Dog found starving
Loomis, CA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Feb 5, 2007
County: Placer
Disposition: Not Charged
Person of Interest: Ron Artest
Case Updates: 8 update(s) available
Animal services officers seized a Great Dane from the mansion of Sacramento Kings star Ron Artest, saying the dog was underfed.
Neighbors complained for weeks that the dog - named Socks - appeared to be starving inside a gated area on Artest's $1.85 million estate in rural Loomis, according to a county report.
On Jan. 30, animal services officers visited Artest's home and issued a "pre-seizure" notice, warning him that the female Great Dane would be taken into custody if the animal care didn't improve.
Placer County animal services officers returned to Artest's home on Feb 5 and removed Socks.
Artest has 10 days to request a hearing, county spokeswoman Anita Yoder said.
Artest's publicist, Heidi Buech, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press on Feb 7.
The episode has so upset neighbors in Artest's gated community that the homeowners' association plans to vote next week on guidelines that would require members to properly care for their animals.
Artest signed with the Kings last January for $7.15 million this season and $7.8 million in 2007-08, with an $8.45 million player option for 2008-09.
Case UpdatesSacramento Kings forward Ron Artest pleaded no contest Thursday to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from a March 5 dispute with his wife, the latest in a string of off-court problems.
Placer County Superior Court Judge Francis Kearney sentenced Artest to 100 hours of community service and a 10-day work project through the county sheriff's department. Artest also was fined $600 and ordered to get extensive counseling.
Kearney modified the restraining order that has kept Artest away from his wife, Kimsha, and three children since the incident at his $1.85 million mansion in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Artest will be allowed to have peaceful contact with his wife, and there are no restrictions on contact with his children. The judge said an attorney for Artest's wife appeared before her Thursday morning to say that Kimsha Artest no longer wanted any restrictions on their contact.
He was accused of grabbing, pushing and slapping his wife during an argument and preventing her from calling 911. The couple's 3-year-old daughter was home at the time.
Artest was charged with corporal injury to a spouse, battery, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, all misdemeanors. He pleaded no contest to the first charge, while the others were dismissed, although they could be restored if he violates any of the terms of his three-year probation.
Artest declined to comment outside the courthouse, but his attorney said he was thrilled to be able to put the matter behind him and eager to see his children.
"He's just so happy he's going to see his kids," attorney William Portanova said. "He's in heaven. He would take any punishment and go through anything to be reunited with them."
The judge agreed to a plea deal that Artest reached with Assistant District Attorney Dan Quick. In addition to the fine, community service and probation, Artest agreed to a 20-day work project with 10 days suspended, a year-long violence treatment program and attending a parenting class on the effects of domestic violence on young children.
The details of the work project and community service will be determined by a probation officer in consultation with the sheriff's department. The judge ordered Artest to provide evidence that he had complied with the order to meet with county officials by June 25.
Artest is selling his Loomis home after a series of problems there since he joined the Kings in January 2006. Portanova said he did not know where Artest plans to live.
Kimsha Artest told a sheriff's dispatcher on March 5 that her finger was cut and her leg scratched during an altercation with her husband. She said he shoved her to the ground, slapped her and prevented her from making a 911 call.
She also said she broke the windshield of the family's Hummer as Artest tried to drive away from the property, according to a recording of her call released by the sheriff's department.
Sheriff's deputies previously had been summoned to at least two other domestic disturbances at Artest's home, among the five times they responded to 911 calls there since last August.
Animal services officers seized Artest's Great Dane, named Socks, in February after weeks of complaints from neighbors that the dog appeared to be starving.
Placer County Deputy District Attorney Jeff Wilson announced last week that there was insufficient evidence to charge either Artest or his wife with animal cruelty or neglect.
Artest signed with the Kings for $7.1 million this season and $7.8 million in 2007-08, with an $8.45 million player option for the 2008-09 season.
He apologized to his family and his teammates and sat out two games after he was charged in the March incident. He was not suspended from the team, but may face discipline from the league now that his criminal case is settled.
