Seven show dogs die after handler .....

[Marty & Sherry]

Absolutely horrific. Please read:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stor...EC?OpenDocument

This person must never be allowed around dogs/dog shows ever again. Please spread this to other appropriate forums/blogs to get the word out on her. There is absolutely no excuse for this. NONE!

I hope she is sued for everything she has while she is rotting in prison.

I don't know yet if she is an AKC registered handler but I will be writing them as well as anyone else I can think of an email urging a permanent ban on her. Can you just imagine if one of them was your dog?

[kintra]

This is an absolutly tragic accident. Knowing what I do about her (and having several friends that are very close to her) she is absolutely not the careless type of person.

[Autumn & Lola]

I cannot believe anybody could be so incredibly, amazingly stupid. It boggles the mind. Every single year of my life, I've heard on the news during the summer not to leave dogs in the car, not even with the windows open. I would think *everyone* knows this, especially someone who works with dogs. To have left them in there overnight is just sickening. I can't type anymore I am so angry.

[BetsyNoodle]

IMO, this is not carelessness or an accident, this is the ultimate act of negligence, which is exactly why the police are investigating and will be turning over their report to the county attorney's office. Anyone with any COMMON SENSE, and a true sense of responsibility and caring, would know better than to leave dogs in a hot van. Think about it for a minute: eight large dogs in their portable kennels in an obviously crowded hot van. This was a recipe for disaster and she was too stupid to see it, or too lazy to do anything about it. Furthermore, why would she leave show dogs, or any dogs for that matter, in a van in her driveway with the door to the van open?

Those poor animals never stood a chance. Not to worry. This story will spread around the dog show world like wildfire. She will never show another dog.

[Kramersmom]

This is so so sad. This case they trusted this handler with there pets, she goes in her air condition house leaving the poor dogs in the van. You show these dogs or handle them but they are not allowed in your home. My feelings, then dont sleep! I rather lose sleep than dogs lives. This is so sad, gets me so mad. Anyone in there right mind knows you don't leave animals in a car/van in the heat. What was she thinking???? I guess her priority was her beauty sleep. Sorry, but this is just neglect on her part. Godspeed to those poor baby's.

[Sam I Am]

This is an absolutly tragic accident. Knowing what I do about her (and having several friends that are very close to her) she is absolutely not the careless type of person.

Sorry Kinta this is not a tragic accident.... this is out and out animal abuse! Period! This is way beyond being careless, this is killing innocent animals in the most horrifc and cruel manner. Jail time might make this " animal lover" think about what she did . Perhaps a few hours in isolation in a hot box would give her and idea on how these animals suffered . Hopefully she will be banned (by law) from owning another dog and banished from the AKC for a life time.

[kittdog]

When I read it I was very shocked that someone was that stupid. I feel so bad for those dogs who suffered and now their owners.

[Tracy A.]

What gets me is this.... why on earth would you not put the dogs in the house with you in their travel crates? If it's so warm outside and in the Kennel.... and your looking for the coolest place for them. It was obviously cooler inside if she was napping.... and if they are crated they aren't going to be destorying the house while your sleeping....

i'll stop talking now.

Tracy

[PeppersMom]

She is experienced handler and used to moving dogs around..if it was too hot to move them indoors, why on earth would she not think it was too hot for them in that van? The energy she put out putting fans up could have been used to moving them indoors.

[Sandi16]

What happened here was that she was tired, and didn't want to lug all those heavy dogs into the house. She's probably done this a million times in the past, and no one ever knew she was doing this to their dogs. It only takes ONE time, ONE mistake, ONE decision to change lives,.

[BetsyNoodle]

I just googled this horrific story and found it is being discussed on almost every imaginable forum, including the Bass Fishing forum of all places. The AKC was interviewed and it was revealed that the handler in question is not AKC registered. The AKC representative also said if she is convicted she will be banned from handling and registering dogs with the AKC. The lady who owned Jersey, one of the dogs that died and the number one female Akita in the U.S., posted on an Akita forum. She said she has learned further details regarding the incident, but was not able to post this info at this point. An update in the local news says the prosecutor will be weighing filing charges against the handler this week.

[BetsyNoodle]

After a weeklong investigation, Mary Wild was charged with eight counts of animal cruelty today.

