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REWARDS

$6,000 Reward Offered for Horse Cruelty Case

Thanks to the generosity of our community, the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who dumped a severely injured horse on Monday, January 14 has been raised to $6,000.  The horse, a white mare believed to be in her late 20’s, was found in a pasture near 800 River Road. 

SPCA Humane Officers arrived at the scene to investigate and called Dr. Heather Baker from Monterey County Equine, Inc. to perform an emergency medical evaluation Monday evening.  The mare was suffering from multiple severely infected wounds around the carpus (knee) on her right leg.  Radiographic evidence taken on scene showed significant injury to the joint and revealed that the injury was at least three weeks or more old and that there had been previous injuries to the leg.

In addition, she was suffering from ringbone (arthritis) in her left leg, exacerbated by the additional weight the leg was forced to bear due to the injury to her right leg.  She also had an obvious previous trauma to the left eye resulting in blindness, a partial cataract in her right eye, pressure marks on her head and face that appeared to be from a halter left on too tightly, an ulcerated vulva, and she was emaciated.  Due to the severity of her injuries, Dr. Baker strongly recommended and performed humane euthanasia.

If caught, the owners could be charged with the following offenses: California Penal Code Sections 597.1 (Permitting Animals to go Without Veterinary Care), Penal Code 597 (Animal Cruelty), Penal Code 597(b) (Deprivation of Food, Water, and Shelter), and Penal Code 597s (Abandonment).

If you have any information about this case or can identify the horse in these pictures, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721 x213 or report online.  All calls are completely confidential.  To donate to The SPCA, please click here.

News Coverage:

1/17/2008 - Salinas Californian news story "Tips Sought in Horse Case"

1/16/2008 - KSBW news story "Monterey County SPCA Investigating a Case of Animal Cruelty"

 

Puppy Abandoned in Seaside Dumpster: SPCA Offers $1,000 Reward

The SPCA is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who abandoned a puppy in a dumpster in Seaside.

A concerned citizen brought the puppy to The SPCA on Thursday, January 31 after children found the tiny puppy in a dumpster near a church at Noche Buena and Hilby in Seaside. The puppy was immediately examined by SPCA Veterinarian Dr. Carol Iida, who aged him at two weeks old.  The puppy, who SPCA staff named "Oscar" after the famous Sesame Street character, will go into skilled foster care and receive bottle feedings every two hours. 

Animal Control officers searched the scene to locate additional puppies.  None were found.

If you have any information about this case, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721 x213.  All calls are completely confidential.

Click Here to Donate to The SPCA for Monterey County

Oscar's Blog:
(please note: the Humane Investigations case is still open and active)

3/31:  Big News!!  Oscar was adopted into a wonderful new home. 

3/18:  Oscar gets some cuddle time.

3/11:  Oscar begging for a treat.  How can you resist that face?

3/4:  Oscar really enjoyed his first stuffed Kong treat!

3/4:  Oscar loves his favorite toy, a bulldog dressed as a cheerleader. 

3/3:  Here's Oscar on his new bed, donated by Hooties Heavy Duty Pet Beds. Oscar has a little growing to do it fit his new bed, but it won't be long! 

2/28:  Stay Tuned...Oscar is visiting The SPCA tomorrow and we will be taking pictures for his blog!

2/27:  We love Oscar!  He's a big boy who weighs five pounds now.  His current favorite toy (besides his buddy Oscar the cat) is a little stuffed bulldog dressed as a cheerleader.

2/25:  Oscar went from walking to running in the blink of an eye.  He's looking like a real dog! 

2/22:  Oscar is doing very well.  He walks like a big dog now and loves to play with his new best friend: a cat four times his size who is also named Oscar!

2/15:  Oscar tried his first solid food.  Needless to say, he figured it out quickly.
 

2/13:  Oscar catching some Z's....


2/8:  We wanted to share a new video of Oscar.  He has grown so fast since his rescue.  And he sure loves his bottle!

2/7:  Feeding time!  Oscar is eating well and everyone is falling in love with him.

2/6:  We want to share a new photo of Oscar with you.  As you can see, he is doing very well!

