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Caution: Please Be Warned That The News Stories On This Page Describe Very Disturbing Accounts Of Sadistic Cruelty.

PROBE INTO PET FACILITY CONTINUES MORE ABUSE CLAIMS

By Sarah L. Greenhalgh The Winchester Star December 3, 2011

Frederick County Sheriff's Deputy Megan Moreland, with the Animal Control division, is the investigating officer in the Aberdeen Acres alleged animal abuse case. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star) Frederick County Sheriff's Office Deputy Megan Moreland, with Animal Control, is investigating allegations of animal abuse at Aberdeen Acres. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)WINCHESTER- She tries to speak for those who cannot. Deputy Megan A. Moreland of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Division works with victims that cannot tell her what has happened to them. She must rely on her training to determine if they are suffering from neglect or have been abused. She does this by gathering witness statements, investigating an animal's residence and by observing it. Moreland is currently assigned to the case of alleged animal cruelty involving the Aberdeen Acres Pet Care Center in Stephenson and its owner, Russell Ebersole. In her nine years on the job, she said, she has never seen as many complaints coming from a single boarding kennel or heard anything quite like the nature of the accusations against Aberdeen Acres. No charges have been filed against Ebersole or any of the staff at Aberdeen Acres. But on Nov. 21, materials at the kennel were confiscated after a search warrant was executed at the facility at 667 Walters Mill Lane. The warrant was obtained after a complaint by two former employees was filed Aug. 29 with Moreland over alleged abusive training practices in the dog-obedience program and animal cruelty at the kennel. The complaint refers to a bloodhound named Flash and an Italian mastiff named Achilles. "Originally, we had the two complaints from the former workers and the two dog owners," Moreland said Friday from her office in the Frederick County Public Safety Building. "Now we have about 13 complaints, and if you add those to some from prior years, we have about 20 so far." And Moreland - who has several large binders on her desk dedicated to just this case - does not think it is going to end there. She said the nature of the calls concern people saying that after their dogs stayed at the boarding kennel, the animals' behavior or health changed. "Some of the owners are blaming themselves for not trusting their instincts," Moreland said. "They feel bad and betrayed and like in some part they are responsible." Moreland said people are now reporting that their dogs died after being in the care of Aberdeen Acres. The dogs were allegedly taken to area veterinarians and later had to be euthanized. "About two to three of the calls are about dogs being euthanized without the owner's knowledge or consent," she said. Moreland added that the owners were allegedly not notified that a problem had occurred until they arrived to pick up their pets. Ebersole vehemently denies that this ever happened. "Never, ever, ever have we euthanized an animal at our facility," he said Friday. "The Virginia Code is crystal clear. I am required to get the best care possible. The veterinarian is required to contact the owner." In Virginia, animal abuse or cruelty is a Class I misdemeanor that usually ends up with a suspended sentence or a small fine. However, if an animal dies or is euthanized while in the care of the owner or caregiver - as a result of animal abuse or neglect - the charge becomes a Class 6 felony with a maximum of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. And in the statute, "any person convicted of violating this section may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion animals." Proving that any animals died as a direct result from injuries or neglect suffered at any facility, however, is not an easy task. "What we're looking at is a broad span of allegations," Moreland said. "It's a difficult case in that we are getting so many more calls." In September 2005, Ebersole was sentenced to 63 months in prison after being found guilty of 25 counts of wire fraud and two counts of lying to the federal government. His business - Detector Dogs Against Drugs and Explosives, based at his Aberdeen Acres kennel - had a $700,000 contract with the federal government to produce bomb-sniffing dogs. The animals he said were qualified to do so, however, failed to pass certification. Ebersole, who served time in the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center from April 30, 2005, to June 4, 2008, told The Winchester Star last week that he is being falsely accused in this latest case against him. He disputes the claims by the workers in the original complaint and insists that Flash and Achilles were not abused. "People can go to our website and Facebook page and see the videos of Flash and Achilles," Ebersole said Nov. 22. "You can see the dogs on the videos; their tails are wagging, they're happy dogs." According to its website, Aberdeen Acres is a grooming, training and boarding facility that specializes in basic obedience, agility, protection and service-dog training.
Anyone with information about this case may contact the Frederick County Sheriff's Office at 540-662-6162. - Contact Sarah L. Greenhalgh at sgreenhalgh@winchesterstar.com

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ITEMS, NO ANIMALS, SEIZED FROM STEPHENSON KENNEL

By Candace Sipos Northern Virginia Daily - csipos@nvdaily.com Nov.24/11

...Megan A. Moreland, animal control officer for Frederick County, executed a search warrant Monday and seized three laptops, multiple electronic storage devices, shock collars, agility equipment and employee and veterinarian records, among other items from the Aberdeen Acres Kennel at 667 Walters Mill Lane in the county, according to court records.

