Free Republic

Fears have been raised over the mysterious disappearance of around 30 dogs in southern Idaho after a missing German shepherd was found with its head crushed in a suspected ritual killing. Animal control officials raised the alarm after dogs of various sizes, breeds and ages mysteriously began to vanish. 'The dogs seem to vanish into thin air,' said Debbie Blackwood, director of the animal shelter in Twin Falls, Idaho. Officials say some 30 dogs have gone missing in recent months in Twin Falls and nearby communities in an agricultural region in south-central Idaho known as the Magic Valley. A man...

<p>Dallas Animal Services (DAS) was called to a house located in the 1600 block of Bonnie View this afternoon for a report of a dog stranded in a pool.</p> <p>DAS Officers discovered a dog found stranded in the pool of what appeared to be an abandoned home, along with a few other deceased animals. The house appears to be vacant and the fence was not secured allowing access to the pool which was not properly cared for, perhaps due to the house possibly being vacant. The building and yard have been secured and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and how the animals ended up in the pool.</p>

Hillsboro Officer Megan Hewitt was on a traffic stop on Northwest 185th Avenue when she heard a dog cry out. She looked toward the sound and saw an SUV headed down the roadway and a black German Shepherd running. The officer suspected the dog may have been struck. Hewitt, who had pulled a motorist over near Northwest Heritage Parkway, told the driver she needed to deal with the dog.

Six months ago, Thor, a German shepherd mix, was enduring a painful life of abuse. On Thursday, he was flying home in first class courtesy of Alaska Airlines following specialized surgery on his jaw which took place in California. Life has changed greatly for the young dog.

A Pasadena man on trial for beating a neighbor’s dog to death with a hammer pleaded no contest to the charge in the middle of trial on Friday, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Young Song, 42, a former animator at Glendale-based Dreamworks Animation, pleaded to a felony count of cruelty to an animal and a misdemeanor theft charge after jurors saw a videotape of the April 2011 incident.

A dog, confined within his own yard, was shot and killed by an Eldorado, Ill. police officer who had mistakenly arrived to the wrong house to investigate a report of a stolen ladder. According to Wednesday's publication of WSIL TV, the shooting took place on Sunday evening, when an officer arrived to the home of Jason Robershaw. Robershaw claims that he heard a knock at his back door, followed by gun shots. Those shots took the life of his 6-year-old German shepherd, "Smokey." The grieving owner describes the horrific scene outside of his back door:

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that it would not be pursuing disciplinary action against a deputy who fatally shot a tethered dog earlier this week.Richard Woodruff was inside his Spartanburg, S.C. home Monday morning when he heard barking followed by a gunshot. The man rushed outside to check on his 8-year-old shepherd mix, Diamond, who had been playing out front while tethered to the porch railing."I ran outside and I see this guy standing over my dog holding a gun," Woodruff told Channel 7 news. "'I said, 'Why did you shoot my dog?' And his response to me...

Washburn and his wife were incredulous at how this dog, tucked into a tiny nook between rocks, could have ended up where it was. The whimpering dog was, as Washburn said, "in awful shape." He was convinced it would have died if left without food or water for much longer. The couple tried to coax the dog up out of the rocks and down the mountain but it was clear the dog was too injured and weak to move. "We knew we weren't going to be able to get her out by herself," said Washburn. "Her paws were completely raw...

Two Denver hikers are locked in a bitter battle over the fate of a German Shepard named Missy, who was abandoned by one and then rescued by another at 13,000 feet. Scott Washburn found the dog bloodied and near-death atop Colorado's Mt Bierstadt and then organized a search and rescue party to save her. He wants to keep the dog, alleging that Anthony Ortolani lacks the ability or compassion to care for the creature, which went without food and water for eight days. But Mr Ortolani says he didn't abandon the animal, an oncoming storm forced him to choose between...

Lex a bomb-sniffing military dog " that made national headlines when he was adopted by a fallen Marine's family has died of cancer." Back in 2007 " .. a rocket explosion in Iraq killed Cpl. Dustin Lee and injured his canine partner, Lex. The German shepherd, struck with shrapnel and whimpering from his own injuries, stayed by Lee's side on the battlefield. Medics had to pull Lex away" from the body of Lee. According to AP.. " Lee and Lex had worked closely together, scouring roads for explosives and sleeping together at night. When Lee died, his family spent months...

