants, $563.34, Court Admin (lunches, bus drivers) $1189.15, and then, the lovely Community Service fee, $1500!
2/22/08. Today Grimes was sentenced to 300 hours community service for a ‘people organization’, because ‘people are dogs too’. She was also ordered to pay for the cost of the trial. (Note: this is not court costs, but trial costs, two different things. Trial cost covers the jurors lunches, the sheriff’s wages, and the bus driver’s salary.) This was justified by the judge because she said that Grimes chose to go to trial over ARD, therefore she should have to pay for it. Isn’t it every person’s right to go to trial? Does that right come with a price tag? Interestingly enough, according to Grimes’ attorneys, this is not only NOT OFTEN done, but RARELY done. The costs were around $1700.
She was also ordered within 10 days to take everything Doogie related off of any site she ‘has control or influence over’. We will be appealing most if not all of the sentencing asap.
The absolute worst part of it all was the way she was treated by both the DA and the judge. The saddest thing is that they actually seem to BELIEVE the horrible things they said about her. They seem to actually BELIEVE that the taking of Doogie was a publicity stunt by Grimes, so that she could be a ‘hero’. That the Arnolds are ‘victims’ of her lies, and that ‘the dog was just old’.
The DA said he was shocked this was her first offense, because her disrespect for the law and it’s officials is like his worst hardened criminals. He also said that everything on the DDB site is a lie, twisted by Grimes to make people believe her. He was seriously ticked off that the Arnolds received Valentines and a brochure this Valentine’s Day. Yet, at trial he insisted DDB should try to educate them, so which is it? Do you want them educated or not?
The judge said that Grimes was no Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King, Jr. That she has disgraced herself and her cause, as well as her supporters by her actions. That two wrongs don’t make a right. (If she’s admitting there were ‘two wrongs’, then why are the Arnolds still not being convicted of abuse?)
We are saddened by the state of affairs in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Saddened by the people ‘in control’, and saddened by the beliefs they put out into the world.
Pictures and video do not lie. If it were a he said/she said situation, we could understand how they would believe the Arnolds when they say the dog was just old. But with the abundance of evidence of neglect, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the behavior of both DA Richard Consiglio and Judge Elizabeth Doyle. Pictures and video DO NOT LIE.
2/19/08. Grimes is to be sentenced at the Blair County Courthouse this Friday, 22 February, at 11:00 a.m. Anyone who can go early with a sign protesting Grimes conviction for saving a life, please do. The Courthouse address is 423 Allegheny St., Hollidaysburg, PA 16648.
2/11/08. Grimes has created a video statement in which she requests jailtime for her actions in saving a dying dog. She will not pay a fine, for she will not support a system where animal cruelty is condoned, either through actions or inactions, on the part of those in power. Read her statement in it’s entirety by reading on.
Grimes Requests Jailtime
for her Actions in Saving a Dying Dog
On December 14, 2007, I was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property for coming to the aid of this dog, who lay chained, unable to stand, and suffering in an East Freedom, Pennsylvania backyard.
Despite overwhelming evidence of cruelty on the part of the dog’s caretakers, no charges were ever brought against them by either the humane officer or the police. A private criminal complaint filed by myself and Dogs Deserve Better languishes unaddressed on the desk of DA Richard Consiglio.
Both video evidence of the dog struggling to get up and after-photos and video of the dog walking were suppressed from the jury. These videos are currently available for viewing on YouTube and our site.
I am to be sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Doyle on February 22, 2008. I am expected to receive a fine and/or community service, as well as probation for this supposed crime. I am morally and ethically unable and unwilling to pay any fine that goes to pay the salaries of those who use power wrongly; those who punish citizens for helping animals and allow animal abusers to go free will not receive monetary support from me.
The DA has taken flack in the opinion columns of local newspapers for wasting Blair County taxpayer money on my trial. His solution? To charge ME for the cost of the trial, reported to be over $1000. He expects me to pay costs for a jury who knew nothing of jury nullification, and knew not that they were free to exercise their own judgment based on their consciences rather than follow the advice of those in power just because they said they had to. They were therefore railroaded into a conviction by the actions of the DA and Judge Doyle.