According to the affidavit seeking the warrant, a former employee who helped with basic obedience training from July until August advised Moreland that she saw Ebersole "punch, kick, choke, throw, and shock dogs until the dog either went limp or urinated/defecated itself during training season."

At the end of August, she claims she saw Ebersole pick up a Cane Corso named Achilles completely off the floor by the choke collar and leash.

"After Achilles went limp, Mr. Ebersole put him on the floor and continued to choke Achilles for around another 20 seconds," the affidavit reads, explaining that the dog coughed a lot after the incident.

Achilles' owner told Moreland that he dropped his dog off from Aug. 12 to 26. When he dropped him off, the dog was "playful, happy and energetic," but when he picked him up, he was "acting lethargic and afraid" and his eyes were extremely bloodshot. Ebersole told him the dog was sensitive to the fans in the kennels, according to the affidavit.

Four days later, the owner took Achilles to a veterinarian at the Animal Care Center of Strasburg, the affidavit states, and the doctor reported that the dog had burst capillaries resulting from excess use of a choker chain collar, which also caused the coughing. The vet expressed concerns that Ebersole had choked Achilles, the affidavit reads...FULL ARTICLE HERE

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ESTABLISHED DOG TRAINER IN LINCOLN COUNTY FIGHTS ANIMAL ABUSE CHARGES (VIDEO) www.dailyRFT.com

By Nicholas Phillips Fri., Nov. 11 2011

excerpt..."That dog was wild as the wind," Nelson says. "I told [the owner], 'We may have to use drastic measures to turn this dog around.'" In the video, Nelson and an assistant used both a whip and shock collar on Bo.
FULL STORY HERE

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DOG TORTURER GETS 13 MONTHS IN PRISON

Chinook Observer The News Source For Washington's Long Beach Peninsula since 1900

By NANCY BUTTERFIELD
Observer correspondent
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Editor's note: Caution - this story contains a disturbing account of cruelty.

Dog

‘A dog burnt by shock collar’
Courtesy of
Urban Dog Training

Excerpt..... Wetle outlined the animal-cruelty charges for the court Monday. He said on Jan. 20, 2007, Gordon and his hunting buddies, dubbed the "Kill 'em All Boyz," and their dogs, treed a raccoon. Gordon's dog, Copper, ran away. When the dog returned, Wetle said Gordon put a shock collar on him and continually shocked him, at the same time kicking him. According to witnesses, Gordon said, "I should just put a bullet in your brain."

Gordon continued shocking the dog, who had porcupine quills in his muzzle and throat, and became enraged. Witnesses said the dog was so badly injured he could barely walk and they were afraid he would kill him. They said he put another shock collar around the dog's genitals and said, "Watch this. I'll fry his balls." At this point, the dog was rolling in circles and Gordon continued to shock and kick him, then threw him in the back of his truck, saying, "I'll leave the quills in and I hope he dies."

Wetle said the witnesses tried to remove the quills, and Gordon had taped the dog's jaws so he wouldn't bite, then just gave up on him. They urged Gordon to take the dog to a veterinarian but he said he didn't want to spend the money. One of the witnesses offered to buy the dog from Gordon but he said no.

Gordon contacted a Longview veterinarian on Jan. 31, 11 days after the incident. Wetle said he walked into the vet's office with the dog, who was in respiratory distress. The vet said the dog's airway had to be cleared and estimated the cost at $865. She said Gordon was very condescending and walked out with no discussion about other options such as euthanasia or a sliding fee scale. He said Gordon told people the vet had said it would cost $3,000 to treat Copper. "The dog died because we don't have any money," Gordon said.

