The
SPCA is offering a $1,000 reward for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who
intentionally hit and killed a dog with his vehicle
today on Chualar River Road.
The
driver, believed to be a Hispanic male, was driving
a white Ford 4-door pick-up with tinted windows and
towing irrigation poles with a yellow “wide load”
sign on his front grill on May 6th at approximately 11:00
am on Chualar River Road just East of the Salinas
River Bridge. The driver intentionally swerved to
hit and run over a brown and white female pointer
who was running away from him down the road. The
dog was immediately transported to The SPCA for
emergency Veterinary treatment (the dog is pictured
here, in Sergeant Scheid's arms). Attempts to
resuscitate the young dog were unsuccessful and she
died at 11:40.
If
you know of any potential witnesses to this
horrendous act or have any additional information
about this case that leads to the arrest and
conviction of the person responsible, please
contact us or call
831-373-2631 or 422-4721 x213. All calls are
completely confidential.
On February 13, The SPCA for Monterey County rescued
four neglected mares from a boarding facility in
northern Monterey County. The mares were
unnamed when they were rescued, so SPCA Humane
Officers decided to call them "The Spice Girls"
and gave the mares their
seasoning-inspired names. The neglected mares had been part of a
breeding operation. One of the mares, Chili,
was so skinny that her owner did not realize she was
pregnant. We expect Chili to deliver her foal
this May and will update you on their condition as
soon as the foal is born.
This rescue brings our adoptable horse total to 15
horses, with more on the way. If you are
interested in adopting any of our rescued horses,
please
contact us.
To help fight horse abandonment and neglect, please
donate
or
report
animal cruelty.
Chili when she was rescued by SPCA Humane Officers:
The SPCA for Monterey County has successfully
investigated and prepared for prosecution by the
District Attorney another local animal hoarding
case. A resident in Southern Monterey County pled
guilty to misdemeanor animal abuse and The
SPCA has rescued dozens of animals from the property
near Bradley.
When The SPCA first began investigating the animal
hoarding case, close to 230 animals were involved.
The animals spanned a wide variety of species,
including domestic, exotic, and native wild animals.
“While the animal victims in the majority of
hoarding cases investigated by the SPCA are cats,
this case presented many additional challenges
because of the wide variety of animal species
involved,” says Gary Tiscornia, Executive Director.
“We are extremely proud of our Humane Investigations
Officers and very appreciative of the assistance
provided by the Monterey County Office of the
District Attorney for their hard work in this case,
which led to a successful prosecution and a new life
for the animals involved.”
The
case involved hundreds of birds, including pigeons,
geese, ducks, chickens, scrub jays, turkeys,
Brewer’s black birds, woodpeckers, ring-tailed
doves, quail, and parrots. The birds were
inhumanely housed in small coops, crowded cages, and
makeshift aviaries built along the side of the house
or in the garage.
Many of the pigeons were kept in a small camp
trailer, one chicken lived in a small coop in the
kitchen, and two pigeons lived in the bathroom of
the house.
In addition, the case included dozens of dogs and
cats and many goats, pigs, rabbits, tarantulas,
frogs, lizards, and snakes. The snakes ranged from
gopher and king snakes to rattlesnakes and a 14.5 ft
Burmese python.
The mother and daughter living in the house were
charged with nine counts of animal cruelty. The
mother, who died in February of this year, was
successfully prosecuted in 1986 for animal hoarding
crimes. Following the mother’s death, the daughter
pled guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty and is now
on three year’s probation and has waived her search
and seizure rights.
Some of the animals from this case are now available
for adoption, including two cats that
had been kept together in a small crate and three
pot-bellied pigs. The SPCA is currently working
with two dogs that came to us in very bad condition
due to their inhumane treatment. All native wild
animals are illegal to possess without permits and
have been released back into their native habitat.
The owner has been allowed to keep a small number of
animals on her property and The SPCA is closely
monitoring the situation to ensure humane
treatment.
The SPCA for Monterey County is honored to
announce that our Shelter
Supervisor, Justin Phillips, was a member of the
nine person team that evaluated the dogs from
Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels last September. As
part of the team, Justin traveled to Virginia and
performed high-level, pit bull specific evaluations
of each individual dog.
“We are extremely proud that Justin was
selected to be a part of the evaluation team,” says
Gary Tiscornia, Executive Director with The SPCA.
“We are pleased to have Justin, an expert in his
field, as part of our SPCA team making a profound
difference in the lives of animals both in the Vick
case and for all animals in our community.”
The SPCA for Monterey County is currently
caring for three dogs formerly owned by Michael
Vick. The dogs, all American Pit Bull Terriers,
arrived at The SPCA on October 23rd.
The dogs include “Ginger,” a quiet and curious two
year old red and white female, “Lil’ Red,” a
well-mannered, laid-back five year old red and white
male, and “Stella,” a cuddly three year old black
and white female who loves to give kisses.
“Every dog that comes through our doors is
evaluated as an individual,” says Justin Phillips.
“I am happy that these particular dogs were also
given the opportunity to show their own unique
qualities.”
The three dogs are being cared for and
trained by skilled local fosters in Monterey County.
"Ginger" (pictured left) and "Stella"
(pictured right) are currently in foster care with loving SPCA foster families.
The
SPCA is offering a $1,000 reward for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who
intentionally hit and killed a dog with his vehicle
today on Chualar River Road.
The SPCA for Monterey County has successfully
investigated and prepared for prosecution by the
District Attorney another local animal hoarding
case. A resident in Southern Monterey County pled
guilty to misdemeanor animal abuse and The
SPCA has rescued dozens of animals from the property
near Bradley. 
The
case involved hundreds of birds, including pigeons,
geese, ducks, chickens, scrub jays, turkeys,
Brewer’s black birds, woodpeckers, ring-tailed
doves, quail, and parrots. The birds were
inhumanely housed in small coops, crowded cages, and
makeshift aviaries built along the side of the house
or in the garage. 
Some of the animals from this case are now available
for adoption, including two cats t