It is not enough for Mr. Consiglio to drag my name and the name of Dogs Deserve Better through the mud in order to distract our citizens from the fact that cruelty laws were already being broken, and that the humane officer and the police failed to do their jobs. He would have me foot the bill for it as well. As a taxpayer of Blair County, Pennsylvania, I have already contributed my share to this trial. I will contribute no more.
As founder and director of Dogs Deserve Better, I do community service virtually ever day of my life. If fact, I was performing community service the day I picked an aged and dying dog out of the mud and got him the veterinary care he was entitled to by law.
I am a law-abiding citizen of both Pennsylvania and the United States of America. I have served my country as a top-secret cleared linguist in the U. S. Air Force, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant at my first available opportunity, and honorably discharged in 1988. I strive very hard to obey all laws that seem fair and do not cause harm to others. I stop short of obeying any law that would force me to watch a dog die in the dirt, just because he is considered mere property of another. I will continue to fight for better laws for man’s best friend, as well as shine a light on the current lack of enforcement of existing cruelty laws.
This dog was not just another piece of trash that a Pennsylvania couple could allow to die unassisted, chained, and flailing about in the mud and his own feces in their yard. Doogie had the right to live or the right to a death free from cruelty, and the right to veterinary help by Pennsylvania law.
It is incumbent upon Blair County voters to remove from office anyone who by their actions or inactions condones animal cruelty and abuse and punishes those who seek to help these animals. This includes Judge Elizabeth Doyle and DA Richard Consiglio.
Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that “noncooperation with evil is just as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.” And Thoreau stated “Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison…where the state places those who are not with her, but against her—the only house in a slave state in which a free man or woman can abide with honor.”
The only way for me to maintain a clear conscience is to choose prison as punishment for my crime. I hereby request that Judge Doyle jail me for however many days I should be imprisoned for the taking of a piece of property who’s value, while stated in the misdemeanor charges at 0-$50, after vet fees was more like negative (-)$960.65.
However, as one of our supporters said, Doogie’s freedom from abuse and restoration to health was truly more valuable than any precious gem; it was indeed priceless.
Tammy Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better
I want to help with financial support for this important work.
We can now accept donations over the phone using a major credit card at 1.877.636.1408.
To donate by mail, send check or money order to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684.
Thank you!
We can now accept donations over the phone using a major credit card at 1.877.636.1408.
To donate by mail, send check or money order to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684.
Thank you!
3/23/07. On 4/17/07 there is a pre-trial motion hearing to dismiss all charges at the Blair County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. Can you come to a pre-trial rally at the Hollidaysburg Courthouse for Tammy Grimes at 9:00 a.m. April 17th? The pre-trial hearing is at 10:30, so let’s be there at 9:00 a.m., sporting signs, listening to a few speakers, and in general showing support for Tammy and what she did for Doogie. We’ll make sure we have new signs made from the new sayings and buttons for everyone that comes. If you can come in from out of town, please do! The more people we have standing together, the better for our cause and for justice. To see Altoona hotels and motels, visit the Altoona.com site.
We can get a room discount at the Motel 6 if we have more than 10 rooms booked. If you can come into town and want to be part of the room block at Motel 6, please let Tammy know by calling her at 877.636.1408 by April 11th so she can make arrangements. If we don’t get 10 rooms reserved by then, we cannot block it.
The courthouse address is 423 Allegheny Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. Please keep in mind that although we have this hearing, it does not mean the charges will be dismissed. There is still the very real possibility that we are going to a jury trial. We NEED to raise our voices and BE HEARD! It is absolutely ridiculous that in Pennsylvania one can abuse a dog despite existing cruelty laws, allowing it to lay chained, unable to stand, and on the ground for three days and NOT pay a price for that abuse.
It is unconscionable what this case is teaching our children. We must continue to fight, not only for Doogie, but for all future dogs in Pennsylvania and around the U.S. And for our children’s future who may have to make the same choices Tammy has made; choices which no one should have to make.
3/10/07. Lori Arnold allegedly called the vet three times 3/6/07 after hours telling them she wanted to pick up Doogie. Each time she was told they were closed, and they would have to pick him up the next day. Steve Arnold picked him up the next morning. With the ground frozen it would be very difficult to bury him…we would truly like to know what they did with the poor guy’s body.
3/6/07. Word was that the DA instructed the vet who’d done the autopsy to release Doogie to the Arnold’s. They were supposed to pick him up at 10:00 a.m. today, and as of 4:00 p.m. had not shown up for him. We’d like to suggest they spend $100 to get him cremated (we’d be more than happy to pay for his cremation)…at least he could be in the house after death….