Because of the charges, Gordon, who was a registered nurse, had his license suspended in June by the Washington Department of Health. According to the DOH Web site, "The license of a Longview registered nurse has been immediately suspended on allegations of illegal hunting and animal cruelty, and because of comments he made that raised questions about his character and conduct." For full story

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DUBAI POLICE FIND 'SHOCK' ROBOTS AT CAMEL RACES

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
01/20/2011 09:21

Dubai undercover agents say they've wrapped up a real sting operation — finding devices that delivered electric shocks to camels to make them run faster in races.

Media reports Thursday say two men are accused of selling the so-called "shock jockeys."

Small vibrating robot "jockeys" are used atop camels for racing in the United Arab Emirates. Authorities banned boy riders several years ago after complaints by rights groups. Reports say police posing as buyers arrested the suspects at a camel racing track. The units allegedly sold for up to 30,000 dirhams ($820) — about 30 times the cost for the regular robots.

Camel racing is a popular traditional sport in the UAE.

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RESCUED DOGS FOUND WEARING SHOCK COLLARS

Toronto Sun

By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 3rd April 2009, 2:06pm

Rescued dog

This pup was rescued from "conditions which were unacceptable," Toronto Humane Society officials said today. (Handout photo)

The Toronto Humane Society rescued five dogs from deplorable conditions last night. Two Portugese Fila dogs and three Chihuahua mixes including a puppy were pulled from a home for "conditions which were unacceptable for animals to live in," society officials said today. Investigators had visited the home in the past and issued orders but received new information that the conditions had deteriorated again. The two Portuguese Fila dogs were found chained up in the backyard with shock collars around their neck. All the animals were taken to the River St. shelter.

"I am happy to see the animals out of the terrible and neglectful conditions," said senior agent Tre Smith. Officials said evidence is being collected to determine future legal action.

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WHO SHOULD YOU TRUST TO TRAIN YOUR DOG?

Chicago Reader April 6,2007

The arrest of "dog whisperer" Ami Moore for cruelty to animals raises questions about an unregulated industry. By Tasneem Paghdiwala April 6, 2007

Excerpt... During Memorial Day weekend, Heather Davis had been walking her long-haired Chihuahua with her fiance in Skinner Park and saw Moore training a Bichon Frise, a tiny breed the American Kennel Club refers to as a "white powder puff of a dog." She says she was surprised to see that it was wearing two electronic collars, one on the neck and one around the rearmost part of its waist. Moore, she recalls, was yelling at the Bichon to join a group of frolicking dogs in the middle of the park, repeatedly pressing a remote control and shoving the dog hard with her foot. "The dog was yelping, a lot. It was obviously scared—it just wanted to curl up in a ball," she says. "It was even making my dog scared." At one point, she says, the Bichon dashed across the park to cower under a stroller.

"I went up to Ami and I said, 'Hey, your dog's over there.' She ignored that and started introducing herself to all of us as this great trainer and saying how she invented this training method, like she had forgotten all about the dog. I asked what was going on with the Bichon, and she said, really annoyed, ‘That dog has been nothing but a third tit on its owner, and I have to break it off and retrain it to be a dog.' I just walked away, shocked." For full story

Update The Dog Whisperer Walks Trainer Ami Moore is acquitted on animal cruelty charges.

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DOG INJURED BY BARK COLLAR AT DALLAS KENNEL

by Brooke Richie DALLAS (CBS 11 News)

One North Texas family says when they went away on vacation, the kennel they paid to take care of their dog used a collar that delivers a shock to a dog when it barks.
While Sutton the Dog's owners were in Hawaii, she stayed at the Park Cities Obedience School and Dog Daycare in Dallas. 
"This dog's a real rambunctious player and barks a lot, barks almost constantly," said Phillip Marr, the owner of the dog daycare. 

