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Missing dogs, ritualistic killing confound Idaho officials
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SALMON, Idaho |
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - The mysterious disappearance of about 30 dogs in southern Idaho has baffled animal control officials and raised concerns among dog lovers after a German shepherd was found with its head crushed in a suspected ritual killing.
The missing canines range widely in size, breed and age.
"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 and his young daughter hiking along the north rim of the Snake River Canyon northeast of Twin Falls earlier this month discovered the remains of a German shepherd that had apparently been stoned to death, Blackwood said.
The dog, found in an area known as the Devil's Corral in neighboring Jerome County, appeared to have suffered a "ritualistic execution" in which its head was crushed with rock and its carcass covered with a purple cloth, she said.
The case has prompted the Humane Society of the United States to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the dog's death.
The incident was under investigation, said Jerome County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Ustick.
No one has stepped forward to claim the dog.
It was unclear if that case was linked to the rash of dog disappearances, authorities said. Dogs have been removed or released from private yards, unleashed from chains or failed to return home after roaming.
"Animals go missing every day. What's disturbing about this trend is that there is absolutely no trace of them," said Lisa Kauffman, Idaho director of the Humane Society of the United States.
John Goodwin, head of animal cruelty policy for the Humane Society, said it was unlikely dogs were stolen by people engaged in dog fighting, which is illegal in Idaho, because it was rare for those involved in the activity to use just any dog.
Twin Falls spokesman Josh Palmer said city officials on Wednesday consulted with the Humane Society and other animal rescue officials about the missing dogs.
Meanwhile, authorities were asking residents to report "any unusual activity, like the stalking or taking of pets," he said. (Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Lisa Shumaker)
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The abovementioned John Goodwin, Director of Animal Cruelty Policy, is a high school dropout with a long arrest record and a conviction for “economic sabotage.” Because of Goodwin’s criminal background and sick rantings (Google “J.P. Goodwin No Compromise” or “John Goodwin Wilkes County Massacre”), he is not allowed to testify as an expert in abuse cases. Mo reputable charity would hire him, but HSUS is not a reputable charity. Matthew Prescott is another HSUS expert. You should know that Prescott created the “Holocaust on Your Plate” campaign while at PETA. Not only does he equate meat eating to the killing of Jews, he LIED to the Holocaust Museum in order to obtain graphic documents and images that he took all over the world. Did the HSUS press release fail to mention these facts?
The title of “HSUS Idaho State Director” implies that Ms. Kauffman runs the Idaho Humane Society. In reality, she is a lobbyist and activist with a salary, but no budget. Part of her function is to reinforce the lie that HSUS runs pet shelters. Same with other state directors. Check out Nathan Winograd’s blog to learn more about what HSUS does for dogs.
Josh Palmer, HSUS is NOT an animal rescue group and does not run nor fund a single pet shelter in the world. They claim to conduct raids and large rescues and disaster relief, but HSUS’s entire Emergency Response Team quit in 2009 rather than follow unethical and illegal SWAT team style protocols intended not to help animals, but to get as much money and publicity as fast as possible. After several lawsuits for illegal raids, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle had no choice but to fire the unqualified thug running the team, Scotlund Haisley. Haisley’s friend, another unqualified pseudo-cowboy, Rowdy Shaw, runs it now. A $5 million lawsuit for an illegal raid in South Dakota conducted by Haisley and Shaw, is expected to head to trial very soon. HSUS was investigated by the Louisiana Attorney General for Hurricane Katrina fundraising fraud and escaped criminal charges only because of a legal loophole that allowed the group to use most of the $34.6 million they raised for Katrina on “other disasters.”
What say you, Laura Zuckerman, Josh Palmer, Rick Ustick?
The local sheriff as well as county officials plead ignorance because the bodies were dumped alongside a state highway and not a county road.
We call that the “duh” factor here ….
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