In today’s Altoona Mirror the DA kindly suggested we work to educate the Arnolds. Well, we may have succeeded in just the tiniest fraction…sources say the white dog has now ‘graduated’ to a pen. And it sounds a bit larger than normal. However, dogs need love, proper care, and VET TREATMENT when they are sick. In fact, the vet treatment part is required by LAW…even Pennsylvania law. We hear on occasion it may be enforced.
3/3/07. Doogie died Thursday morning, March 1st, at the home of his foster mother. He died peacefully, waiting for her to leave the room before passing, as many dogs (and humans) do.
He had been struggling with up and down health through December, until his foster mom found a medication that seemed to give him relief from pain; he then flourished, turning into a loving family member. She wrote: “It’s with great sadness in my heart that I tell you Doogie passed away yesterday morning (March 1st) around 9:10 am.
Doogie had surpassed all goals I had set for us both. He learned how to smile, love, kiss, hug, wag his tail, trot (yes! literally trot!) up to me and check me with his hip in an attempt to play. He gently took food from me and never complained about anything we had to do to help him.
I thank you, Tammy, for letting me have time with him. He was an amazing little old man and sadly, the way he lived, no one enjoyed his comedy; a life spent chained had done a number on his mind. I have had much training; I studied animal behavior, first aid, and thank God I live in a place where cruelty charges would have been given and upheld on the owners of Doogie for the condition I saw him in—and that was after a month of care.
I want to thank everyone for the presents Doogie received and all the well wishes. Please know he went very peacefully and on his own, he chose his time and was not in any noticeable pain. I hugged him and told him all the amazing stories about the bridge, about how people who have hurt him will suffer in the end, and about Tammy’s amazing love in refusing to give him back to an immediate death. He had almost 5 months with me, during which time we both learned so much about love.”
Doogie’s body was returned to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where an autopsy is being performed, and where it has been confirmed by the vet to be the same dog examined September 11, 2006.
2/28/07. We did not do jury selection on Monday, the caseload is so backed up we would not have gotten to pick a jury. Tammy’s lawyer has been petitioning the court to have the case dismissed for various reasons, but so far we have not succeeded. No news yet as to when everything will take place, as soon as we know we will post it. Doogie is doing ok right now…
2/3/07. Doogie is still hanging in there, having good days and bad days. Please keep him in your thoughts. While we’re amazed he has lived this long, this proves what a little caring, medication, proper diet, and loving kindness can do for an animal who has lost hope and the will to live.
Monday, Feb. 5, is a Trail List Review at 8:30 a.m. Jury selection is scheduled for February 26, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. We still do not have actual hearing date scheduled, but will let everyone know asap, as we are planning a HUGE rally for the night before or the day of the trial. We really need everyone to come out to support us! Remember you are not only supporting Tammy for saving Doogie, but supporting every dog who is left to die on the end of a chain. Doogie MATTERS! They all MATTER. We have to show them that simply saying he is property for them to do with as they want doesn’t cut it in 21st Century America. A life is a life, and those who cruelly torture a life by leaving it to die on the end of a chain for 3 days MUST be held accountable for those actions.
We also must stand against the lack of enforcement for basic cruelty laws, not only in Pennsylvania but nationwide. Please stand with us.
12/4/06. We sent out the e-news at noon Sunday, and asked for your prayers and thoughts for Doogie, as we were informed he had taken quite a turn for the worse. Well, it is working! By 7:00 p.m. he was up and moving again. We believe that everyone sent up whatever works for them…thoughts, prayers, energy…but it is working, so keep it up! Here is the message we received: “He is the come back kid. He is walking with big confident steps. I told him this am that I loved him and I thought his time was up. I didn’t want him to have this pain and that we would always love him. I came home and checked on him and he BARRELED through the door and demanded out immediately.” Please, keep it up for him.
11/27/06. Today was the pretrial conference in the jury room of the Blair County Courthouse. There were no further deals offered or made, and so we informed the judges that we would be continuing on to a jury trial. Mr. Dickey’s office will file a motion to dismiss all charges this week.
Tammy will be meeting with Mr. Dickey within the next week to figure out future moves.
We are currently set up for a further pretrial conference on February 5th at 8:30 a.m. This is the final pretrial activity before we move onto jury selection and go to trial.