Kings spokesman Troy Hanson said the team was pleased for Artest that the issue was resolved. He said the Kings, who failed to make the playoffs amid infighting and unimpressive play, have no immediate plans to trade Artest, although NBA teams are barred from discussing trades during the playoffs.
Artest came to Sacramento with a troubled past.
He was suspended from the Indiana Pacers for 73 games and lost nearly $5 million in salary after he jumped into the stands and threw punches during a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans in 2004. He and teammate Stephen Jackson were sentenced to one year of probation and 60 hours of community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault charges. | Source: USA Today - May 4, 2007
Update posted on May 5, 2007 - 4:56AM |
The Placer County District Attorney's Office will not file charges against Ron Artest in a case in which the Sacramento Kings player had been cited for failing to feed his dog.
Deputy District Attorney Jeff Wilson said Friday there was insufficient evidence to charge either Artest or his wife, Kimsha, with animal cruelty or neglect.
"The evidence reviewed included witness statements, photographs and multiple reports from veterinarians," Wilson said in a written statement released to news agencies.
Wilson said the California Penal Code prohibits willful and malicious cruelty to an animal, as well as a willful failure to provide food, water and sustenance.
Wilson said evidence showed that Artest was not at his Loomis home when his dog, a Great Dane called "Socks," began to lose weight and that the Kings player had hired two people to care for the dog when he was out of town.
He said subsequent veterinarian examinations showed that Socks had an unknown bone infection in a leg that would have contributed to the weight loss and a loss of appetite.
"After the dog was treated for the infection, it again regained its appetite and is now at a healthy weight," Wilson said in the news release.
Wilson said that Artest, because of his business, which includes extensive travel, has allowed his dog to be adopted by a family that has been approved by Placer County Animal Services.
The agency had seized Artest's dog Feb. 5, citing Artest on suspicion of failure to properly feed it. | Source: Sacramento Bee - April 27, 2007
Update posted on Apr 27, 2007 - 2:16PM |
Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest pleaded not guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges stemming from a domestic dispute with his wife earlier this month.
A Placer County Superior Court judge also ordered him to stay at least 100 yards away from his wife and children until further notice.
Artest's attorney, William Portanova, entered pleas of not guilty to charges of battery and corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.
Artest sat in the audience section of the small courtroom among other defendants and members of the media. He spoke only when asked direct questions by Judge Francis Kearney, responding no when asked if he owned firearms and yes when asked if he understood the conditions of the restraining order.
Thomas Leupp, an attorney for Kimsha Artest, told the judge Artest's wife was not requesting a restraining order. Artest will be allowed to communicate with his family by telephone, e-mail and letter, the judge said.
"We all decided that was the right thing to do for the family," Portanova said. "That is the right thing for now."
Artest is due back in court April 5.
He was arrested March 5 at his estate in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento. He is accused of grabbing, pushing and slapping his wife during an argument. The couple's 3-year-old daughter was home at the time.
Artest has since apologized to his family and his teammates, and sat out two games.
He did not answer reporters' questions after Thursday's hearing. Artest planned to fly to Phoenix to join his team for Thursday night's game against the Suns, but his flight was diverted to Ontario, Calif., because of thunderstorms. Further flight delays in California led Kings president Geoff Petrie to tell Artest to head back to Sacramento.
Artest's only interaction with others in the courtroom came when a fellow defendant turned to Artest and said "good luck" as the hearing began.
John Carpenter, who lives in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville and was in court facing his own domestic violence charges, then gestured to Artest, holding out his fist. Artest responded with a fist pump.
Outside the courtroom, Artest, Portanova and a body guard left in a black Yukon SUV as seven protesters held signs and chanted the player should face even more charges _ for the alleged neglect of his dog.
Last month, county animal control officers seized Artest's Great Dane, Socks, because it wasn't being fed. The dog has since been released to the custody of one of his lawyers.
"He really shouldn't have animals," said Heather Ireland, a spokeswoman for the group.
