Kinship Circle: UPDATE / Seized Jefferson Parish Dogs Need Help
September 9th, 2006 2:36 pm by Kelly Garbato———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] brick.net
Date: Sep 8, 2006 9:50 PM
Subject: UPDATE/ Seized Jefferson Parish Dogs Need Help
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UPDATE: Seized Jefferson Parish Parish Dogs Need Help
SOURCE: Laurel Ley – LaurelLey [at] AnimalReliefResource.org
Animal Relief Resource, 904-571-6135
Jefferson Parish law enforcers recently raided a Marrero kennel run by Patsy Chism, 61, of 2501 Colorado Drive. Officials seized 80 dogs, four of whom were humanely euthanized. A fifth dog died. One puppy actually belonged to someone. Chism faces four counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 76 counts of simple abuse of animals. [KINSHIP CIRCLE’S ORIGINAL ALERT AFTER UPDATE].
WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE SEIZED DOGS?
On Sunday, Southern Animal Foundation (SAF) will evaluate all the animals to determine who is adoptable and who needs rescue. No animals will be euthanized for space.
Some dogs are in bad shape, with dental or eye (where the fluid takes over the iris) problems. Some may lose an eye. Most of the dogs are females (all but four) ranging in age from 3 to 7. The older dogs are in worse condition. Most of the dogs confiscated from Chism are Chihuahuas.
THE DOGS ARE SAFE NOW, BUT VOLUNTEER HELP IS CRITICAL:
* NEED Donated Veterinary Services
* NEED Foster For The Dogs
* NEED Adoption Into Forever Homes For The Dogs**
**All dogs are under owner surrender, so none can be returned to Patsy Chism. Dogs will be available for adoption after this Sunday. PetSmart Charities will help with some of the medical costs. However donations are critical to offset expenses.
**NO PHOTOS OF THE DOGS ARE AVAILABLE AS OF 9/8/06.
SEND DONATIONS TO:
Jefferson Parish
P.O. Box 10460
Jefferson, Louisiana 70181-0640
ATTN: Elena, RE: Chism Chihuahuas
TO OFFER VETERINARY AID, SHELTER/FOSTER OR ADOPTION FOR THE SEIZED DOGS, CONTACT: Elena Jones, Director, 504-736-6111, ejones [at] jeffsparish.net
*Please do not contact Elena unless you are serious about helping. Do not send activist emails or general questions because Elena’s plate is full.
*There will be some media coverage with the parish people for groups who can help these dogs.
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Please send comments by September 12, 2006 — the date of Patsy Chism’s scheduled court hearing.
9/2/06—Jefferson Parish: 80 Dogs Seized & 4 Dead At Squalid Kennel
KINSHIP CIRCLE ACTION CAMPAIGN
SOURCE OF INFORMATION:
Lise McComiskey – lmccomiskey [at] SHERGARNER.com
80 dogs seized from home / Marrero woman is facing charges
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana – Office of the District Attorney
Louisiana District Attorneys Association
Animal abuse cases are TIME-SENSITIVE–depending upon the nature of a crime as well as court dates. To check the status of a case, search the Animal Abuse Crime Database for updates.
Many animal cruelty cases (but not all) are on file here: www.pet-abuse.com/database/
Also check National Court Watch about upcoming cases: www.pet-abuse.com/pages/courtwatch.php
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SAMPLE LETTER
Feel free to use portions of our letter, but please add some original thoughts. Hundreds of identical letters lessen the impact.
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Hon. Paul D. Connick, Jr.
Jefferson Parish District Attorney, 24th Judicial District
200 Derbigny Street
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
ph: 504-368-1020; fax: 504-361-2585;
email: pconnick [at] jpda.org
Jon A. Gegenheimer, Clerk
Jefferson Parish District Attorney Office
200 Derbigny Street, Sixth Floor, Courthouse
Gretna, LA 70053-5850
ph: 504-364-2900; fax: 504-364-3780
email: webmaster [at] jpclerkofcourt.us
COPY:
Parish Attorney’s Office / Westbank Office: General Office Building
200 Derbigny Street, Suite 5200
Gretna, LA 70053
ph: 504-364-3822; fax: 504-364-2673
email: JPParishAttorney [at] JeffParish.net
The Honorable Paul D. Connick, Jr. and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office:
Please accept my comments regarding Patsy Chism, 61, of 2501 Colorado Drive. The details of her case, as reported in the Times Picayune (9/2/06) and other news sources, reveal an individual at high risk for ongoing abuse and neglect of animals.
I commend Jefferson Parish law enforcers for investigating complaints about Chism’s Marrero kennel and seizing 80 dogs. I understand Chism, previously charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty in a dog’s 2005 death shortly after the animal was sold, now faces four counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 76 counts of simple abuse to animals.