Extremely scared and alone, Duke had no idea that this man was saving his life and giving him hope. But he soon realized that and turned from fear to love....what a beautiful outcome. (need to see video; no text)

A retired Marine has finally been reunited with her old military service dog after a six-year bureaucratic battle to adopt him. Cpl. Megan Leavey, 28, served with her four-legged German shepherd partner Sgt. Rex through two tours in Iraq, completing hundreds of missions searching for roadside bombs until an insurgent explosion took them both out of service in 2006. . . Rex was diagnosed with a kind of nerve paralysis earlier this year, permanently taking him out of service and prompting Leavey to take up a new adoption campaign. It became a race against the clock to get final approval...

After years of administrative battle a military dog handler was finally reunited with her loyal friend. Former Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey was told in March that she would be allowed to give a home to Sgt. Rex, the german shepherd she spent two military tours serving with. On Friday night the two were brought back together again in an emotional ceremony at Camp Pendleton’s K-9 Unit which marked the end of Rex's ten-year service.

I just sent the following to someone involved with animal rescue, and wanted to share with Freepers. It's been a very hard day here : I found out last night my family has to move overseas in the next 5 days because of my husband's job. I have a highly intelligent, well trained, well behaved, 4 year old German Shepherd. If I can't find a foster or permanent home, he will have to be euthanized. I've worked with him extensively. He's obedient and knows many commands, but he's not been able to be socialized to other people or animals. From...

Sgt. Rex, a German shepherd trained for military work, is on track to move back in with a former handler and fellow war veteran. The retired military working dog, subject of a Morning Read in The Orange County Register earlier this year, made national news last week when a senator stepped forward to cut through red tape to get Rex released from Camp Pendleton as soon as possible.

Could it be the LYNX effect? The age old feud between cats and dogs seems to have been put to one side as Lilica the German Shepherd becomes inseparable from her feline friends Liza, Viki and male Muro. But what makes this friendship even more unusual is as well as being cats, the cubs are also wild lynxes. Lilica is helping to teach the little cubs how to fend for themselves in the wild as part of a conservation project in the National Park Velka Fatra, Slovakia. The animals met through a scheme in the country called ‘Return of Lynxes’...

German shepherd leads firefighters to scene of owner's fatal crash in DavieA dog whose owner was involved in a late-night car wreck on State Road 84 in Davie helped lead firefighters to the man, officials said. Gregory Todd Travers, 41, lost control of his car, slammed into a bridge support and rolled over on the darkened stretch of road Saturday night, Davie Battalion Chief Robert Belizaire told the Sun-Sentinel. As firefighters searched the scene for Travers' car, they stumbled upon his German shepherd, Simon, limping on the side of the road, Belizaire said. Simon helped lead the firefighters to Travers'...

San Antonio, TX When I woke up this morning to a slew of emails, I had the sinking thought, "it is going to be one of those days". One of the days where there are multiple requests to feature dogs in need - multiple dogs who desperately need a chance. How does one pick and choose a certain dog to feature? Trust me, it isn't easy. But this one photo of a young, uniquely colored German shepherd a the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services facility touched my heart. This dog is so frightened that he cannot stand. He...

A former Marine is hitting bureaucratic red tape in her quest to adopt the military service dog she served with in Iraq before it is put down. Former Corporal Megan Leavey, of Rockland County, wants to take in a German shepherd named Sergeant Rex. They hunted for IEDs on Iraq during two tours of duty. They were both severely injured in Iraq when an IED exploded near them. The dog is 10 years old now and can no longer serve. "This is not (the Marines) first priority," Leavey admits, "A lot of times it gets lost in the shuffle." But...

A woman who served in Iraq for more than three years is now fighting to adopt the German Shepherd who she survived a roadside bomb with. As a dog handler for the military, Megan Leavey, 28, completed over 100 missions during two six-month tours in Iraq with the military service dog Rex. And since being discharged from the military in December 2007 Leavey has campaigned to adopt the bomb-sniffing canine so he can enjoy a civilian life with her in Rockport, New York. ... Recovered from his war injuries, the military considered Rex a valuable work dog and denied Leavey's...