There have been an unheard of number of letters to the editor published in the Altoona Mirror. 12 at last count, only three of which were negative. We have a TON of support here!
We would like everyone to continue to write letters to the editor of the Altoona Mirror at opinion@altoonamirror.com. Keep them short and snappy if possible. Also, copy and paste your letter to the editor to these following national media outlets, making sure to put the DDB website and phone number in there too:
USA Today
The New York Times
LA Times
ABC News
NBC News
CBS News
Fox News
Oprah
Dr. Phil
Montel
Geraldo
Washington Post
Washington Times
Any others you can find, including other talk shows, radio shows, and magazines that you know of would be great, and keep sending…we CAN raise national awareness of the lack of enforcement and dog chaining problems in our country!
We also NEED to have a TON of people attend the hearing! We would like to hold a rally at the next pretrial conference, however it is very early in the morning…if you have a great idea how to really raise local support, please e-mail us at Tammy@dogsdeservebetter.org and let us know.
How about a large group marching in a holiday parade in Altoona or Holllidaysburg? Worked for the suffragists!
10/25/06. The D.A. offered this deal to Mr. Dickey, Tammy’s attorney: Give the dog back and we’ll let her go with just ARD. (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition). We said, “No Way!” Please write the D.A. and ask him what Tammy needs to be rehabilitated from? Caring? Standing up when no one else will? Putting the value of a life, any life, before fear and ‘property’?
Meanwhile, in nearby Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 8 boys stole and cruelly slaughtered 2 lambs from a local farmer. According to the Altoona Mirror, one local said. “This was boys being boys, and they made a mistake.”
State police said the farmer initially reported the livestock stolen, then settled the matter with the boys and their parents, accepting $500 in restitution.
The Cambria County District Attorney’s office turned the matter over to the state Attorney General’s Office to decide if criminal charges are warranted.”
IF criminal charges are warranted? So, apparently in Pennsylvania, it’s ok to steal lambs to torture and slay them, but not OK to get a dog the emergency medical help it needed when it’s supposed caretakers left it to die on the ground for three days?
Latest news, we do NOT have a definitive court date set yet for when supporters need to come out. We will post far and wide as soon as we do. The next activity is set for November 27th, however that is something either the lawyer or the lawyers and Tammy need only be present for.
We are sending a letter to the D.A. once again, in writing, requesting him to pursue charges against the Arnolds.
Kathleen Slagle, the area rep accused of harrassment to a Houtzdale couple for sending them two letters, had her charges all but dismissed outright on Monday, October 23. The magistrate is continuing the case for 60 days, at which time the charges will be dismissed.
10/18/06. October 18th Tammy went to see Doogie to see how his health was. He was doing excellently for his age and physical challenges! He is receiving great care, love, home cooked food, and kindness. These are the two latest pictures of him, please click below to see the videos.
Doogie eating, forgetting for a moment that he is camera-shy.
Doogie walking in the yard.
10/16/06. Get your National Enquirer this weekend, the Doogie/Tammy story is in this edition, the 10/30 edition.
10/8/06. The Altoona Mirror has run at least 6 positive letters to the editor in the past week! Thanks to everyone who chipped in to make this happen, and thanks to them for running some of your many, many letters, finally.
We got new, very brief video footage of Doogie walking, quite spry, today. Word is he is doing better and responding to his new medication.
9/28/06. Continue to write the D.A. and ask why he refuses to even look at charges against the Arnolds? Isn’t this America, shouldn’t all potential charges be examined? We have video, photos, at least 2 eyewitnesses to the abuse, and a veterinarian statement. How much more does he need?
Calling/writing the D.A.s office at:
Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio, Esq.: 814.693.3010
423 Allegheny St. Suite 421, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
To e-mail: blairda@keyconn.net
9/25/06. Tammy Grimes is a Finalist in the Animal Planet Hero of the Year Contest! If you believe her actions and the work she has put into Dogs Deserve Better to improve lives for chained/penned dogs is worth your vote, please choose her at http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/hero_of_the_year/poll/poll.html
9/24/06. Make sure to watch Inside Edition for an update Monday, September 25, check the times near you. They are telling me they are getting a ton of e-mail response to our stories, and have promised to actually MENTION Dogs Deserve Better this time (which they haven’t done in the past)! Write them at iemail@kingworld.com with positive or negative comments on this story.
