City employee disciplined for ordering drowning of stray dogs

[friesianrider]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/sto...

City employee disciplined for ordering drowning of stray dogs

07/31/2005

Associated Press

A South Texas public works supervisor has been disciplined for ordering city employees to drown six stray dogs at the city sewer plant to save money.

Jourdanton City Councilman Darrell Richter said the workers took the dogs from the pound to the sewer plant and dropped their cages into the water.

Texas law says stray dogs and cats can only be euthanized by gassing them with carbon monoxide or injecting them with sodium pentobarbital at an animal shelter.

City Manager Dan Nick said the supervisor would have to attend classes with animal control. He said city officials were drafting a policy to prevent similar future incidents.

"It only happened once that I know of and I have taken corrective action," Nick said, describing the drownings as "a freak incident, a one-time bad decision."

<snip> (see link)

[datadiva]

1. Why wasn't this person arrested?

For animal cruelty. I guess the answer to that is: It's Texas

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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[smbolisnch]

15. Nope.

I was referring to the many other people who would like an explanation of that comment.

Funny. A poster that I have always looked up to on DU, in a sense, jumps down my throat for asking for an explanation just because it ivolves PETA.

[TahitiNut]

18. I tend to question self-appointed spokespersons.

If it's not sufficient to speak for one's self ... why speak at all? :eyes:

[smbolisnch]

20. Fine, enlighten ME.

Jesus H. Christ, it is an expression. I am sure you use it as well.

[TahitiNut]

59. Actually, no. I don't.

I never presume to speak for others. I speak for myself. That's enough. I don't need to play "mob." Too bad you miss the point. :shrug:

[friesianrider]

65. I don't think she was playing "mob"

She asked a perfectly reasonable question in a very polite manner, which you saw fit to respond with a snide and obnoxious comment. There are at least 6 other people on this thread who requested the same clarification the poster asked for.

[TahitiNut]

66. "perfectly reasonable question in a very polite manner"???

Bullshit!

[smbolisnch]

69. How was I out of line with my question?

I seriously don't see why you have a problem with my usage of "us." This is a public forum of over 60k people. What is the problem here? Could you explain please? :shrug:

[Beaverhausen]

21. you are missing the point

this story has nothing to do with PETA yet poster #2 seems to want to tell "us" how it somehow relates.

[friesianrider]

25. She wasn't the only one wanting an explanation.

Seriously...WTF does PETA have to do with ANYTHING?

[Catchawave]

40. she speaks for me...

'k with you?

[Hun Joro]

44. She speaks for me as well n/t

[smbolisnch]

46. Welcome to DU!

;)

[jonnyblitz]

54. add me to the list of who she speaks for , nt

[friesianrider]

24. Speaking for me...

People on DU need to get over their little PETA-bashing obsession. I'm guessing you're in that club, too, eh?

Some people just can't resist saying completely unrelated and intentionally inflammatory crap in threads like this. Soooo mature.

[TahitiNut]

60. "I'm guessing you're in that club, too, eh?"

Your post demonstrates no comprehension whatsoever what "club" I might be in. :shrug:

[friesianrider]

63. Whelp...

You posts demonstrates I have no desire whatsoever to know what "club" you are in. I thought it was a non-productive thinly-veiled insult at another poster who was asking a PERFECTLY polite and acceptable question.

I notice you've ignored the 6 people who have chimed in to be included in that poster's "us" comment. Methinks you're back-peddling.

[TahitiNut]

67. Bullshit.

:shrug:

[flvegan]

61. It's actually a very valid post.

You'd recognize that, I would bet, if not for the vauge, almost pathetic pseudo-strawman post you made.

A poster has the right to ask for another poster to enlighten him/her and others that he/she knows would be reading the original post, yes? Therefore, the term "us" is valid, eh? There are 74,000 DU'ers, and I'd bet that a number of them would want validation (though, I don't have to, as a number have already chimed in, defining "us" thanks).