Sioux Falls, SD - German shepherds may be the target of thieves in the Sioux Falls area. According to KSFY News, several German shepherds have disappeared recently. One dog owner believes that foul play is to blame for the disappearance of her two shepherds. Stacy Rostyne told KSFY News that she put her dogs out on the morning of January 5 and when she got back home after work, they were nowhere to be found. Rostyne put up fliers in the area and then something interesting began to happen...other German shepherd owners in the area started to call her to...

Orange County, CA - A week ago, Black Beauty was housed at the Orange County animal shelter without a name and without hope. She was sick and unfortunately, she was also short on time.It with the utmost joy that I am able to report that she is out of that facility and safe with the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County.It is easy to see that this beautiful dog is going to be an absolute head-turner as soon as she receives a good grooming and some high quality food.Black Beauty is currently at a veterinarian receiving treatment for a skin...

The owner of a pit bull and a boxer involved in a fatal dog shooting Thursday was cited Friday on suspicion of two counts of unlawful ownership of a dangerous animal, said Erica Meyer a Humane Society spokeswoman. The incident happened around 4 p.m. Thursday at a house on Portrait Place in northeast Colorado Springs. Bud Linton, who owns a german shepherd, said the two dogs had jumped his 6-foot fence and were fighting with his dog, Max. Linton said he coaxed max into the house when the boxer and pit bull chased after a neighbor and her two small...

LOS ALTOS -- A dog chased a cat up a tree Tuesday morning in the Bay Area -- same old story, right? Well, except in this case, the "cat" is a rather large mountain lion. The California Department of Fish and Game reported to an upscale home on La Barranca and Elena roads in Los Altos on Tuesday morning after learning of a mountain lion 30 to 40 feet up a tree. An 85-pound German Shepard named Cody apparently was scary enough to send the mountain lion running. The big cats have been known to eat things larger than Cody,...

Kelso, WA - Lug and Marley, German shepherds, are quarantined at the Cowlitz County Humane Society after biting a woman who walked into their home while their owner was away. The dogs have been labeled "potentially dangerous" and it will be up to a judge to determine their fate - live or die. It is stunning that these dogs have been impounded. The woman who was "attacked", Elizabeth Elder, walked into the dogs' home - knowing that the owner was not there. Apparently Elder is a friend of the dogs' owner, Ingrid Sacha. It seems that Elder took the familiarity...

CAMP PENDLETON – The second RPG round blew Cpl. Mike Dowling off his feet. The Marine had never seen combat before, but in 2004, he found himself in the thick of battle in Iraq's infamous "Triangle of Death." Boom! The blast from the rocket-propelled grenade slammed him into the ground, along with a fellow Marine, Sgt. Rex. As Dowling recounts in his just-published book, the explosion must have knocked him out cold for a second: "I come to with Rex on his feet, eyes white with fear and searching wildly in the smoke and dust to find me. "Then he's...

Dover, TN - It has happened again - a companion dog has been shot and killed by the police. In this case, the dog's name was Girl - she was a German shepherd who was a constant companion to 73 yr-old Blanks "Buddy" Phippen. Back on January 21, Buddy and Girl were sitting in their front yard when a car crashed into a nearby utility pole. From this point on, details become a bit muddy.

DeKalb County, GA - On Tuesday night, a DeKalb County police officer went to a family's home on Silva Court in response to a domestic dispute call. When the officer went into the family's garage, he encountered a German shepherd who was on a chain. Upon seeing a stranger approach, the German shepherd lunged - the officer's response was to shoot and kill the dog. Tragically, after the damage was done, it was discovered that the responding police officer had actually gone to the wrong house. Right now, the officer is not facing any charges - there will be an...

Apparently gunning down stray dogs on the streets wasn’t enough for the dog unfriendly officials of Cumberland County, North Carolina. Now they want to slay, within 72 hours, every dog that comes into the shelter who is, or appears to be a mix of: American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiller, Akita, chow chow, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Great Dane, Presa Canario, Siberian husky or mastiff. There’s a convenient catch-all pit bull category as well. They’re not doing it yet, despite what you may be reading on the misinformation highway. But they’re talking about it. The county’s Animal Control Board is recommending that...

