Posted on 06/19/2002 5:06:29 PM PDT by Shermy
A Hannibal town justice Monday night sentenced a man to what one investigator says is among the toughest penalties faced by an Oswego County defendant in an animal cruelty case.
Darcy Noble, 33, of [ snip ] Road, Woodland Trailer Park, received three years' probation and was ordered to pay $675.15 in restitution. Justice Luther Dennison also ordered Noble not to own any animals for the next five years.
Noble admitted last month in court that he starved his dog earlier this year. The dog, a 3- or 4-year-old mixed breed, never recovered from the malnutrition so doctors euthanized it, said Officer Sheldon Furlong, an Oswego County Welfare Animal Cruelty investigator.
"The judge made a clear message that this will not be tolerated," Furlong said. "It was very clear the district attorney's office and the judge are fully enforcing the Agriculture and Markets Law against people who abuse and neglect animals that result in unnecessary pain, torture and death."
Oswego County sheriff's deputies arrested Noble and Mabelene E. Gigon, 31, in February after finding a dead German shepherd and two starving mixed breeds outside their mobile home, police reports said. The mixed breeds were euthanized after doctors said the dogs were traumatized and not recovering, Furlong said.
Sheriff's Deputy Daniel J. Ferazzoli, Furlong and a town animal control officer went to the home after someone reported the incident Feb. 3.
"We found one of the dogs frozen into the ground with a collar and chain still on it. It was chained to a tree and laying next to the dog dish, which was filled with leaves," Furlong said. "The dog had been starved to death. The other two were in pretty bad shape."
A veterinarian's report showed the dog weighed 20 pounds at death, or one-third of what it should have weighed, Furlong said. The report also said the 7-year-old German shepherd had not eaten in weeks or maybe months. It died of malnutrition and exposure to cold weather, Furlong said of the report.
Noble and Gigon were charged Feb. 9 with one count of failure to provide adequate sustenance to an animal, a misdemeanor in the Agriculture and Markets Law. That was for each of the mixed breeds. Gigon also was charged with a misdemeanor count of cruelty to an animal resulting in the death of the German shepherd by starving it.
Noble and Gigon pleaded guilty to the charges last month in Hannibal Town Court, Furlong said.
Gigon's case was adjourned until July 2 because her presentence report was not complete, Furlong said.
He's lower than an animal - animals don't treat one another that way.
I've been disappointed, often, by humans, but never by an animal.
This guy and his squeeze "Mabelene" are beneath contempt. Good thing they didn't have kids or they'd have starved them too.
Right now I have a small breed dog, a Pekingese. However, I grew up around large breeds, mainly Boxers and Great Danes. My parents never once tied the dogs to anything. We had a fenced in yard and the dogs took their runs as they wished. When they wanted to come back in, they came in through the HUGE doggie door my dad installed (yes, you can get a doggie door for a Dane).
Our dogs have always been treated as family members: The sleep inside and spend a good deal of time with the family. Why else would you get one???
You're one of those humans I wouldn't befriend.
Here comes a car. tomakaze and my dog are in the street. Who do I rush out to save from the car?
No kids, I hope.
I don't think I saw that story, but sounds great to me.
Well, if it were December, they'd probably be chained to a tree and frozen into the ground.
Probably to the vet and whoever else was involved in picking up the animals and euthanizing them.
Bump for a little rational thinking on what is sure to be an irrational thread.
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