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Case #4417 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
2 dogs - 1 dead, 1 alive - dumped in city office
Menlo, GA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Nov 1, 2004
County: Chattooga
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendant/Suspect: Theresa Smith
Warrants are pending against an animal shelter operator who tossed a dead dog into the Chattooga County Commissioner's Office during an emotional outburst November 1, 2004. Theresa Smith Labrier, operator of the Lookout Mountain Animal Resources (LMAR), has four warrants against her that include: felony cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, abandoning a dead dog on public property and abandoning an animal on public property. "She just threw the door open and slid the dead dog across the floor in front of Mrs Tucker's desk," the county's Animal Control Officer Joe Johnson Sr said. The county's animal shelter is not related or connected with LMAR.
Once tossing the dead animal covered by a garbage bag near the desk, Labrier yanked a mange ridden dog into the office. "It was scared and obvously did not want to come into the office. But she about choked it and dragged it inside," Tucker said. The frightened dog ran past the secretaries and into Commissioner Jim Parker's office where it proceeded to defecate. The dog left four piles of excrement on the carpet. Labrier told those there, even Chattooga County Sheriff's Investigator Mark Schrader, that her attorney Bobby Lee Cook Sr., advised her to make that public display. Labrier then stormed out of the office and I followed her out. She stated that she was informed by her lawyer on how to handle this case and if we needed to contact her we could do so through her lawyer, which she stated was Bobby Lee Cook," Investigator Schrader reported.
The Summerville News contacted Mr Cook yesterday afternoon and asked about his involvement. He was shocked that Labrier even mentioned his name and denied any involvement. "Ive had no conversation with her. That is totally false," Mr Cook said. "Ive not spoken with this woman in over a year. I cannot remember how long it's been, probably longer. For anyone to sugggest that I would tell someone to do something like that is the most incredulous thing that I've ever heard. That is absolutely preposterous. I resent it and I'm appalled at the conduct of someone that would say this. That is crazy, absolutely crazy," Mr Cook said.
Labrier may have made other false statements during his ordeal as well, Johnson said. The LMAR representative says a vehicle had struck the dead dog she tossed into the Commissioner's Office. "She dropped the bag on the floor and stated that this dog had been hit by a car in the roadway outsid of her business because animal control would not come and pick it up," Investigator Schrader reported. Once Labrier left, the animal was picked up and taken to the Sumerville Veterinarian Clinic for a necropsy. Veterinarian Bridget A Hopkins examined the dog and ruled in her opinion that it had not been hit by a car, but had been euthanized. "The animal is approximately 50 lbs and in good flesh. Grossly there are no external abrasions., contusions or deformities," Hopkins' veterinarian report stated. Hopkins did not want to be the sole authority on this decision. She wanted an outside independent source to check the dog, so she asked the University of Georgia in Athens to perform a necropsy. "They came up with the same conclusion as Dr. Hopkins," Johnson said. "It had not been hit by a car".
The incident first started early on November 1, 2004 when Labrier called the county's animal shelter. She wanted the county to come over nad pick up some animals at LMAR, Johnson said. The animal control officer already had a list of animals to capture from earlier calls and could not immediately go. "One hour later, Labrier calls and she told a shelter employee that if I didnt go over there within two hours she was calling the Sheriff," Johnson said. "I had five calls ahead of her. I take the calls in order as I get them, unless it's a vicious dog case". Mr Johnson, upset with the comment that Labrier was going to call the Sheriff, went to advise County Commissioner Jim Parker of the threat. At the Commissioner's office, they were already receiving calls from Labrier. "It was not 10 minutes after that she pulls up and storms in with her cellphone," Johnson said. A highly emotional Labrier put the cellphone in Mrs Tucker's face, demand that answer her questions and several times told other people in the room to 'shut up'. Already the secretaries were alarmed and called for a Sheriff's Deputy to come over. Labrier appeared to b upset and was complaining about her callsl to the animal control officer were unnanswered. Labrier stated that during the night, someone had dropped animals over their fence at their place of buisiness. Labrtier stated that she had placed several calls to animal control wanting the animals removed," Investigator Schrader reported. Labrier then told Schrader that she called Mrs Tucker for help but nothing was done. "Martha Tucker interrupted Labrier and told her that she had just called her at approximately 10:30 am and that she had placed a call in to the Commisioner who was unavailable at the exact time and was waiting on a response from him regarding Labrier's complaint," Investigator Schrader reported. Labtrier then left the building and came back within seconds with a black plastic garbage bag, with the dead dog. It was put in front of Mrs Tucker's desk. "She then stepped to the door and pulled another dog, which was alive, by a leash and collar and removed the leash and collar and said that this was the other one that they wouldnt come and get. I noticed that this dog appeared to have a severe case of the mange or some other ccondition because it's skin appeared to be extremely irritated and it didn't have very much hair still left on its body," Investigator Schrader reported. Labrier let go of the frightened dog, and it ran into the Commissioner's office where it soiled the carpet. A Hays State Prison inmate crew was calld to come over with gloves and shovels to cleant the carpet while Johnson got his truck and removed the dog. The hairless dog was in such bad shape that Johnson had to order the dog to be put to sleep.
Criminal Action Number: 05.CR.16.508
Defendant Number: 115579715
Name: Theresa LaBrier
Alias: Theresa Smith / Theresa Smith LaBrier
Business Address:
Lookout Mountain Animal Resources, Inc.
5871 Trion-Teloga Rd
Trion Ga 30753
Business Title: Owner/Director
Address Where Crime Was Committed:
Chattooga County Commissioner's Office
P.O. Box 211
County Courthouse
Summerville, GA 30747-0211
Phone: (706)857-0700
Fax: (706)857-0742
Prosecuting Official: Mark Schrader / Chattooga Co Sheriff's Office Prosecutor
Charged: 11.01.2004
Felony Aggravated Animal Cruelty
Giving False Statements
Abandoning an animal on public property
Abandoning a dead animal on public property
Indicted: 01.26.05
Felony Aggravated Animal Cruelty
Giving False Statements
Abandoning an animal on public property
Abandoning a dead animal on public property
Convicted: 02.24.05
Felony Aggravated Animal Cruelty - Nolle Pros
Giving False Statement - Nolle Pros
Abandoning Animal on public property - Convicted / Pleaded First Offender Status
Abandoning dead animal on public property - Convicted / Pleaded First Offender Status
Sentence:
12 months probation for each of the two convictions = 24 months probation
500.00 fine / 110.00 court cost / 50.00 P.O.T.F. / 61.00 J.C.F. / 30.50 V.A.P.
39.00 Probation Supervision Fee Per Month References- Criminal Action Number: 05.CR.16.508
- Summerville News - November 1, 2004
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