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Animal Services recommends criminal charges for Labrador owner

February 22, 2020

By CCT STAFF

San Luis Obispo County Animal Services officials have recommended prosecutors file animal cruelty charges against the owner of a black Labrador retriever who duct taped the dog’s eyes and mouth shut and attached part of a dead chicken to its head.

At about 9 p.m. Monday, Lynda Shoemaker was taking her dog for a walk when she discovered the Labrador retriever had wandered into her yard on or near Loma Lane. The Labrador retriever had its mouth and eyes shut with duct tape, to which there was part of a dead chicken attached.

The dog was taken to the Atascadero Pet Hospital for treatment. The Labrador is now being held by Animal Services personnel and is said to be doing well.

Animal Services conducted an investigation and determined the owner taped the dog’s muzzle and the top of its head after the Labrador attacked chickens. The owner taped part of one of the dead chickens to the dog’s head.

The owner was trying to discipline the dog and did not necessarily intend to cause suffering, said Eric Anderson, the director of Animal Services.

Nonetheless, Animal Services sent a report to the SLO County District Attorney’s Office recommending prosecutors charge the dog owner with animal cruelty and misdemeanor permitting animals to go without care. The animal cruelty charge could be filed either as either a felony or a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors are now determining whether or not they will file charges in the case.


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12 Comments
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Hopefully consequences can include never being able to own a dog again.


4

How come all animal do gooders posting here are not crying about the poor chicken?


-1

The people at Animal Services see all kinds of sad things. If they recommend pursuing this, I think the DA should listen to them.


17

How about we just duct tape a Big Mac to the owner’s face and then tape their mouth shut and make them walk around for a few days. DA Dow is too busy covering up for his friends to worry about this case.


21

Millions of people have dogs and chickens. The dog’s job is to protect the chickens from foxes, coyotes, raccoons and possums. Dogs have to be properly trained and torture is not the way to do it. My neighbor’s lab/pit bull puppy got caught with one of my ducks in it’s mouth. She was scolded and we spent time with the ducks. Soon my big Pekin would do his war dance and chase her and bite at her butt when she got to close, she kept respectful distance though she could have killed it with one bite. The woman is too stupid to own animals. Have her plead guilty to a misdemeanor with probation prohibiting her from owning any animals and surrender the dog for adoption to a loving and competent person. Probably not now, but I could had have it safe around chickens in a week and fascinated with, and protective of, half-ounce baby chicks in a month. Re-home the dog to a house without chickens.


15

An innocent mistake; nobody lost an eye.


A clumsy move yes, on a method that is a part of training lore. I wouldn’t do it her way, but I also wouldn’t put the owner through a malicious prosecution.


If they charge this woman, it will be just a political and feel-good, animal-rights over-reach. Entirely inappropriate, and I’m an animal lover that elects T bone-type steaks at the market specifically so ours will frequently get a fresh bone to enjoy.


Slap her wrist (such as a chewing out by an animal control officer) and DROP the matter. No way a criminal charge is appropriate.


-21

Charge him and never let him own a dog again!


13

“The owner was attempting to discipline the dog and did not attempt to cause suffering” – WHAT? Does she tie her kids to trees to discipline them? Come on.


17

No, but people do tie their dogs to a tree to discipline them. It’s perfectly fine to do so. You help make the point that there are differences between pets and humans.


Pets do not equate to humans; so the analogy does not apply.


-2

expose the owner


17

Probably not going to happen. The info would have been released by now, as with other criminal suspects. The decision clearly has been made not too. They are probably working more on vivifying the reporting party. I can see where this is headed.


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