The Altoona Mirror ran a photo of Doogie provided by the Arnolds (on his chain, of course) on Sunday, September 24. This is after they have told everyone who asks them that they do not run any photos that they do not take themselves, because someone could be doctoring it. Apparently this is NOT true, they just won’t run the photos we’ve provided of him suffering! They also have not run ONE positive letter to the editor, despite receiving thousands of them. Please continue to write them and insist on fair editorial practices at opinion@altoonamirror.com.
PA state reps Geist and Stern say they have not heard from their constituents on this issue. If you are in the Blair County PA area and are in their district, please start calling, writing, e-mailing them asap. We need them to understand HOW MUCH we need things to change here, and that we expect them to support HB1911 and stand up for dogs who are left to die on the end of a chain.
Hon. Richard Allen Geist
The Gables Building Suite 104
1331 Twelfth Ave.
Altoona, PA 16601
(814) 946-7218
Fax: (814) 949-7915
and/or
Main Capitol Building, Room 144
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
(717) 787-6419
Fax: (717) 772-5142
E-Mail: rgeist@pahousegop.com
Hon. Jerry A. Stern
324 Allegheny Street
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
(814) 695-2398
Fax: (814) 946-7239
and/or
210 Ryan Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
(717) 787-9020
Fax: (717) 705-1849
Robert C. Jubelirer
Senate District 30
Senate Box 203030
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3030
ROOM: 292 Capitol Building
(717) 787-5490
D.O. ADDRESS: 12 Sheraton Drive
P.O. Box 2023
Altoona, PA 16603
rjubelirer@pasen.gov
9/23/06. We know many of you are waiting for an update on the court case! Best Friends is actually doing a better job of keeping this up to date than we are, please visit their network for updates as well at http://www.network.bestfriends.org
The rally was amazing on Thursday. Tammy’s attorney advised her not to speak, so many others spoke on her behalf. Approximately 75 people attended from all areas of PA, Utah, Canada, Maryland, Ohio, New York and Delaware, most bringing great signage and t-shirts. We handed out pins for everyone to wear. The rally was organized by Best Friends, and we cannot say enough good about the way they have stepped up to help. Our gratitude goes out to all of you and most especially Best Friends.
40 or so people went on to the district court, filled the courtroom, with 30 or so people overflowing to the parking lot, where they waited for 4 hours to see the results and be there when we came out. Talk about dedication! They were amazing.
Attorney’s Dickey and Childers were incredible, and fought the good fight to get all four charges dismissed outright. We were able to get rid of the criminal trespass and criminal mischief, and still must go to court on November 27 for theft and receiving stolen property. Your support will be CRUCIAL for these dates, so save the date and please SHOW UP! It’s so important.
And then Kim Eicher, the neighbor who called us for help for Doogie, speaks, and is cheered by the crowd.
Tammy’s father, Jerry Sneath, gave the invocation for the rally, and voiced his support of Tammy, saying he knows abuse when he sees it, and this was clearly abuse. (This was the only time all day Tammy cried, thank you for standing with me, Dad, it means a lot!)
The art is also linked here in jpeg format. You can use it to make signs or iron on transfers for t-shirts (probably need the flipped version for this.)
I’m Standing Up for Doogie.
He Couldn’t Stand Up for Himself Art - for Signs
I’m Standing Up for Doogie.
He Couldn’t Stand Up for Himself Flipped - for t-Shirt Transfers
Free Grimes, Arrest the Arnolds for Abuse Art - for Signs
Free Grimes, Arrest the Arnolds for Abuse Flipped -
for t-Shirt Transfers
9/19/06. We brought on Attorneys Thomas Dickey and Leslie Childers of Altoona to work with Courtney Bartholemew at the Preliminary Hearing on Thursday. We received the below footage of Doogie, eight days laters. Shows what a little vet care, love, food, water, and a good bath will do for a dog! Pick the person who was rudest to you and call them again…would be a hard choice, but we’ve heard TV10 is leading the votes!