If you want to argue specifics of your post, then fine...I'm the pet rat in the pocket, and yes, the poster speaks for me, too.

AAaaaannnnnnnnd...I triple damn dog dare either to validate the poster's intent as to not menitoning PETA. Call me curious. Call me uneducated, looking for guidance...Whatever you do, be noisy about it. The crickets' chirping may drown one out...

[TahitiNut]

68. I guess I should've said "pet pihrannas".

What's the matter? Didn't get to feed yet today? :eyes:

[Catchawave]

8. Well.....why not?

...tapping foot....:)

Unfortunately for you, this has nothing to do with Peta, does it? This is in NO comparison to that little Bertie County event ,is it ?

[smbolisnch]

12. I think it was a hit n' run.

eom

[flvegan]

62. Typical. Demented and sad, but typical.

[friesianrider]

23. Well good for you!

Do you want a friggin' cookie? :eyes:

[The Stranger]

31. PETA? Those people are KOOKS!

They are NUTS! I am a progressive and I love everything blue and Democratic, but I could never ever support PETA! Have you heard what they have done?

:sarcasm:

[smbolisnch]

32. Are you serious?

What is wrong with PETA?
And links to verify are always good. :)

[The Stranger]

33. No, it was satire.

I was trying to post what I almost always see on these boards regarding PETA.

[smbolisnch]

35. *Whew*

I figured so, but thought I better ask ;)

[Beaverhausen]

34. I didn't think you were serious

I think you forgot to add :sarcasm:

[Bluebear]

3. DISCIPLINED???? Not fired or arrested? Abu ghraib is no surprise

There are people out there walking around with no souls.

[smbolisnch]

4. Sick.

I am sick over this story. :cry:
Nominated.

[Booster]

6. Since it's Texas I'm really not surprised. When I visited my Mom

in Texas, she took me down to the Guadalupe river to go fishing. There were carcasses of dogs on the banks and 3 little kittens which we took great pains to catch and take to the pound so they wouldn't starve to death. Maybe this kind of thing is norm in the country, but to me it's cruel when the pound would put them to sleep for $10. Maybe the pound was keeping the $10 & giving the animals to these guys - makes me sick.

[roguevalley]

7. I spent half the night trying to find an e-mail addie for that city. I am

SICK at heart over this kind of shit.

[rainbow4321]

45. Here you go....City Hall and city manager

City
Jourdanton, City of
Address
1220 Simmons Ave
City/Zip
Jourdanton 78026
Phone/ Fax
Phone:[phone] Fax:[phone]

City Manager: Dan Nick

_________________________

I included the above info in an email I sent to PETA this morning and am now looking for local SPCA to see if they can help put pressure on the city officials to FIRE this murderer's ass.

There was a guy in our county who got sent to a grand jury after someone saw him drowning kittens in a creek.

This Jourdonton City guy needs to have charges filed against him. The lame "oh, we are drafting a new city rule" is bullshit--there is already a STATE LAW about how shelters are "allowed" to murder (yes, IMO, murder) unclaimed animals...and he broke that state law.

[friesianrider]

48. Good for you...animal cruelty is a CRIME.

Police officers should have arrested him from the get-go. Animal cruelty is a crime, and police have to investigate it.

This city needs a lot of pressure put on them. This is beyond deplorable.

[progressivebydesign]

19. My Mom left Iowa because of how they treated their animals.

She couldn't bear to see dogs chained up 24/7 in searing heat and in the snow, left there to rot in so many yards. Don't those people know what a FENCE is?

[friesianrider]

27. And if people just SPAYED their animals...

They could save an animal's life (and all their future offspring), save themselves time and hassle dealing with unwanted litters, and save their community the time, energy, and financial resources it takes to deal with the thousands of unwanted pets. All communities spend staggering amounts of money to "get rid" of unwanted pets people just cast aside because they "had a baby" or "were moving."

All pets are a lifetime commitment. If someone has any doubt about their ability to make that sort of commitment, they have no business getting a pet in the first place.