Assistant District Attorney Dan Quick told the judge the county is still considering animal abuse charges. | Source: NWI - March 23, 2007
Update posted on Mar 23, 2007 - 4:54AM |
Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest faces four misdemeanor charges stemming from a dispute with his wife at home earlier this month.
The charges were filed late Tuesday. Placer County Deputy District Attorney Dan Quick said Artest will be arraigned Thursday on charges of battery and corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. Each carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
Artest was arrested March 5 at his estate in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, and was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond.
A Placer County sheriff's report said Artest grabbed a woman and pushed her down, then slapped her face during an argument. The report said Artest took a phone from the woman the first time she tried to call 911.
When she reached 911, the woman at first complained that Artest was taking the family Hummer from the home, according to a recording of the call released by the sheriff's department. The woman then told a dispatcher that her finger was cut and her leg scratched, and that she broke the windshield of the vehicle.
Five days after his arrest, Artest said he'd stumbled as a father and husband and apologized to his wife and family, as well as to the Kings and his teammates. He sat out two games, but was not suspended and continued to receive his salary.
Artest's attorney, William Portanova, said Wednesday that he had not yet seen the charges.
"Ron's first priority remains his family, and the process will simply have to work itself through," he said.
Portanova declined to say whether Artest has had any contact with his family since the incident.
"The family continues to request privacy during these difficult times," he said.
Immediately after the arrest, the county sheriff's department obtained an emergency protective order that prevented Artest from returning to his home or contacting the woman until she could obtain a restraining order. It was not immediately clear on Wednesday whether she had done so.
Calls Wednesday to Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, were not immediately returned. Kings spokesman Darrin May said he had no immediate comment.
It was the latest in a string of incidents that have marred Artest's basketball career.
As a member of the Indiana Pacers, he was the central figure in the 2004 brawl with Detroit Pistons fans. He received a 73-game suspension and lost almost $5 million in salary for jumping into the stands and throwing punches. Artest and teammate Stephen Jackson were sentenced to one year of probation and 60 hours of community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault charges.
Artest joined the Kings in January 2006.
Sheriff's deputies said they have responded to 911 calls from Artest's home five other times since last August, and at least two of the calls involved domestic disturbances.
Last month, county animal-control officers seized his Great Dane, Socks, because it wasn't being fed. The dog has since been released to the custody of one of Artest's lawyers. As of this week, Artest has not been charged with cruelty to animals. | Source: Examiner - March 12, 2007
Update posted on Mar 22, 2007 - 12:15AM |
A female Great Dane belonging to Sacramento Kings star forward Ron Artest has been released from the care of a local veterinarian after being treated for more than month for malnutition and neglect.
The dog, named Socks, is now in the custody of an attorney that represents Artest. The animal was seized in February by county animal control officials.
In an unrelated incident, Artest was arrested March 5 on suspicion of domestic violence at his Loomis home and using force to prevent his victim from reporting a crime.
In the case involving Socks, the county has entered into a foster care agreement that requires the attorney to find an appropriate home for the dog.
The document states that the dog may not be released to Artest and that the county must be notified immediately regarding any changes in the pet's health. The county may also reclaim the dog at any point.
Neighbors said Artest in the past routinely left his dogs for weeks at a time.
Sources tell KCRA 3 that when animal control officials took the dog, it was very thin. Socks was taken to a vet's office, where she received intravenous fluids and was placed on around-the-clock supervision.
The February seizure was not the first time Artest's dogs were taken from his care. KCRA 3 has found the pets were seized on three separate occasions. The district attorney is currently reviewing the neglect case, officials said. | Source: KCRA - March 9, 2007
Update posted on Mar 11, 2007 - 6:45PM |
Deputies who responded to Ron Artest's home yesterday morning found a woman who had called 911. After interviewing her and Artest separately, they arrested the Kings player.
Artest was arrested on a charge of domestic violence and of using force or violence to prevent his victim from reporting a crime, officials said. He was booked into the Placer County Jail and bail was set at $50,000.
The allegation -- that Artest shoved a woman repeatedly to the floor and then used force to stop her from reporting the crime -- led to his being removed indefinitely from the team as the Kings fight for a spot in the National Basketball Association playoffs. He will continue to be paid his $7.15 million salary for this year.