|
9/18/06. Thanks to everyone at Awareness Day and Woofstock for their support! The Altoona Mirror Saturday ran a headine that states ‘Vet Confirms Dog Was Abused!’ Finally! I spoke to a lot of legal experts plus two great humane officers who said they would absolutely prosecute the Arnolds for abuse given all the evidence. Our Action Call is therefore to keep up the pressure on the humane officer to get the cruelty investigation rolling. Central Pennsylvania Humane Society: 814.942.5402; cphs@altoonarail.net Humane Officer Paul Gotshall: 814.942.3780 Start Calling/writing the D.A.s office at: To e-mail: blairda@keyconn.net I want to thank everyone for their e-mails and donations to our cause. I have over 1000 e-mails right now, I try to answer them all, but if you don’t get a response, please know how grateful I am for your support!—Tammy 9/15/06. I will be out of town all weekend in Harrisburg, speaking at Awareness Day and then Woofstock. Our new action alert is to send letters to the editor of the Altoona Mirror at E-mail: opinion@altoonamirror.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlBTv7Kh6JY Start Calling/writing the D.A.s office at: Ask him to drop all charges against Grimes, and file charges for cruelty against the Arnolds based on video, photos, eye witness accounts, and veterinary witness. 9/14/06. Inside Edition is coming today to film. We will post asap when it is to air. We’ve put Doogie Attire and Pins on the cafepress store, see the side panel. We’ve ordered 200 buttons for the demonstration planned with Best Friends Thursday, September 21 in Hollidaysburg, PA. Please be there to support Doogie and Grimes! The art is also linked here in jpeg format. You can use it to make signs or iron on transfers for t-shirts (probably need the flipped version for this.)
I did a hostile interview with WRTA Talk Radio in Altoona today. The Inside Edition interview is done, he is also interviewing the other parties. No word on air date yet. Did an Animal Radio interview, thank you Hal and Judy! Mark from the Mirror did a longer interview today, they seem ready to show more of our side. Your calls are working! They still are not running a photo of Doogie, saying they have to take it themselves. I have a hard time believing that. Keep up the great work! Please continue to get the video to national talk shows and media. The rally with Best Friends is set for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 21, at the courthouses at 423 Allegheny St. in Hollidaysburg, PA. We need all your support! Please come and bring signs of support for Tammy and Doogie. 9/13/06. We made front page of the Mirror yesterday. Were interviewed by WTAJ and WJAC. WTAJ and the Mirror are still biased toward the abusers. Kim Eicher, the neighbor who witnessed the abuse, tried to tell WTAJ her story. They refused to take it! She immediately went to WJAC, and they filmed her on the spot. Action Alert: Call the Mirror at 814.946.7535, tell them their story is biased, and they need to show Doogie’s photo, as well as interview Kim Eicher. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXFTj3T8OM Call WTAJ and tell them it is unacceptable that they refused to interview Kim Eicher. They must give her story equal time. 814.944.1414 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxFeWWbUek Doogie is safe, warm, loved, being treated, |
|
|
Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, was arrested September 11, 2006 for helping a dying chained dog named Doogie who could not stand in East Freedom, Pennsylvania. Below are the details of the case, with photo and video documentation. Tammy’s statement: “I made a hard decision; I could not have lived with myself or looked myself in the eye if I were such a coward as to leave Doogie lying there dying on the ground for fear of what would happen to me. I see this case as a travesty against justice…the true perpetrators of a crime are the people who left Doogie to lie there dying for three days without doing right by him. I am very saddened that we live in a society where people have to be afraid to do the right thing, to help those in need, whether that need be human or animal. Arrests such as mine are a pitiful statement for America, and I ask all dog lovers to stand with me to insist that all charges against me are dropped and charges of animal cruelty are instead placed against the Arnolds of East Freedom, PA. The Arnolds who left Doogie to die. This video truly speaks for itself, and for Doogie. I did what was morally right; I stand by my decision to help him and will be proud of it until my dying day. No one can take that from me.”
Here is the background info: We got a call from Kim Eicher in East Freedom 9/11/06, crying because Doogie hadn’t gotten up since Saturday. She had been calling the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society since Saturday to no avail. We told her we aren’t law officers, and she needed to call the Humane Officer. We told her to make sure she left a message, very clearly, about the problem. Then we got another call about the same dog, from another person who passes him every day. At that point we called Kim back to see if she’d heard from the Humane Officer. She had not, was very, very upset and we were very worried about him, so we promised her we’d go out and see what we could do.
