Animal crualty case in norway involving basenjis

[Anette]

I dont know if anyone here knows about it already - but here in Norway now we have a case going against a former breeder and dogowner - she has been charged on multiple cases involving negelct and and cruelty. Last monday the official verdict in the first trial was the she is never to have dogs again in norway, 60 days "in jail" (she wont have to serve them in jail), and 2 years probation. She is going to apeel - or have all ready done - and is convinced that she will get cleared off all charges.

One and a half years ago animal controll took all her dogs and replaced them and had to put some to sleep due to untreated illnesses and agression. I'll give more details after monday. Last fall there started to show up dogs on her property again, she was doing a "rehoming service"… Some of the dogs just dissapared and noone knows what happend to them , we can only imagine.

Well - to the point: 25th of november 2009 animal controll and the police went inn to retrieve all the dogs at the property, inkluding a basenji female, a basenji male and a litter of 3 pure breed basenjis. She is banned for the norwegian kennel club and therefor the puppies does not have a known pedigree.

Some days ago the puppies and the male was found on the internet for sale. It turned out that she had a deadline until last thursday to rehome all of her dogs or she would have to sign them over to animal controll, and the new (stupid!!) laws in norway says that when animal controll gets ownership over dogs they can not (and this is just insane) rehome them without the previous owners blessing. Their only option is to put them down.

We just could not let this happen... So me and some other basenjifriends - inkluding a girl who bought a puppy (not basenji) from her years ago, gatherd some people and mony and have bought out one of the puppies (a tric girl) allready and I am goin up there on monday to retrive the two other puppis. A red girl and a tric male. We have allready got a new home for both girls - only need a new home for the male. So he is going to live with me untill we can find the perfect home (or untill I can't let him go).

I don't know if we are doing the right thing, giving her money, but we could not se any other option. The money we give will no doubt be used to try to get her cleared. But if justice winns she will never, ever, own another dog in norway. Hopefully they extend the sentence to include all living animals...

[agilebasenji]

it sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place. Sounds like what you're doing is listening to your heart even if it sort of turns the stomach to give her money. Hopefully right will prevail in court. I hope that the dogs are not too bad off and have had some socialization at least.

[Anette]

Thanks for understanding.

Yes the puppies was removed from the breeder when they where 2 weeks old and have been in a secret boarding kennel untill now. I don't know ho much socialization they have had - but the report from the tric-grils new home says that she is fine. Happy and unscared. A bit nervous at first.

[Basenjimamma]

Anette, what a predicament..Bless you for doing this for those poor pups..
This is a very rare case in Norway, no?

[Anette]

This is the first case of this kind regarding dogs. We have had some involving farm animals - but there it has been more a case of a personal tradgedy. And there was a similare case with a breeder with belgian shepherds who left 50 dogs unsuperviced for a weekend. But she cooperated with the animal controll and police and got to rehome all but 4 dogs and is alloved to have four dogs maximum.

And recently a man was convicted for drowning his dog and is not allowed own or handle dogs for five years.

This case is uniq in its horribility - at least that we know of. I don't want to give to many details yet, I need to have the puppies out of her reach first. Everything is publised in the media here and she has had an article made in a local newspaper with her name and picture claming she has been brainwashed and stuff. So I'm not doing anything wrong in telling the story, Im just nervous untill I have the puppies.

[Basenjimamma]

Anette, I understand, let us know as soon as you have them and know more..wishing you luck in this endevour.

[Anette]

thank you. Im not looking forward to meting her - but it will be worth it when I have the puppies in my arms.

[agilebasenji]

@Anette:

thank you. Im not looking forward to meting her - but it will be worth it when I have the puppies in my arms.

I think rescue people are very good at not saying what they are thinking. Just focus on the pups until they are in your car and you can see the woman in your rear view mirror.

[Anette]

Yep - thanks. I just need to se her long enough to sign the contrackt and then I have to call animal controll to arrange a meeting place to pick up the puppies.

[sharronhurlbut]

bless your heart for taking care of these b's.

[irena]

Anette, bless you for you are doing for these dogs.
Who is that "breeder" ?

[khanis]

WOW… I knew about the Swedish case.. and I think too many are trying to "hide" what has been going on with that one.
Hoarding is bad even if on a small scale... dogs need proper care.
If once can't care for them properly, then they should not have animals.

I am shocked that this is happening in Norway as well. And both with basenjis.. that is horrible.

Keep us updated on how it is going.

[Anette]

This is not a basenjibreeder originally - she just got two basenjis and bred from them - she has been breeding a larger dog previously.

Khanis: Yeah, I know about that case to, but I can't say what is right and what is wrong there - I just know that several basenjibreeders in sweeden stands behind her and helps her.

I think there are lots more cases that we don't know about - but the media here is more willing to cover the cases now and that makes it easyer for animal controll and the police to react and keep the support from "the people".