When Sutton returned home, her neck was dotted with puncture wounds.
I thought she'd been attacked by another dog or something, because she had three open wounds and her neck was burned from ear to ear," said Sutton's owner, Mandy Parker.
Sutton's other owner is a CBS Network sales employee who brought these injuries to our attention.
The Parkers' concern turned to anger when they learned the wounds were from a bark collar.
"We've never put a shock collar on Sutton, and we would never allow someone else to," said Mandy.
Marr admits that the collar was probably left on too long. But he calls the bark collars "a pretty accepted thing in all dog training. I've never known very many people that didn't use them. Almost everyone uses them for an excessive barker."
He said the injuries were "a terrible accident… It actually worked around to the side of the head, and in all his rough play and rolling around, got too much pressure on the side of his neck and actually put the marks on the side of his neck."
We sent these pictures to Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor of small animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine.
She says the brown spots on Sutton, "suggest that the collar had been on for a while... perhaps longer than a day."
Beaver calls bark collars "inhumane" and says, "They should never be used."
In fact, 15 kennels in North Texas said they never use bark collars.
Lisa Praeger, training director at Country Acres Kennels, says they never should be.

"That is absolute abuse and ridiculous," she said. "That punishment does not justify the crime under any circumstance."
"If they did not have that specifically stated in their boarding released, that they do use anti-bark collars, then I think it's an inappropriate act," said veterinarian Erica Erickson.

Marr says he will change his boarding release to include permission to use bark collars.
The American Boarding Kennels Association says there's a lesson here. A pet owner should always ask before they board. 

Sutton's owners now know better.
"We'll definitely research that before we ever board her again," said Mandy.
Park Cities Obedience School and Dog Daycare did take Sutton to the vet when they noticed her injuries. They also paid for the vet bill and the boarding.
They also released a statement in response to this story.
But Sutton's owners say they will never go back there.

(CBS 11 News)

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FATHER WHO USED DOG SHOCK COLLAR ON HIS KIDS SENTENCED TO PRISON

Pet News Examiner

January 31, 12:47 PM Pet News Examiner Helena Sung

torturer children

An Ohio man was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison for abusing and torturing his children. David O. Liskany, 39, admitted that he "disciplined" his children--ages four, 11 and 13 at the time--by holding them underwater, forcing them to take cold showers, spraying water up their noses, and using a dog's shock collar on them. He had been convicted previously for burning one of his children's feet with scalding water.

The abuse came to the attention of law enforcement in December 2007 when Liskany's oldest son was reported missing. The boy, then 13, had fled the house after an altercation with his father. The teenager walked 15 to 20 miles through a snowstorm to seek safety at a relative's home.

Liskany was arrested and charged with 10 counts of felony child endangerment. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $25,000 bond.

In October 2008, Liskany cut a deal with prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to two counts of felonious assault and one count of attempted felonious assault.

At his hearing on Friday, the judge was harsh and frank. Judge J. Timothy Campbell sentenced Liskany to 16 years in prison (six years each for the assaults and four years for attempted felonious assault) rather than the four years recommended by state probation authorities.

"You have damaged your children for life. You don't put shock collars on children. When you hear this it sounds like something from Guantanamo Bay...The only thing you didn't do is wrap their faces in cheese cloth, but basically they were water boarded."

--Judge Campbell, in sentencing the abusive father

Sheriff's Capt. Eric Spicer said it was the worst abuse he's ever seen. "No doubt about it," he said. "This was a prolonged period of abuse that was systematic."

Meanwhile, other people showed up at the sentencing hearing to ask for leniency, including Liskany's ex-wife.

"My children did not wish for David to be prosecuted. I don't feel that incarcerating him will help."

--Wendy Liskany, ex-wife, asking judge for leniency

Liskany's attorney said his client "had expressed remorse and was no longer a threat to his children because he had been ordered to stay away from them."

Judge Campbell didn't buy the ex-wife and lawyer's pleas, finding that the ex-wife was partly responsible for knowing and allowing the abuse to occur.

Liskany also spoke on his own behalf. "I just want the opportunity to try and be a father. That's what I was trying to do, be a loving father." --Liskany, who abused his children, to judge at sentencing hearing

Using shock collars on dogs is controversial. Some claim it is an effective training tools, while others say it is inhumane.

Dr. Bonnie Beaver, veterinarian at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says that the collars, in theory, are meant to provide an instant punishment, but that in reality, "the potential for over use and abuse of these devices far outweighs the benefit."

"These devices [shock collars and fences] can provide an excessive punishment to the point that the dog is terrorized. They can be ineffective because the amount of shock is too little (poor contact, too much hair, weak battery).

They can be used out of context (remote control) because the owner is mad at the dog and "zaps" at an inappropriate time out of anger.

