Dog shot
Lake View, SC (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jul 3, 2010
County: Dillon
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Ronald Ball
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A golden lab awaits life-saving surgery after he was shot by a neighbor. His owner wants justice.
"How could some someone do this to a living, breathing creature and just shoot it point blank with a hand gun?" Robyn Rogers asked.
Rogers says her dog, Von Dutch, did not deserve to be shot for wandering into her neighbor's yard after a lighting storm powered off her electric fence.
"It's just unbelievable to me that people can be this cruel," she commented.
Rogers was able to get an arrest warrant, but it was served five days after a judge had signed off on it.
"I don't understand why it took so long to issue the warrant," Rogers said. "It just seems that it could have been handled a lot more efficiently."
Not all people suspected of animal cruelty are arrested. A courtesy summons is the lesser penalty imposed and does not require the signature of a law enforcement officer. Someone who is issued this summons does not go to jail unless found guilty of a crime at a later date.
Scotty Davis, who manages the animal control officers for the City of Florence, says seeking tougher punishment for animal abuse is something his agency deals with on a regular basis.
"We certainly have a contingent of the population that feels that whenever there's abuse and cruelty to animals that an arrest should be issued immediately," she said, adding that many people are unsatisfied when a courtesy summons is issued instead.
Davis says an arrest warrant is issued at the discretion of animal control officers and police. However, a judge has to sign off on the arrest warrant in order for it to be executed.
Some animal activists say getting an arrest warrant depends on the judge handling the case - if the judge does not care for animals, an arrest warrant will not be issued.
Jayne Boswell, director of the Florence Area Human Society, says many people go to them when seeking justice for animal cruelty.
"They come to us in the hopes that we can make justice move a lot more quickly," she said.
But Boswell says their hands are tied because getting arrest warrants depends heavily on the police investigating the matter.
"It's imperative that law enforcement and that animal control agencies move quickly and take this law as seriously as the other laws," Boswell said.
Because she feels the state laws against animal cruelty are weak, Boswell says the courts and the police play vitals roles in ensuring that animal cruelty is condemned.
Rogers said Von Dutch will need $3,500 to $5,000 in surgery to repair his injuries and keep him from dying. The Florence Area Humane Society is helping Von Dutch's family raise the money necessary for his life-saving surgery.
"This is not just a dog to me, he's part of our family," Rogers said. "If this had happened to another person, justice would be served. I just want to see justice."
The man accused of shooting Von Dutch was presented a $5,000 bond and will have to appear at the Dillon County Courthouse in September.
Case UpdatesA dog who was shot in Lake View has undergone a successful surgery to treat his injuries.
More than $2,800 has been raised to pay for the cost of the surgery on 5-year-old Von Dutch, a yellow Labrador retriever.
“He did get through the surgery. The surgeon said everything went well,” owner Robyn Rogers said Thursday afternoon.
Von Dutch, who has been a member of the Rogers family since he was a puppy, escaped their yard June 28 when an electrical storm disabled the invisible fence on the family’s property.
After searching for two days, witnesses and neighbors found the dog under a car about a mile from the house with several gunshot wounds to the rear of his body.
On Wednesday afternoon, Ronald Ball of Lake View went before a judge to face charges of felony cruelty to animals and discharge of a firearm with in city limits in connection with the case and was released on a personal recognizance bond, Lake View Police Lt. Michael Jackson said.
The investigation is continuing, Jackson said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Von Dutch was taken to South Carolina Veterinary Specialists on Thursday to undergo surgery. The surgeon repaired Von Dutch’s rectal wall and found the pocket of infection on the inside so that it could be cleared up. The dog also was castrated and is expected to make a full recovery, Rogers said.
Once word spread about Von Dutch’s injuries, in part via Facebook, more than 60 people donated a total of $2,874 to the Rogerses to offset the cost of the surgery, which could be as high as $5,000. Rogers said she’ll find out how much it cost when she picks Von Dutch up on Monday when he’s discharged.
If more than the cost of the surgery is raised for Von Dutch’s cause, Rogers said she will probably donate the extra money to the Florence Area Humane Society.
Donations toward the cost of Von Dutch’s surgery are being accepted through Paypal to [email protected] or by mail to Von Dutch Fund, c/o Rogers Kennels, 250 Road 30, Lake View, SC 29563. | Source: SC Now - July 8, 2010
Update posted on Jul 9, 2010 - 12:19AM |
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