After spending several hours in the Placer County jail in Auburn, Artest was released on bail. He will be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. March 22 in Placer Superior Court.
This wasn't the first time deputies have been to the Artest home. Police records show that officers responded to another 911 call to the residence on Nov. 8, and that Artest's wife was the reporting party. She complained that he had vandalized her property, according to the records, but she said she wanted only to document the event. No charges were filed.
In 2002, Artest was charged with harassment and criminal contempt for allegedly threatening another girlfriend in New York.
Animal cruelty charges are still pending against Artest, after animal control officials rescued a starving dog from his 5-acre property last month. | Source: The Sacramento Bee - Mar 6, 2007
Update posted on Mar 6, 2007 - 1:39PM |
Dogs owned by Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest have spent a total of 77 nights at the pound since July because of poor care by their owner, costing the NBA star $1,942 in boarding and impound fees, county records show.
Placer County animal control officers have gone to Artest's five-acre estate seven times in that period in response to callers' complaints about dogs being loose or not being fed.
Allan Frumkin, president of the Sierra Ridge Estates Homeowners Association at the gated community where Artest lives in Loomis, about 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, said some neighbors stepped in and cared for the dogs themselves.
"It became general knowledge that he wasn't taking good care of his dogs," said Frumkin. "One neighbor fed them and bought a watering machine for them."
The latest incident came last Sunday, when animal control officers took Artest's Great Dane, Socks, saying the animal wasn't being fed.
"This dog was a rack of bones," said Rosemary Frieborn, president of Friends of Placer County Animal Shelter.
In an e-mail to The Sacramento Bee, Artest said he hopes to get Socks back and has hired a new caretaker for the dogs. He blamed Socks' condition on the fact that another dog, an American bulldog, "dominated all the food."
He said the situation "got out of hand" when he was gone for a seven-day Kings' road trip. "Then we got back and got a handle on it.
"I have a new professional doggy watcher from out of state that will help me train my dogs better," he wrote. "I'm horrible at that.
"I love my dogs and think they should be able to live (as) freely as possible."
Artest has had as many as seven dogs on his property, but at least two have been killed and others have been sent to live in Indiana, he told the newspaper. | Source: Fox Sports - Feb 8, 2007
Update posted on Feb 9, 2007 - 11:48PM |
Sacramento Kings star Ron Artest spoke out Wednesday about allegations of animal abuse he faces, blaming the problem on someone he hired to feed his dogs while he is away on road trips with his team.
Placer County animal control officers seized a black-and-white Great Dane from Artest's Loomis home on Monday, accusing him of failing to feed and care for his pet.
If prosecuted and convicted of related criminal charges, Artest could face a fine of up to $20,000.
The dog is now being treated by a veterinarian.
"I'm looking foward to getting my Great Dane back," Artest told reporters at the Kings practice facility at Arco Arena.
Artest, who owns several dogs, said the problem arose while he was out of town with the Kings.
He said part of the problem is that his bulldog eats food intended for other dogs.
"The new dog-watcher that I have didn't separate, you know, the dog food like he was supposed to," Artest explained.
Artest called the county's decision to take the dog "unfortunate."
"The situation got out of hand," he said.
But it is not clear when Artest will get the Great Dane back.
"At this point, there is an investigation under way, so we will have custody of the dog," county spokeswoman Anita Yoder said Tuesday.
According to records obtained by KCRA 3 Investigates from Placer County Animal Control, Artest has repeatedly left his dogs unattended with no food for weeks at a time.
In July of last year, a neighbor filed a report with animal control alleging Artest left four of his dogs tied up in his yard with no food for at least six weeks.
A month later, another neighbor filed a report claiming the dogs had been without food for months.
In review of the records show that animal control has been called out to Artest's estate at least five times in the last eight months.
On at least two occassions, the dogs were impounded by animal control and Artest was billed more than $700 in fines and fees. | Source: KCRA - Feb 7, 2007
Update posted on Feb 8, 2007 - 1:04AM |
References |