On Oct. 4, Jason Dubin drove to La Guardia Airport to pick up the newest member of his household. Six days after that first happy meeting, Mr. Dubin returned to La Guardia with that same member, a German shepherd named Emmi, and sent her on a Continental Airlines flight to Seattle with a one-way ticket. “I just couldn’t control her anymore; it was just time to part ways,” said Mr. Dubin, who made the drive from his Port Jefferson home on Long Island as Emmi, who is 5, fidgeted and barked in the back seat. Mr. Dubin had bought the...

Investigators are awaiting autopsy results to determine what caused the death of Hex the champion German Shepherd. Meanwhile, his family is continuing to raise money in hopes of finding his killer or killers. Al and Marcia Govednik found the body of their prized German Shepherd the morning of Saturday, October 8, 2011, nearly two weeks after they believe Hex was stolen from their front yard. "They just beat him and his collar was missing and they dropped him right there," said Marcia Govednik as she pointed to the ditch.

One week after his dog, Shadow, was shot and killed by a retired state trooper at a park, a new German Shepherd donated by the Stevens-Swan Humane Society has helped Bernard Sperfeld cope with the tragic loss. “We will bond and she will be my new partner, so all my love and my big heart will go to her now,” Sperfeld said of Heidi, who has already taken to cuddling up with Sperfeld just hours after the new dog was brought home Wednesday afternoon. But Sperfeld still gets choked up as he recalls the fate of Shadow, who was shot...

Ciuchcia was left for dead on a railway track in Poland. But now, she has been given a new lease of life -- with wheels replacing her paralyzed back legs.

NORWALK – Kimberly Nizato, the woman accused of nearly starving her dog to death, was sentenced Monday to a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. Defense attorney Andrew Stein successfully argued to Judge Robert J. Higa that the District Attorney Office's case did not meet the standard for a felony conviction.

A brave police dog whose skull was fractured when thugs threw bricks, bottles and petrol bombs at him during the riots continued to patrol the streets for two hours, despite blood dripping from his head. ... PC Wells, who has cared for Obi since the dog was just an eight-week-old puppy, described he and his dog came under siege by remorseless thugs who deliberately targeted his 'best friend and closest colleague'. ... PC Wells said he was shocked at the violence that flared, which left all of the eight dogs in his unit on Tottenham High Road with cut pads...

Brittany Moore and Ava (credit: CBS) Filed under Local, News Related tags Brittany Moore, Erie, Jamie Chester ERIE, Colo. (CBS4)- The district attorney has cleared an Erie police officer who shot and killed a family’s pet earlier this month. District Attorney Stan Garnett said the dog lunged at the officer. Its owner, Brittany Moore, says the German shepherd named Ava didn’t do anything that warranted being shot.

Portland, OR - Bill is a senior German shepherd who wandered into a yard...he was taken to the Multnomah County Animal shelter and listed as a "stray"... Now he waits. The theory is that Bill was dumped by his family - why, no one may ever know. What is known is that Bill is a senior dog - and he is blind. Someone out there would love to have this beautiful senior dog by their side - that someone needs to be found and they need to be found quickly. Please take a moment to share Bill's story. Anyone interested...

A London police officer was treated for a reportedly self-inflicted injury after two police dogs died because he allegedly left them in a police car outside a dog training centre on Sunday while the temperatures outside reached 29 C. Training centre staff took the two dogs, a German shepherd puppy and a working Belgian malinois, to a veterinarian for emergency surgery, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said in a statement. The dogs died at the vet's office. The officer who left the dogs in the car was later found "suffering a hand injury," a police...

A London Metropolitan Police dog handler has reportedly tried to kill himself after two police dogs he left in the back of his car on one of the hottest days of the year died. British media is reporting that Sergeant Ian Craven jumped from a colleague’s vehicle and later slashed his wrists when he learned that the two dogs had died. In an interview with the Toronto Star on Tuesday, the police force refused to confirm whether those reports were true. The two dogs, a Belgian Malinois named Chay and a five-month-old German shepherd puppy called Milly, died Sunday after...