[Marty & Sherry]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...D?OpenDocument

Dog handler charged with animal cruelty in dogs' deaths

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

07/06/2009

The handler of seven show dogs who died last month after being left in a hot van has been charged with eight counts of animal cruelty, authorities said.

Mary Wild, the handler, is free on $2,500 bond, said Jefferson County Prosecutor Forrest Wegge.

Police said Wild left eight show dogs overnight in a hot van after returning from a dog show in Iowa. Just one, a Siberian Husky, survived. Authorities said the temperature in the van could have reached 120 degrees. Many of the dogs had thick coats.

Wild, 24, had been hired by owners to present the dogs at a dog show in Iowa. When she returned to Arnold about 1 a.m. on June 22, she left eight dogs in the van and went inside to sleep.

Seven of the eight dogs died of apparent heat stroke. The eighth dog, a Husky named Cinder, recovered and went home last week.

All eight dogs were big purebreds, some with thick coats. They included a malamute, a Dalmatian, three golden retrievers and an akita.

Past efforts to reach Wild have failed.

Wild could lose privileges with the American Kennel Club if convicted. . She would not be allowed to take part in AKC-sanctioned dog shows or register purebred dogs with the AKC, said Daisy Okas, assistant vice president of communications for the American Kennel Club.

If Wild were convicted of animal cruelty or neglect in Jefferson County court, an American Kennel Club committee would determine its own penalty, which could be up to a 15-year suspension or a $3,000 fine. Okas pointed out that Wild is not an AKC registered handler. That could mean that Wild either never applied or did not meet the requirements, including a certain number of years' experience.

Wild told investigators that the garage was too hot to leave the dogs, so she left them in their kennels in the van and parked the van next to the driveway under a tree. Wild told police she left the van's door and windows open and had six fans operating to keep the dogs cool. She told investigators she checked on them at 4 a.m., and they were fine. Then, about 6:30 a.m., she checked on them again and found five of the eight to be unresponsive.

After trying to revive them on her own, Wild drove the dogs in the van to Ivan's veterinary clinic in House Spring. Wild's mother is in the dog-show business as well and has been a client of Ivan's clinic for about 15 years.

[Autumn & Lola]

I don't know much about the AKC so maybe someone can clear this up.

1. Must all handlers be AKC registered? If so, how was she able to show the dogs?

2. If she wasn't an AKC registered handler, how can they impose a fine on her?

3. One statement says that if convicted, she would lose privileges with the AKC. Later it said they may impose a 15 year ban. Which is more likely to be true? Also, if she got off on some technicality, do you think the AKC would allow her to handle dogs at their events in the future?

[BetsyNoodle]

The following is from the AKC site. One has to apply to be a registered handler. Continuing education is also a part of maintaining your registration. NOTE: The comments in parentheses are mine.

AKC Registered Handlers Program Requirements:

Have seven years experience showing dogs for a fee (documentation may be required).

Have kennel facilities that meet AKC recommended criteria. (Mary Wild was boarding her dogs in crates in her garage!)

Show proof of Care, custody and control liability insurance at time of application and proof of renewal each year after becoming a member.

Have adequate vehicle to transport show dogs.

Provide a current rate schedule and handler/client contract.

Provide copy of current driver

[Autumn & Lola]

Betsy,

Thank you for this info!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was puzzled by the rep's remarks.

Autumn

[bradl]

I'm not seeing any particular inconsistency in the AKC rep's comments. Losing privileges, suspension, and ban seem effectively interchangeable.

In disciplinary actions AKC frequently assesses a fine as well as a period of suspension ranging from a few weeks to forever, and fines ranging from tens of dollars to thousands of dollars.

Some procedures seem to turn on a conviction in a legal setting (such as neglect and cruelty charges brought up in civil and criminal contexts), while other areas under AKC control are applied based on their own investigation (such as fines for late submission of paperwork by clubs, or violations of record-keeping, registration, violation of dog show rules and procedures, and so on).

As to collecting fines ... The AKC is chartered by the State of New York and its charter includes the right to sue for settlement of fines imposed.

The State of New York by Special Act of its legislature incorporated The American Kennel Club and granted it a charter in Section 2 of which the objects of the corporation are described to be

[jansop]

Folks, there has to be more to this story than what was revealed...........jan

[BetsyNoodle]

I have heard that there is more to this story. I am sure more details will come out when she goes to court.