Man Sentenced For Starving His Dog

Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) ^ | June 19, 2002

[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.

[Bella_Bru]

Why do you believe that the dog belongs outdoors? What is wrong with the dog sleeping inside? Why do you even have a dog if you keep it outside? Don't you ever interact with the poor dog?

[mamelukesabre]

Shoot who? The dogs, the neighbors, or the dog owners? They neighbors aren't exactly innocent here. They easily could have thrown a juicy bone or two or several, out to the dogs. Why did they wait so long to say something?

For that matter, it's against the law to let your dogs howl and bark for so long anyway. THe neighbors should have turned them in just for that. If they had, the dogs would still be alive.

[Cachelot]

Your priorities are all out of whack. It's only a dog.

Yes. And it's owner is only a slug.

Some people don't qualify as humans. There should be a test, really.

[riley1992]

Property:
1 a : a quality or trait belonging and especially peculiar to an individual or thing.

My children are legally mine. How do you feel about me starving them, just because?

[felinesforever]

It is not getting out of hand! People should be punished for cruelty to anything. That hunk of filth in California deserved to go to prison. I would have done worse to him. For too many for years people have been treated with kid gloves and the law and judges have given them a token slap on the wrist. I don't believe GOD put animals here to be treated that way. We do eat some animals and they get killed in the wild, but cruelty at the hands of man, I believe is a sin. This guy in this article could have given the animals away if he couldn't afford to feed them. It takes along time to starve and it had to be loud, This poor excuse for a human showed just plain cruelty and he has no heart. The animal froze to the ground! That is horrible. As for property, the law will step in when kids or other humans are in danger. There are cruelty laws, so obviously someone thought there is a purpose for them. IF you or anyone tried to harm my animals, they better get their soul ready for the LORD! I know I will get some condemnation for some of this, but so be it!

[Sungirl]

OUTSIDE IN THE BACK YARD WHERE DOGS BELONG.

Who says they belong there? DO you ever let him in the house? I'll bet your dog is very agitated and lonely....at least get him a buddy.

[tomakaze]

RE:So you believe that it's 'legal status as property' means you can freely do whatever you want to it, no matter how cruel and unjustified?
 
Exactly. But see how many friends you have if you do.
there are ways to deal with things that don't involve jumping up and down like an over-emotional 4 year old, yanking on the governments pant leg, pointing and screaming "Bad man hurt doggy! beat up bad man!"
 
When I was a kid (about 5) we picked up an old english setter ( duchess ) that was up to that point having a pretty sh*tty time of it. The dog was half starved, covered with sores and on a choke chain being mangled by bunch of kids. the dog got loose from them and hobbled over to where we were getting gas and hid under the truck, shaking (my dad used to butcher on the weekends. I was 12 years old before I knew what it was like to sleep in past 4:30 on a saturday) Dad paid for the gas and checked out the dog, gave her a peice of spleen, then went over and talked to the guy and took her off his hands.
That's the way adults do it anyway.
 

[riley1992]

That would be perfect if these dogs had the luxury of having people like your dad there. And, what if the guy had told your dad to beat it? Tough for the dog?

[southern rock]

My children are legally mine. How do you feel about me starving them, just because?

Again, you are confusing humans and animals. There is a huge difference, despite what the cartoon shows depict.

[tomakaze]

RE:Let's maintain perspective here
 
A futile request, but appreciate the effort.
Do a search on that California Poodle thing a while back and you'll see how irrational people can get about stuff like this.
As for me, I'm bailing out of the thread while I still have my eyebrows.

[mamelukesabre]

I have HER because I want her. She is my pet. I never said I don't interact with her. Don't you freaks think its possible for a human being to interact with a dog without pretending it's a human baby? Dogs are good for alot more than sitting on your lap or playing dressup with them or fussing over their hair.

Ever heard of a hunting dog? How about race dogs? How about farm dogs? Or sled dogs? I suppose you think these are all examples of animal cruelty as well?

Ever heard of a doghouse? Surely you know what thier purpose is?

[tomakaze]

RE:And, what if the guy had told your dad to beat it? Tough for the dog?
 
In a nutshell, yes.

[riley1992]

No, I'm not. You agreed that what this guy did was sickening. Your point of contention is from a legal stand point of the dogs being his property therefore it is within his right to do with them as he pleases. I am telling you that my children fall under that category.

[Bella_Bru]

Ever heard of a hunting dog? How about race dogs? How about farm dogs? Or sled dogs? I suppose you think these are all examples of animal cruelty as well?

Thre is a HUGE difference between a working dog and a dog that is left to starve and freeze to death.

[riley1992]

You're an idiot. I don't dress up my dog but I damn sure don't go whining about how some freak of nature who abuses them deserves my pity.

[sinkspur]

For that matter, it's against the law to let your dogs howl and bark for so long anyway. THe neighbors should have turned them in just for that. If they had, the dogs would still be alive.

Why are you so damned anxious to let these shoe-sized-IQ-knuckle-draggers off the hook?

If I were a neighbor, I'd have simply taken the dogs and dared these monkeybutts to do something about it.

But, apparently, they lived among like-minded cretins, who thought dogs were just property.

[southern rock]

Don't you freaks think its possible for a human being to interact with a dog without pretending it's a human baby?

So true. This is obvious evidence of the wussification of the avarage American today. Can you imagine a rugged frontiersman, 150 years ago, cuddling his dog to sleep at night, going "coochie, coochie coo"?

[southern rock]

I am telling you that my children fall under that category.

You are wrong. They don't.

[dighton]

This is obvious evidence of the wussification of the avarage American today.

Okey-dokey. You're a sh*t-hot specimen of manhood, because you see nothing particularly wrong with starving a dog to death.

[Bella_Bru]

Can you imagine a rugged frontiersman, 150 years ago, cuddling his dog to sleep at night, going "coochie, coochie coo"?

Ohhh...I forgot we were still living like frontiersmen. Silly me.