Posted on 10/19/2019 1:56:10 PM PDT by Morgana
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – The president of the Van Zandt County Humane Society has been arrested for stealing dogs.
Cynthia Diane Durham, 61, was arrested Wednesday by Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Constable Jesse Ison and charged with theft of property. She is in the Van Zandt County Jail on a bond of $250,000.
She is accused of participating in a process known as “pet flipping,” or stealing pets to be transported elsewhere for resale as a “rescue.”
According to a press release from Ison, the victim, Jeremy Housden, contacted his office on July 15 to report the theft of the family’s two blue heeler hounds while the family was out of town.
During the investigation, Ison said, Sergeant Deputy Jason Burns received information connecting Durham to the crime scene and the alleged theft.
Burns interviewed Durham, whom Ison said confessed to the theft. Ison said Durham told investigators she believed the dogs were neglected.
Ison said that was disproved during the investigation.
Ison said Durham then told Burns that she had transferred the dogs to a rescue group in Wisconsin where they were being prepared for adoption.
Burns located a photo of the stolen dogs listed for adoption on the “Unchained K-9 Rescue & Rehab” website in Wisconsin. Burns showed Housden the photo and he positively identified the dogs as his stolen family pets.
Burns contacted the rescue group and spoke to the owner, Patricia Junk, to notify her that she was in possession of stolen property. Junk refused to release the dogs to a law enforcement agency and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Burns also discovered that the suspects posted a photo of the stolen dogs on the rescue group’s website stating “Available soon,” according to Ison.
(Excerpt) Read more at easttexasmatters.com ...
“Crap! They pinched Cynthia! I wonder if that idiot Švejk can find us a nice dog?”
This is an old story.
Here is an update from August 19th
Sheriff Duane Waldera said that Patricia A. Finch-Junk was taken into custody then released after she agreed to cooperate with authorities in recovering the two blue heeler dogs taken from Van Zandt County last month.
The sheriff said the dogs were recovered and in a safe place until Texas authorities can come up and retrieve them.
“Burns contacted the rescue group and spoke to the owner, Patricia Junk, to notify her that she was in possession of stolen property. Junk refused to release the dogs to a law enforcement agency and refused to cooperate with the investigation.”
Search warrant.. kick door
The humane societies/rescues/shelters are not so humane, especially for humans. Bring back the dog pounds, and give animal control back to police dog catchers.
What a horrid creature. Lock her up.
In this crazy world I wouldn't be surprised.
Like with a cloth? Sorry, just a Hillary impersonation.
Guaranteed euthanasia within days if not hours........No thanks
Awhile back I told this forum this was happening and I was pretty much called a liar. Its far more extensive than this one case. Wisconsin gets flooded with dogs stolen from the Southern part of the US. I imagine some of the other states up here might see that too if someone were to bother and look. The Humane Society/”rescue shelters” are not what they seem.
Minimum 10 years in a 3x4x5 cage. Let out for showering and one hour per week in the yard.
$100 I could see, they charged me a $350 “adoption” fee. I knew I was ripped off but I wanted a dog. 10 months later she died of osteo sarcoma.
But the point is these rescues are scams.
There is a similar scam going on in the horse world. It is actually worse. The horse flippers buy at auction, steal, or offer for ever homes for older horses. They then take them to feedlots and pretend they are rescues. They tell people that a horse will ship to slaughter unless somebody bails it out. They are priced way over the real value plus other fees are involved. Very few of these animals are useable so the victim gets a junk horse in poor condition. Sometimes the horse “dies” before they can be shipped to the fool that bailed it.
No -— “the Bubbas down South” are actually really good at spaying and neutering their pets and working digs. I should know -— I have practiced here in small town Texas for 35 years. The puppy mills are in the the midwest mostly. The dogs that are being transported and sold in the northeast by rescue groups are mostly adult dogs, not puppies.
“Awhile back I told this forum this was happening and I was pretty much called a liar. Its far more extensive than this one case. Wisconsin gets flooded with dogs stolen from the Southern part of the US. I imagine some of the other states up here might see that too if someone were to bother and look. The Humane Society/”rescue shelters” are not what they seem.
You’ve just been vindicated. Ping me next time you post something like this.
This story is just now making it’s way around the pet circles on bookface. Sorry I meant to post the date but had not had my Free Republic Coffee today, was not thinking strait.
Yeah I figured my pricing was too low... they are dog traffickers....
Search warrant.. kick door.. shoot dogs..
Texas ping!
This title of this story is hilarious.
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