[Pithlet]

37. Too many people have a throw away attitude when it comes to pets

They treat them just like a thing, a possesion to be disposed of when they're through with it. It's disgusting. I agree with everything you just said.

[friesianrider]

38. True, it's part of our society's throw-away nature in general.

I mean, if people will throw away newborn babies, it isn't surprising people get a pet then when it becomes "too much" off they go.

There's a lady my Mom worked with who had a baby, and tossed her two cats (who she'd owned by 10 years) outside. Apparently, doing the litterbox every other day and throwing down some food and water once a day was just way too much for her stressed out self. :eyes:

It doesn't matter if it is a dog, cat, rabbit, or gerbil. If you have any doubt about your ability to make a lifetime commitment to that pet, you ahve no business getting it. Period. If you get a dog/cat and need to move, then it's your obligation to find somewhere that takes them. I personally just have a no excuse policy for getting rid of a pet. I've been doing rescue since I was 16 and haven't heard a valid reason for giving up a pet yet, and probably never will.

[Pithlet]

41. I agree

It should be looked at as a long term commitment. There are few excuses I will tolerate for displacing a pet. There are sometimes unforeseen circumstances that come along, such as a human family member becoming allergic, or a serious illness compromises the immune system, things like that. In that case, every effort should be made to place the pet in a new home rather than just disposing of it.

[Beaverhausen]

9. The vet who normally does the euthanizations was on vacation

so this was what the sicko in charge came up with. asshole!

Here's a somewhat updated story:

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/4791300/detail.html

[smbolisnch]

10. Terrible.

A child who saw the drownings told his mother, who complained. :mad:
I can't imangine what it did to that kid.

[AlamoDemoc]

22. thanks for the link

"A child saw the drownings and told his mother, who complained."

So if it wasn't for this little child no one would have known this incident. AMAZING!!!!!!

[friesianrider]

30. WOW. All this was heard about because of a KID.

This KID deserves recognition for doing what he did. I'm not a parent, but this is why it is so important to teach kids about respect for animals and that if they see anyone harming or abusing an animal they need to tell their parents.

A compassionate child who recognizes something like this as wrong and has enough clout and courage to speak up is a child who will grow up to be a compassionate adult.

This child deserved some recognition, IMHO. Major kudos to him!

[AlienGirl]

57. That kid's a hero!

I wonder if there's any way to nominate him for some kind of award? We as a society need to start rewarding compassion and empathy, big-time.

Tucker

[friesianrider]

64. I couldn't agree more.

After reading the story a few weeks ago about a kid cutting the legs of a dog off with garden loppers, I think it's time we rewarded compassion and bravery as well. This kid deserves some kind of recognition.

[sleipnir]

11. That's Texas ingenuity for you!

Good for him, thinking up new ways to kill things!

I say, we should give him the Medal of Freedom.


His old governor would be proud! If only Georgie could have come up wit this one, but using it on his favorite group of things, Death Row Inmates! Whoopie!!!

[shockra]

42. What do you want to bet it's not all that original?

Usually something has to happen quite a few times before it gets reported on in the media.

[progressivebydesign]

14. Let me at that MOFO!!!!!!!!

NO ONE FUCKS WITH DOGS and gets away with it in this society! He should be fired and charged. WHY were the dogs not put out for adoption????????????????????????????????????????? :grr: :grr: :spank:

[friesianrider]

29. You and me both!

This guy needs to be thumped up REAL good.

[Heddi]

16. Ugh. Absofuckinglutely disgusting

there is a very special place in hell for the person who ordered this and who did this.

Fire them. Shit--if I believed in the death penalty (Which I don't), I'd say that these fuckers should be first on the list.

I can't even describe how disgusted I am with this. Oh. This is the shit nightmares are made of.

[Obamarama]

17. Contact information for Jourdanton City Hall

[phone]

[Beaverhausen]

26. Wow. excellent

[friesianrider]

28. Thanks for posting this!

They'll be getting a call from me.