 

 

 



 

2/5:  Oscar is starting to try to walk (very clumsily, of course) and keeping his eyes open for longer periods of time.  His ears are now open and he is beginning to respond to voices.

2/4:  Oscar seems to be thriving in his foster home. Thank you to everyone who called or emailed with their well-wishes and support for Oscar and The SPCA! 

Click Here to Donate to The SPCA for Monterey County
 

News Coverage:

2/4/2008 - MSN link to KSBW news story "Puppy Found in Seaside Dumpster"

1/31/2008 - KSBW news story "Puppy Found in Seaside Dumpster"

1/31/2008 - Salinas Californian news story "Puppy Found in Seaside Dumpster May Not Survive: SPCA Offers $1,000 Reward"

2/1/2008 - Herald news story "Puppy Found in Trash"

 

The SPCA Offers $2,500 Reward in Puppy Abuse Case

The SPCA is offering a $2,500 reward for information about "Cirrus," a puppy rescued by SPCA Humane Officers.  Cirrus' owner wanted the puppy to look and act mean, so he used common household scissors to crudely cut off the puppy's ears and tail.  When confronted, he claimed that "dogs don't feel pain." 

The owner also deprived the puppy of food and water in an attempt to make him act like a fierce dog. 

"There's no doubt Cirrus suffered great pain and distress," said SPCA Veterinarian Carol Iida.  "His tail had two cuts as though his owner hit bone on the first attempt and had to try again.  Even surgical cropping and docking have been outlawed in many countries as unnecessary and painful."

Cirrus'  former owner has been charged with two felonies, Penal Code Section 597(A) (Torture or Mutilate an Animal) and Penal Code Section 597(B) (Deprive an Animal of Drink or Shelter).   The SPCA is also rescued Cirrus' two littermates, including "Naomi" (pictured here, with Cirrus).

If you know of any potential witnesses to this horrendous act or have any additional information about this case that leads to the conviction of Cirrus' former owner, please contact us at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721 x213 or report online here.  All calls are completely confidential.

Cirrus and his sisters have all been adopted into new, loving homes. 

Click Here to Donate to The SPCA for Monterey County

News Stories:

12/13/2007 - Santa Cruz Sentinel "Monterey County Authorities looking for alleged puppy-abuser"

12/12/2007 - Salinas Californian news story "SPCA Offers Reward in Puppy-Maiming Case"

12/12/2007 - Monterey Herald news story "Reward Offered for Animal Abuse Suspect"

12/12/2007 - San Jose Mercury News "Monterey SPCA Offers Reward in Puppy Abuse Case"

12/11/2007 - KION news story "Shocking Animal Cruelty Case"

12/11/2007 - KSBW online news story "Warrant Issued for Accused Animal Abuser"

12/11/2007 - KGO AM 810 News Talk story "Man Cuts Ears and Tail Off His Dog"

12/11/2007 - KCBA online news story "Puppy Cruelty Case in Monterey County"

12/11/2007 - Salinas Californian online story "Reward Offered in Mutilated Puppy Case"

12/11/2007 - Monterey Herald online story "SPCA offers reward in puppy abuse"

 

RECENT SUCCESS STORIES:

The SPCA Rescues 46 Cats From a Hoarder in Monterey County
Learn more about Animal Hoarding

UPDATE:  Successful Conviction!
1/18/2008 - Salinas Californian news story "Hoarded Cats Offered for Adoption at The SPCA of Monterey County"
1/17/2008 - Salinas Californian news story "Hoarder Pleads Guilty"
1/17/2008 - Herald news story "Prunedale Woman Pleads Guilt to Animal Abuse"

On Wednesday, October 24, The SPCA for Monterey County rescued 46 cats and kittens from a horrific hoarding situation on San Miguel Canyon Road. 

The cats and kittens were confined to dog crates filled with newspaper and pet waste.  Each crate held one to three cats.  The vast majority of the crates contained so much waste that the cats inside had only 4 to 6 inches of living space and were unable to stand or groom themselves (one cat is visible in the photo on the right).

SPCA staff and volunteers worked late into the night to give each cat a thorough medical evaluation.  For their own safety, the cats were transported to the SPCA shelter in the crates that they had been living in.  Once at the shelter, the cats were carefully removed from the crates and given individual medical evaluations.  Two Veterinarians, one Registered Veterinary Technician, and dozens of SPCA staff were on scene. 