I respectfully ask the D.A.’s office to recognize Chism’s history of animal abuse/neglect and to prosecute her to the fullest extent allowed by law. I support parish officials in their pursuit of felony charges and urge you to ensure Chism is prohibited from breeding and/or selling animals in the future. In fact, Chism ought to be barred from owning, harboring or working with animals in any context.
Among the confiscated dogs, three were euthanized and one died upon arrival at the East Jefferson animal shelter. Parish officials found ailing dogs, some confined in broken down cages, packed inside a dilapidated building overrun with feces, dirt, and scattered newspapers. The dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, subsisted with little access to food, water, fresh air or exercise.
Chism’s defunct website claimed to breed Chihuahuas in a small home kennel where “the health of our dogs comes first.” However, as recently as June a resident purchased a dog who succumbed to a degenerative disease (known to Chism when sold) within a week. Chism appears to illegally run a profit-driven enterprise from her home, with failure to provide adequate veterinary care, diet, or shelter.
As you know, mental health professionals and criminologists link animal cruelty with antisocial behavior. The American Psychiatric Association lists animal abuse in its profile for conduct disorders.
In addition to past and present animal cruelty allegations, Chism was also charged with obstruction of justice after her son Charles Striplin fatally shot her boyfriend, Darnell Williams. Chism is accused of removing a butcher knife from William’s hands to disprove her son’s self-defense plea.
Studies of domestic turbulence frequently show animal and human abuse under one roof. It is imperative that authorities enforce animal welfare laws with the meaningful prosecution of all violators. Please do not let repeat offenders like Patsy Chism capitalize on the misery of more animals.
Thank you for your valuable time and consideration,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rob Nelson can be reached at rnelson [at] timespicayune.com or 504-826-3796.
80 dogs seized from home
Marrero woman is facing charges
Saturday, September 02, 2006 By Rob Nelson
A Marrero woman already facing an animal cruelty charge was cited Friday with additional violations after parish officials seized 80 dogs from her property, including four authorities described as in critical condition. Patsy Chism, 61, 2501 Colorado Drive, could face four counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 76 counts of simple abuse to animals, said Matthew Friedman, an attorney for Jefferson Parish. Chism, who also is facing an unrelated charge of obstruction of justice in connection with the March murder of her boyfriend at her house, was not at home when officials issued the citation but must contact the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter ahead of a hearing set for Sept. 12, Friedman said.
In June, authorities received a complaint from a resident who purchased a dog from Chism that died within a week, Friedman said. It was later learned that the dog had a degenerative disease at the time of sale.
That complaint led officials to inspect Chism’s house Friday to investigate whether she was illegally operating a business out of her residence, Friedman said.
During the visit, the case took a grim turn as officials uncovered a filthy, feces-ridden building behind her house strewn with newspapers where sickly dogs, some stored in broken cages, had little water and food, Friedman said. Most of the dogs were Chihuahuas, and officials believe Chism was breeding them for sale.
Authorities recovered the dogs and took them to the East Jefferson animal shelter, where they were examined by a veterinarian. Three dogs in critical condition had to be euthanized, and one was dead on arrival, Friedman said.
Before being hauled to the shelter, the dogs were quickly provided water by authorities, a scene Friedman described as similar to “pigs at a trough.”
Friedman said he’s hoping that a judge will bar Chism from having any more dogs or will at least limit the number she can keep. Some of the dogs rescued Friday could soon be available for adoption, he said.
The Sept. 12 hearing will deal primarily with any parish code violations, while officials will direct the animal cruelty and abuse allegations to the Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office.
Friedman said parish officials will push for felony charges against Chism, but the exact charges and possible punishments are still unclear.
Chism also is slated for a hearing Thursday in 24th Judicial District Court. That matter involves a separate animal cruelty misdemeanor charge stemming from a February 2005 complaint that followed the death of another dog sold by Chism that died within days, Friedman said.
Authorities have been keeping a watchful eye on her for five years and have inspected her house roughly 30 times during that period, Friedman said. In the vast majority of cases, she would abide by requirements to correct any violations within 10 days, he said.
Unrelated to the animal cruelty cases, Chism was charged in July with obstruction of justice in connection with the shooting death of her boyfriend, Darnell Williams. Chism’s son, Charles Striplin, was charged with second-degree murder in the incident.
Chism is accused of removing a butcher knife from Williams’ hands after the shooting as a way of refuting Striplin’s contention that the killing was in self-defense. A hearing in state court has been set for Sept. 14 in that case.
Rob Nelson can be reached at rnelson [at] timespicayune.com or 504-826-3796.
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Shannon Moore July 22, 1969 ~ May 31, 2006
memoriesofshannon.blogspot.com/
www.legacy.com/NOLA/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=18017409
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Caring about innocent animals caught in Katrina’s wrath doesn’t diminish human suffering. It makes us human.
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