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Puppy mill - 30 dogs seized - suspect wanted on additional cruelty charges
Tunkhannock, PA (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Feb 1, 2004
County: Wyoming
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: John C. Tanis, III
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
More than 30 dogs were taken from the home of John C. Tanis III in Wyoming County. The homeowner, John Tanis, is the same man with a long history of animal cruelty convictions and running kennels that are unlicensed. Police want to find John Tanis.
This seizure at a unlicensed kennel in Eaton Township was just the latest episode in what has become an almost 10 Year conflict between John Tanis and Authorities.
In Jan. 2003, a judge in Monmouth County, N.J., gave Mr. Tanis a suspended 60-day prison sentence and ordered him to pay $11,080 in accumulated fines in an 8-year-old animal cruelty case there.
He is still facing prior animal cruelty charges in Wyoming County. A Jan. 14, 2003 hearing in Wyoming County Court was postponed.
Mr. Tanis spent almost a year in jail in 1996 and 1997 as a result of dog law violations.
In March 2002, he moved his kennel from Lackawanna County to Mehoopany, then later to Eaton Township.
Time is running out for John C. Tanis III, as the Tunkhannock area man is now considered a fugitive. As new charges are pending after more dogs were taken from his home and authorities in Wyoming county say they've had enough.
John Tanis has been taunting authorities, telephoning the Wyoming County sheriff last week to tell him he's out of the state and not coming back.
Case UpdatesFugitive dog breeder nabbed at New York airport
A Wyoming County dog breeder, John C Tanis III, accused of operating illegal puppy mills has been caught.
According to Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick Jr., John C. Tanis III was nabbed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, on Sunday and is in custody in New York.
An extradition hearing has been scheduled and Skumanick said he expects Tanis to be returned to Wyoming County sometime this week.
Tanis has run up a lengthy list of convictions for animal cruelty and other offenses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1996.
On Jan. 12, he was fined $11,080 and given a suspended 60-day prison sentence on animal cruelty and abuse charges in a 9-year-old case in New Jersey after police caught up with him during a Dec. 24 traffic stop.
Tanis was allegedly delivering puppies to customers.
Tanis failed to appear in Wyoming County Court on Jan. 14, 2004 for further court action on animal neglect charges and was declared a fugitive. He allegedly called the Wyoming County sheriff about two weeks ago and said he's out of the state and not coming back..
In late January humane officers seized 31 dogs from an unlicensed kennel owned by Tanis in Eaton Township. The dogs were outside without any shelter, and some didn't have any food or water. The dogs have since been adopted out.
A condition of Tanis' bail from previous cases is that he isn't allowed to have more than two dogs, humane officials said.
Tanis has been charged 279 times in Pennsylvania with animal neglect and abuse, and numerous times in New Jersey. | | Update posted on Feb 10, 2004 - 9:47AM |
References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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