[Catchawave]

36. This is nothing new in public shelters then.....

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/109/AR/US/1

[Maru Kitteh]

39. Every employee that participated should be charged with animal cruelty

Boy there are some sick, sick fucks out there.

[rainbow4321]

50. TX state laws on animal cruelty

http://www.spca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Programs_Rescue_Laws_2005


In the state of Texas, animal cruelty laws have been in place since 1879. While earlier versions of the laws dealt with cattle and livestock, today Texas cruelty laws protect a variety of animals from inhumane treatment. These laws define which actions are “cruel”, explain what punishment or penalties can be imposed against those whom cruelly treat animals, and describe minimum care requirements for impounded and wild animals.

Under Texas law, the cruel treatment of animals is forbidden. There are a number of actions that are considered "cruel", including:

(1) torturing an animal;
(2) failing to provide food, care or shelter;
(3) abandoning an animal;
(4) transporting or confining an animal in a cruel manner;
(5) killing, seriously injuring, or poisoning an animal;
(6) causing an animal to fight with another;
(7) using a live animal as a lure in a dog race;
(8) tripping a horse;
(9) injuring an animal belonging to another person; or
(10) seriously overworking an animal.

Generally, there are two types of laws that protect animals from cruelty: criminal laws and civil laws. These two types of laws are similar in many ways but differ greatly in the penalties that they impose. If prosecuted in a criminal case, a person may face penalties including a fine, loss of freedom, or both. In Texas, animal cruelty convictions are classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony. If a person under the age of eighteen is convicted of animal cruelty, the law also requires that he or she undergo counseling. On the other hand, if a person is brought to court in a civil case for treating an animal cruelly, that person may have to pay damages to the animal’s owner, or may have their own animals taken away. The court could order that the animal be auctioned, given up to an animal rescue group, or put to sleep.

Compared to other states’ cruelty laws, Texas animal cruelty laws are unique in a couple of ways. First, Texas criminal cruelty laws only apply to domesticated animals, such as house pets and livestock. The laws do not protect wild animals, circus animals, or animals used in experiments. Second, Texas recently passed separate laws in 2001 that govern the keeping of dangerous wild animals, such as lions, tigers and bears. These laws require people that own wild animals to register the animals in the county in which they live. The laws also set forth minimum care requirements, such as enclosure or cage size, for the animals. Lastly, Texas no longer has any specific laws that govern the treatment of circus, carnival, or zoo animals. These laws were repealed by the Texas legislature in 1999.

[friesianrider]

58. It is a shame one can be a felon and only have to pay a small fine.

I've seen far too many people found guilty on felony animal cruelty charges and get a WHOPPING $50 fine. :eyes: Given the fact that abusive behavior towards animals is highly indicative of that person's behavior towards PEOPLE, I think animal cruelty convictions should carry MUCH stiffer penalties. If they wouldn't think twice about doing this to a dog, why would they think twice about doing it to a child, or their wife/girlfriend/SO?

It's high time that there are stiffer animal cruelty penalties.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

43. I can't believe this guy wasn't arrested... despicable.

[smbolisnch]

56. I can't either :(

:cry: Poor dogs....

[Hun Joro]

47. What city was this?

DOH - that'll teach me to ask stupid questions before reading the entire thread!


The person who did this should have at the very least been fired for it, better yet arrested, but this is Texas, after all....

[rainbow4321]

49. See if this works

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8BMFM1G0.html

It's a city called Jourdanton

[Hun Joro]

52. Thanks, that one worked.

[friesianrider]

51. I know...

My apologies to intelligent and compassionate Texans, but I;m sure they understand why many of us have preconceived notions!

[Hun Joro]

53. I can certainly understand it...

More and more I find myself feeling the same way about Texans, and I've lived here all my life.

[LisaL]

55. They have got to be kidding. What about animal cruelty charges?

If that's not cruelty to animal, I don't know what is.

[Moderator]

70. Locking

Thread has turned into a flamefest.

DU Moderator