One cat required immediate humane euthanasia upon arrival.  The cats that appear feral were relocated to a comfortable room with large cages and the cats that could be handled are now in a cat colony room.  For some, it might be the first time they could stand and walk freely in months if not years. 

The SPCA for Monterey County will be evaluating the cats for any underlying medical conditions caused by their horrific living situation.  The cats are currently being treated for flea and lice infestations due to their horrific confinement.

To learn how you can help or to put your name on a list of potential adopters or fosters, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721. 

To donate to the care and medical treatment of these cats and kittens, please call The SPCA or donate online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View news clips, video, and additional stories here
View Monterey Herald audio slideshow here (warning, some images are disturbing)
 

Dramatic Horse Rescue Ends Happily
(Click on the photo below to view more rescue photos!)

On Saturday, August 25th, SPCA Humane Officer Rosanna Leighton and SPCA Maintenance Manager Justin Adams played integral roles rescuing a horse off Monterey Dunes Road in Marina.  The horse, a 21 year old gelding named Aban, had been accidentally ridden into a marsh area and become stuck in the thick, dark mud. 

Rescue workers, including The SPCA for Monterey County, the Felton Fire Department, the North County Fire Department, and California State Parks, immediately reported to the scene to save the helplessly stuck horse.  Officer Leighton comforted the horse and his distraught owner and helped extricate the horse from the mud - a delicate operation that took almost three hours. 

"It was so wonderful to work together with all these organizations to make sure Aban was able to get out of this terrible situation unscathed," said Officer Leighton. 

"When Aban was finally pulled out of the mud, the first thing he did was take a big bite of grass," said The SPCA's Justin Adams.  "Watching the teams work so effortlessly together to save a horse in need was impressive and the professionalism of everyone involved helped keep the horse calm during a stressful situation."

Next month, The SPCA will be hosting a Large Animal Rescue training at our shelter.  This training, part of the fire service training and education program series, is designed to provide volunteer and career fire fighters with hands-on training in Large Animal Rescue operations.

View KSBW TV8's coverage of Aban's rescue!

 

The SPCA Rescues Two Very Lucky Abandoned Puppies

On May 24th, The SPCA rescued two adorable puppies abandoned on Highway 68.  The box was left close to traffic on this busy road and the puppies were large enough to easily jump out. Their previous owner took time to write about the puppies, named Roudy and Precious, on the side of the box but risked the puppies' lives (and the lives of passing motorists) by leaving them on the side of the dangerous road when The SPCA was just minutes away. 

The box had a bathmat on the bottom and was filled with kibble.  The side of the box read:

"Sorry. Black dog with white, her name is Roudy.  The light brown dog, her name is Precious.  Please forgive me.  Please find them good homes."

If you have animals you can no longer keep for any reason, please don't hesitate to bring them to The SPCA where they will be safe.  Our compassionate and caring staff will treat you with respect and understanding.  We will also ensure that animals surrendered to us are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and given health and temperament evaluations before being adopted into new homes.

Since their previous owner left no information about their vaccination history, we can not safely adopt Roudy and Precious until we know they are healthy.   In the meantime, Roudy and Precious are happy, warm, and safe at The SPCA.  Email us if you are interested in adopting Roudy or Precious once they are available!

 

 

 

 


Update on Pacific Grove Hoarding Case Cats

In February of 2005, The SPCA for Monterey County rescued 136 cats from a hoarder in Pacific Grove.  The cats had been found in deplorable conditions, with many suffering from severe upper-respiratory infections and others infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and suffering other long-term physical problems caused by living in such horrific conditions. 

View news articles about this case here and here.

We are pleased to announce that now, almost three years later, the last cat rescued from this case was finally adopted into a lifelong, loving home (his adoption day is pictured here)

Sadly, hoarding is an ongoing problem in our community (click here to learn about a more recent hoarding case).  Hoarding cases often go unreported.  If you have concerns about someone who might be hoarding, neglecting, or abusing animals, please contact us at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721 or report online here.  All reports are confidential.

 

 

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