Puppy mill - remains of dogs, rabbits, turtles
Gettysburg, PA (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2004
County: Adams
Disposition: Dismissed
Case Images: 8 files available
Person of Interest: Bonnie Still-Hammond
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Jinx was owned by 45 year old Bonnie Still-Hammond of Gettysburg, PA, of Stormdancer Great Danes. She was a black, female Great Dane who supplied multiple litters that were sold for profit. On April 7, 2004, Jinx gave birth to 14 puppies. Apparently, 6 were still born and 7 survived the birth. A few months after giving birth, Jinx died. She allegedly received no medical attention during or after birth. The remainder of the puppies eventually died as well. Allegedly, Hammond placed the puppies' bodies in empty dog food bags and thrown out in the trash in the back yard.
According to the Adams County Animal Control Officer, a search warrant was obtained after receiving complaints regarding neglect of the remaining animals and the stench of the deceased animals on the property that were not properly disposed of.
On May 19, 2004 Adams County Animal Control raided Bonnie Hammond's property. Members of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) were asked by Adams County SPCA to accompany them on the raid. A search warrant was issued and the premises searched. The very first thing found on Hammond's property was Jinx's remains along with the remains of turtles, guinea pigs, and rats. According to Hammond, the dead guinea pigs were in a crate then placed outside in the trash pile while they were still alive. However, animal control were not able to locate the puppies bodies in spite of their best efforts of tearing open numerous bags of trash and digging through the piles of trash in the back yard. When questioned, Hammond claimed that when Jinx died the ground was frozen and she could not bury her.
"Every dog we took from this house was skittish, nervous, and filthy; in addition to being covered with engorged ticks," said Debra Rahl, President of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. "These photos don't capture the horrid conditions of the environment that we encountered like the stench, circling flies, and biting fleas."
Hammond is being charged with ten counts of animal cruelty and more charges are pending. Eight Great Danes, including two possibly pregnant females, were taken into the custody by the Adams County SPCA to be transported to veterinary offices for medical treatment and boarded until they are transported to foster homes. However, at least eight additional Great Danes and a menagerie of other smaller pets were left behind because their conditions were not considered by an on-site veterinarian to be life threatening at the time of the raid. The Adams County Animal Control Officers gave Hammond a specific period of time to clean up the property and dramatically improve the living conditions of the remaining pets left behind. If she does not comply, the remainder of the pets will be taken into custody as well.
Hammond did not relinquish ownership of the Danes that were taken into custody. This means that Adams County SPCA cannot neuter/spay these dogs or adopt them until a decision from the court has been made. Despite this, MAGDRL has accepted the financial burden of these Danes and MAGDRL volunteers will be opening up their homes to care for the dogs until the courts make a decision. However, MAGDRL needs the community's help in obtaining donations to pay for the medical care these dogs need and the cost of basic care.
Case UpdatesA technicality forced an Adams County district justice to drop animal cruelty charges against a Straban Township woman Monday morning, but an Adams County assistant district attorney said he will appeal that decision. District Justice Thomas Carr dismissed the charges against Still-Hammond.
"This case is definitely a high emotion case for a lot of people involved," Carr said, adding he received more than 90 letters from representatives of the Great Dane league.
Despite testimony from seven people, Carr said he heard credible testimony only from Plamann.
Carr said charges relating to the dead turtles and guinea pigs were outside the scope of the search warrant, which pertained only to the dogs found at the property.
The remainder of the charges were dismissed on a technicality because Carr said no testimony was presented about where the alleged abuse occurred and the prosecutor failed to ask any witnesses to identify Still-Hammond in the courtroom.
Adams County Assistant District Attorney David McGlaughlin said an appeal will be filed. | Source: The Evening Sun - Nov 2, 2004
Update posted on Nov 9, 2004 - 2:11PM |
Straban Township dog breeder Bonnie Hammond has been charged with 11 counts of cruelty to animals stemming from a raid of her home by state police and county animal control officers.
Officials found eight Great Danes with allegedly illegally cropped ears, the carcass of an adult female Great Dane, dead guinea pigs in a crate and dead turtles, according to charging documents filed by Adams County Humane Officer Betty Peake.
Debra Rahl, president of Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, accompanied officers on the raid in anticipation of seizure of some of the Great Danes that Hammond had been breeding at 130 Cashman Road, also the home of "Stormdancer Great Danes."
Rahl said there were 19 dogs on the property, 16 of which were inside and included 15 Great Danes and a Yorkshire Terrier.
Eight of the animals were removed from the property for illegally cropped ears and health problems, such as leg wounds, according to charging documents. Some of the dogs are being cared for by the SPCA or in foster homes, said Mike Tushek, manager of the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
According to an affidavit for search warrant, an informant told Peake that the ears of some dogs had been illegally cropped without the use of anesthesia. The informant said dogs were dying on the property and were not receiving adequate care, according to the affidavit.
Rahl said state law isn't tough enough when it comes to cases of animal abuse. Animal cruelty is a summary offense usually punished only by a fine. Under the law, a person who "willfully and maliciously" kills, maims, disfigures or poisons an animal is guilty of only a second-degree misdemeanor.
Mary Bender, director of the state's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, said Hammond was fined when she was found guilty of operating a kennel without a license and failure to license some of her dogs about two years ago.
Tushek and Peake said they were told by the SPCA's board of directors not to comment on cases involving treatment of animals. Some board members said past publicity in such cases "gave the appearance" that staff was using the cases to pressure the county's board of commissioners to allocate the shelter more money.
The county's previous board of commissioners allocated $50,000 to the shelter, in part to pay for a full-time humane officer. But newly elected commissioners Glenn Snyder and Lucy Lott voted to decrease the contribution to $10,000.
Donations to the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the care of animals seized by the county's humane officer can be mailed to 11 Goldenville Road, Gettysburg, 17325. | | Update posted on Jun 28, 2004 - 12:40PM |
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