NORWALK – Kimberly Nizato, the woman who surrendered her severely emaciated dog to an acquaintance in spring 2010, pleaded no contest Monday to a single charge of felony animal cruelty. The Bellflower resident was working as a kennel assistant at an Irvine veterinary hospital when she relinquished the ailing 3-year-old German shepherd. She was arrested April 16, 2010. The dog weighed 37 pounds at the time and was named Courage by German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, which claimed responsibility for his care. Veterinarians testified last year at a preliminary hearing that the dog ate dirt and rocks to survive.

Meet Bruno, a German Shepard who is one of nearly 3,000 dogs in the canine corps and a cherished military asset. Bruno is trained as a patrol and detection dog. He’s not unlike the four-legged commando who played a key role in hunting down Osama bin Laden inside a Pakistani compound. Dog handlers said it’s no surprise that Navy Seals brought a dog with them on the stealth mission. War dogs are trained to give early, silent warnings of danger – something man and machines often can’t do. The canines are trained to be the best of the best, but...

CHARLESTOWN - A police officer shot and killed a dog at a Narrow Lane home this week, and its owner is challenging the police department's account of how the animal died. Police Chief Jack Shippee said Patrolman Robert Petrocelli was dispatched Monday night to the area of Route 1 and Narrow Lane for a report of a roaming horse in the roadway. The officer did not find the horse, but responded to its owner's home at 210 Narrow Lane - a property mired in zoning disputes and the focus of animal welfare concerns. "The officer went to the residence and...

College Park (WAOK) Saying it’s acting in the interest of public safety, College Park officials will enact a “dangerous dog” registry next month that some critics say is very close to canine profiling. Residents owning dogs that have, without provocation, bitten someone during the last 12 years, will be required to register their pet with the city clerk’s office. Pit bull, Doberman, Rottweiler and German shepherd owners, will also have to register their dogs whether they have ever attacked someone or not. Registration will cost a $25 annual fee. Those who fail to register their dogs will face fines and...

After three late-night escape attempts from a veterinarian's office in the United States, a German shepherd named Jack finally made it. The Medford Mail Tribune reports the crafty canine managed to pull open his kennel, trip the dead bolt on the Oregon clinic's back door and pull down the handle to get outside. He set off three motion-detector alarms on the way and managed to rip open four bags of food. The dog roamed 11km from the vet's office but only made it home when animal control officers took him to a shelter where he was reunited with his worried...

A DreamWorks animator pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of animal cruelty Thursday after allegedly beating a neighbor's 16-month-old German shepherd to death with a hammer. Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20058656-504083.html#ixzz1KxytdIaW

Sasha's story could have very easily had a very sad ending, but thanks to the incredible efforts of many dedicated animal lovers, she is safely back with her overjoyed family following a frightening ordeal. Full and updated story found at this link: http://www.gsroc.org/news.asp

MONROE, N.C.--Concern in Monroe after an officer shot and killed a dog in front of high school students. One of those kids emailed us saying the officer acted inappropriately. Police say a German Shepherd was chasing a student at Central Academy of Technology and Arts. Investigators say the dog was acting aggressive and charged when the officer approached so she shot the animal.

Police officers raiding the wrong house shot dead the owner's dog after it bit one of them on the leg. Philadelphia vice officers raided house 4211 Pennsgrove Street instead of 4213 - the intended target for the raid. The incident took place shortly before 9am this morning. It is understood that, as they entered the house the dog, thought to be a German Shepherd, responded by biting one of the officers on the ankle, who then shot the pet four times. The officer was taken to hospital and later released with minor injuries. The owner of the dog, James Nelson...

From Facebook: Please help us help Craig! His dog Jager, 10 mos old was stolen FROM HIS HOME today! A police report has been filed. Alleged thief is female, 6 ft tall, 115 lbs, black hair/grn eyes, mid 30s. Dice tattoo on arm, pistol tattoos on hips. If you see her or the dog, contact Craig at ggshvers@aol.com or Officer Bryan Thaete, Orange PD 714-744-7444

Occasionally, Szarik will open one or both eyes as he watches people walking past. Whenever Kacy Sandlin moves, he is on his feet — all four of them — as her protector. No longer does the shiny thick black- and brown-coated German shepherd put on gear like other military working dogs to do his job detecting drugs. Szarik has hip issues and other ailments that meant he could no longer do his military work. So the dog was put up for adoption, once it was determined he could cope in the civilian world. Even though Szarik is retired, he doesn’t...