It can also do significant psychological damage to a dog that does not connect the shock with the reason for the shock. The shock is generally considered to be inhumane."

--Dr. Bonnie Beaver, veterinarian at Texas A&M

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DAD ACCUSED OF USING SHOCK COLLARS ON KIDS

Orlando News

POSTED: Monday, March 20, 2006
UPDATED: 9:25 am EST March 21, 2006

A 45-year-old man in Cedar City, Utah, is accused of using electric dog shock collars to discipline his two children, according to a Local 6 News report.

For full story

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CONFLICTS IN K-9 UNIT HAD 'FESTERED'

Herald Tribune - Sarasota Florida

By MIKE SAEWITZ

Published: Wednesday, January 1, 2003 at 2:54 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 1, 2003 at 12:00 a.m.

Excerpt…. In a late October training exercise, supervising K-9 Officer Alan Devaney instructed Officer Christopher Hunt to shock his dog in the groin to make him let go of a mock suspect.

An electric collar in his left hand and its control in his right, Hunt reluctantly lunged at the dog. Brisco saw the shock coming and bit Hunt's left forearm, sending him into emergency surgery and putting him out of work for three months.

The incident was described as an "unfortunate training accident," but Hunt's injury was the culminating event in a yearlong saga that pitted four K-9 officers against Devaney in a debate that began over safety tactics but ended in a series of personal attacks.

In one of his first major decisions, new Sarasota police Chief Peter Abbott disbanded the K-9 team last month.

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MAN ACCUSED OF USING DOG SHOCK COLLAR ON DISABLED TEEN

Action3news.com - Omaha, Nebraska

November 12, 2009

Lincoln, NE - A Lincoln man has been cited for Child Abuse after allegedly using his dog's shock collar on a 17-year-old with cerebral palsy and shaken baby syndrome. For full story

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May-06-2009

SALEM POLICE SAY MAN USED DOG SHOCK COLLAR ON HIS KIDS

Salem-News.com – Serving Oregon & the Pacific Northwest with Local, National & Worldwide news The children, ages 9, 8, 6 and 3 were released to the custody of their mother and the case referred to DHS.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Salem Police detectives have arrested a Salem father for using a dog shock collar on his four children. Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada says the man, 41-year old, shocked the kids because he thought it was funny... For full story

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GRANDPARENTS PLEAD GUILTY TO ABUSE WITH 'GOAT WHIPS AND SHOCK COLLARS'
- WMBFNEWS.COM Jul 26, 2010 2:09 PM PDT

By Trent Faris

"She said this is not abuse this is discipline," said Burch. …full story here

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MAN ALLEGEDLY SHOCKS STEPDAUGHTER WITH DOG COLLAR

Police: Stepdad Used Electric Collar on 8-Year-Old Because She Didn't Eat Breakfast Fast Enough

excerpt...

According to the criminal complaint against Majeres, the girl told investigators that her stepfather put the shock collar – which he normally used on the family dog – on her leg. Using a remote control, Majeres allegedly set the collar to level "4" and zapped the girl.

The girl, investigators say, told them that her stepfather said she was lucky he did not set the collar to "6," a level he uses for the dog, and that he threatened to shoot her pet rabbit while she was at school because she does not take care of it ..... Full Story

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DOG LOVERS PROTEST AT COURTHOUSE BEFORE LOVELAND TRAINER'S HEARING

by the Coloradoan Subscription on Friday August 5, 2011 at 1;24 pm

A small group of dog enthusiasts protested punitive training methods Friday at Larimer County Justice Center, where a Loveland dog trainer accused of beating and punching his own dog appeared in court.

excerpt...
the dog misinterpreted a hand gesture and came toward him, so Matthews used the remote-activated shock collar, and the dog "whimpered" as it returned to the spot where it had been, she said. "If some think it's OK to use punishment in their training methods, it doesn't surprise me they'd use physical methods to correct or train dogs," Myers said. Full Story Here

Update: Trainer agrees to relinquish dogs in plea deal

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Together we can protect the most vulnerable among us by disabling the abuser. Ban outright the sale and use of shock collars on all animals. Please sign Petition

If you witness animal abuse with or without the use of a shock device, please do not delay in calling the police or an animal organization in your area. If by reporting the abuse you feel your safety is at risk tell the authorities you wish to remain anonymous

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