The police is not very populare here in most dog cases. Using resorses to keep a american staffordshire locket up and going through 2 trials to get him put down befor they gave up (they hade one mor chance to apeel) - even when the owner isn't norwegians and calims they didt not know about the ban, and was willing to send him out of the contry. That case lasted for over a year.

We, both the public and the police and the animal controll have lots to learn 'cos I think we will see more and more cases like this in the future.

[Anette]

Just dropping by to say that everything worked out fine today - and the puppyboy (who still is namless) is here with me, and the girl safe in her temporary home untill her knew owners come on friday.

Too tired to give all dirty details to night.

[sharronhurlbut]

Anette, rest and let us know how it goes.
These 2 b's are very lucky to have found your kind home.

[nobarkus]

@Anette:

Just dropping by to say that everything worked out fine today - and the puppyboy (who still is namless) is here with me, and the girl safe in her temporary home untill her knew owners come on friday.

Too tired to give all dirty details to night.

Great job Anette!

[Anette]

Okey - here we go. It apperas that animal controll have been inspecting this lady since 2001. I have "known" her as a nick on norwegian dog forums for several years. On nett she came a cross as a dogperson who knew dogs and how to handle them. With strickt opinions that would not budge - ever.

In 2006 animal controll got a "report" that one of the dogs had been shot several times in the head and still lived the next day (then they shot it again). (The cadaver and bones and scull of this dog has been found at the property later and it shows 4 bullet holes in the head - non of them hit the brain).

In 2008 animal controll reports the lady to the police, saying that she is not taking properly care of the dogs. The report says for example that there is a high mortalityrate amongst the dogs, several are sick and ungroomed. In february this year animal controll finds 48 dogs on her property. They also found a lots of veternary medicine including medicin to put dogs down.

In may this year animal controll and the police goes in and fremoves 24 dogs on her property, inkluding 6 puppies. 3 has to been put down on the property due to agression.

They find 23 dog cadavers on the property, burried. She admitts to have thrown a 3-4 week old puppy at the wall to kill it because of epileptic seisures. (This she actually told me about yesterday) Claiming she had no other option.

They found 15 dead puppies enn her frezer - she said the died of an bacteria infection - this is possible.

In the Norwegian Cennel Klub she has been registrering 163 dogs since 1997 . 57 of this dogs is imposible to trace, and she will not say what have happend to them.

I'll just add links to pictures - they are not! pretty - not for the faint hearted:

Dead dog that show signs of abuse
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00588/kadaver1_588473i.jpg

Dog cranium with multiple bullet holes:
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00588/kadaver4_588476a.jpg

Dog cadavers:
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00588/kadaver2_588474p.jpg

http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00588/kadaver3_588475p.jpg

This is the shelter for dogs that lives out side all year. The breed Kaukasisk ovtcharka
is a tough and big breed but this is not enough:
http://media.aftenposten.no/archive/00782/_0001111342_jpg_782403x.jpg

The breeds on the property at that point was kaukasisk ovtcharka, birard, doberman and miniature pinscher.

And it does not stopp here…

In may 2009 she starts a rehoming service. Norwegian TV2 makes a story and some of the previous owners recoginze their dogs and wants them back, som are given back but at least on is found dead.

25th november 2009 animal controll and police goies in and retrieves 11 dogs. 1 is allready sold and is picked up by the new owner the following day. 1 basenji femal (and she is SO young - I was told that she was not even a year old when she got the puppies ) 3 puppies and 1 male basenji. The male is given away at this point. All 3 basenji puppies are out (on is her - still searching for a new home - but I cant advertize him just yet - so... ) The basenjimum and the other 5 dogs are rehomed on temporary contrackts that says that whenever she is clared or the apeel has ben acrepted - she can get them back. She offerd me a deal like that on the red girl - but ofcourse I said no.

So... we just have to wait and see if there is going to be a new trial and what commes out of that. I know that animal controll will not give up easily.

Oh, yeah - the lady is Aud Stokman who has/had? Little Merlin as a kennel prefix.
Here is the artikle where she came "out" with name and pictures - claming she has been brainwashed:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4367729482_f37e5d1c00_o.jpg

[Janneke]

Oh my g… This is just horrible! The pics made me so sad..
I think you did a wonderful job Anette, getting these puppies out of there..

[Anette]

Thank you - it feels right. I'm not going to keep him, but he is absollutly lovley! So I hope we will find the perfect home for him fast.

[Basenjimamma]

Anette, first off, I think you did a wonderful thing getting the puppyout of her care..

second, wow..I can not believe this has been going on since 2001..but yet I can.
If Norway is anything like Sweden on red tape and politics, this can take forever and many puppies will suffer before the right person gets caught and punished.

What do you think her odds are of not being convicted? I sure hope zero to none..she needs to be punished severly for her actions.
Those pictures brought tears tp me eyes..poor babies. I realize maybe some of them died of natural causes, but why keep them in your freezer?

again, Thank you for doing what you believed in..