When we arrived, we took photos and video of Doogie. We initially thought he was dead, as he was not moving and his back was to us. We found out that the people were not home to talk to about him, so I made the decision that I would not leave him lying there on the cold wet ground for one moment longer, and I would accept all consequences of my decision. Kim Eicher has agreed to testify as to the animal cruelty perpetrated against Doogie. She cried the whole time we were there, you can hear her on the video.
The vet documented his general negligent condition, low weight, sores, missing fur, and took xrays of his back and hips. He determined that he has very bad back spurs that are causing him a lot of pain and are most likely responsible for his inability to walk. He also saw an undetermined mass near his hip on the xray. He gave him a shot for pain plus some B vitamins for energy, so that perhaps he could have even one good day or a few good hours. He wrote a letter stating his condition.
As we got to the vet, the CPHS Humane Officer Gotshall was just leaving, and he stopped us. He was about to go out to the residence. When he found out we had Doogie with us, he was not happy. I volunteered to take Doogie back and he could pick him up instead. He refused that, and stated that I should get him the vet care he needed, and to call him afterward on his cell. When I later called him, he did not answer, I left a message asking him what he wanted me to do with Doogie, he never called back.
Shortly after we got Doogie to my home, situated, bathed—had to, the stench was too bad—and fed and watered an Officer Flaig called from the Freedom Township Police Department (Freedom, isn’t that ironic?). He wanted me to return Doogie, which I refused to do. I explained that I had video and photos documenting the animal cruelty, and the neighbor was willing to testify; why didn’t he pursue that as they were the perpetrators of the crime, and should be charged? He refused, and was not interested in seeing my evidence.
He and three other police vehicles arrived at my home at approximately 9:30 p.m. As I refused to hand Doogie over to be returned to death on a chain, and would not tell them where he was, I was taken into custody, transported to the East Freedom police office, and charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass. I was released on $50,000 unsecured bond and ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing September 21, 2006.
I was treated like a common criminal, especially by Chief Reilly, who called me a ‘freakin’ idiot’, ‘incompetent’, and I overheard him telling Officer Flaig that if I ever came near his dog I would have a slug in my a**. Again, there was no interest in any evidence that the dog had been abused or criminally neglected. As far as they were concerned, the dog’s safety or condition was not even an issue. I was released after seeing Judge Aigner, where Chief Reilly asked that I be not given bail but incarcerated for my failure to cooperate. It was 2:00 a.m., and I had no ride home, over 30 miles away. I had to walk to a local all-night store to call and get a cab, because there was no concern over how I would get home. Their attempt to dehumanize me didn’t work. I held my head high and still do. I looked Chief Reilly square in the eye at every opportunity. I will not be broken. Here’s what I need from you all. View the videos and photos. I think you’ll agree with me that this is NOT acceptable in ANY way in any kind of civilized society. We cannot allow this kind of animal abuse. Period. Not ifs, ands, or buts. Insist that all charges against Tammy Grimes are dropped and animal cruelty charges are instead filed against the Arnolds of East Freedom, Pennsylvania. Pass along the photos and the video, or a link to it, as much as you possibly can. Doogie laying on the ground, neighbor crying in background: Doogie after vet at Grimes house: |
I could never look myself in the eye again, much less sleep at night, had I left Doogie there dying, shivering in the dirt.
Please, contact ALL media with these photos and videos. Get justice, for Doogie and for me. Do NOT allow this treatment of those who are here to help, and who actually care. Call the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society and tell them you expect them to stand with me against this kind of abuse, and that you expect them to return phone calls for dying dogs the same day.
Doogie laying on the ground, neighbor crying in background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN9t1rv4pj4
Doogie after vet at Grimes house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wxGP1N7QQ
Officer Flaig: Cell 814.201.0149 (Apparently cancelled cell phone)
Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio, Esq.: 814.693.3010
Freedom Township Police Headquarters: 814.695.8545
Central Pennsylvania Humane Society: 814.942.5402; cphs@altoonarail.net
Humane Officer Paul Gotshall: 814.942.3780
Altoona Mirror: 800.287.4480; pbanko@altoonamirror.com;
news@altoonamirror.com
WTAJ-TV10: 814.944.1414
WJAC-TV 6: 814.255.7600
All national media! Make sure to send them links to the video, it’s very compelling. Don’t stop until there is Justice for Doogie and me! Any help with legal fees to get a competent attorney would be much appreciated.
Tammy S. Grimes
