The Pawz Cauze

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/Help-Hannah-Get-Justice

Please help us get justice for Hannah!!

Updates to the story will be posted at the bottom. Check back often. I look forward to your feedback and will keep you updated on developments.

Hannah, a four year old German Shepherd was formerly owned by a Tattnall County, GA, K-9 Handler and from a very young aged was used as a breeding machine, confined until her muscles atrophied, starved and neglected. When she was deemed no longer useful, she was surrendered to Animal Control facility in Reidsville, Georgia (about 75 miles southwest of Savannah - in Tattnall County) with orders to euthanize her.

At the time of her surrender, Hannah, known at the time as Haunna, was in horrific condition. She had been starved, was severely emaciated and weighted only 41 lbs. Her pads were so wounded that she walked on her haunches and her fur was rubbed off in many places due to confinement. She was also pregnant and gave birth to three stillborn puppies while at the animal control facility.

On February 7, 2007, she was rescued by the Southern Cross German Shepherd Rescue.

Hannah was taken to a vet and on the way she began to bleed, mostly from giving birth combined with her extremely poor physical condition. Following is a statement from the vet:

Today, I examined Haunna (now Hannah), an approximately four year old GSD. During the examination, it was noted Haunna is severely underweight. On a typical scoring scale, with 3/5 being a normal, healthy weight, Haunna is a low 1/5. This type of body condition is typically only noted in dogs suffering from long-term cancers or long term starvation. No signs of neoplasia (cancer) were noted in Haunna. Haunna had hair loss on her caudal thighs consistent with long term kenneling, skin disease, or both. If you have any questions, or other infomation I can provide, please don’t hesitate to call.

Sincerely,
Will Baldwin, DVM
Cornelia Veterinay Hospital
Cornelia, Ga. 706 778-6605
We have written documentaion from vets proving this abuse. We have results from lab testing, xrays etc.
Nothing could cause this kind of horrible condition, but starvation, long term kenneling, over breeding amoung other types of abuse.
When Hannah gained enough strength she was spayed. She also tested a very strong heartworm positive and is now undergoing Hw treatment.

Hannah,s case had to be turned over to the GBI - Georgia Bureau of Investigation, because the person that owned her was associated with the law enforcement in Tattnall county as a K-9 Handler.
Southern Cross and Hannah’s new owner are trying desperately to get justice for Hannah but it is beginning to look like they are trying to either sweep it under the carpet and hope it will go away or cover it up. They have also heard that her previous owner has acquired another dog to replace Hannah as his new breeding machine.
This case is being investigated by the GBI Region 5 Office in Statesboro, Georgia, Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney,s Office in Tattnall County. The District Attorney is Tom Durden. They will not release the name of the abuser, the K-9 handler with Tattnall County. No charges have been brought.
The DA will now not take or return calls regarding this case. Hannah,s new owner has tried to take this case to the media since law enforcement seems unwilling to do anything. She contacted WTOC and initially they were interested in the story, until DA Tom Durden told them that the only reason that Hannah was so emaciated was because she has cancer. Hannah does not have cancer.

Why is the law enforcement authorities so unwilling to bring charges against the abuser? Is it because he is a member of law enforcement? Are they trying to cover this up?
Hannah was neglected, abused then tossed away like worthless trash when her owner no longer deemed her useful, ie. able to breed so as to continue to fill his pockets. She still has a long road to recovery and is undergoing treatment for heatworm, a serious and life threatening condition.
Hannah deserves justice!! She is a living, breathing, feeling creature who deserved love and care, not to be thrown away like trash! And just what kind of life is her replacement going to have?

Please help us get justice for Hannah!!

What can you do?
Contact
District Attorney Tom Durden
Email - daajc@yahoo.com
945 E.G. Miles Pkwy
Hinesville GA 31313
(912) 876-4151
(912) 876-7991
Contact
WTOC - website (http://www.wtoc.com/Global/category.asp?C=18800)
Call and email - Tell them Hannah,s story, email it to them, ask them to investigate and find out why nothing is being done?

Read more about Hannah at Hannah,s New Life (http://hannahsnewlife.blogspot.com/)- a blog written by Hannah,s new owner from Hannah,s perspective and you can read some of the initial background on Hannah HERE (http://lakota-lakota.blogspot.com/).

Please help to get Hannah,s story out! Use the email link below and send this out to everyone you know, sent it to the media, to law enforcement, post it on your websites, blogs and anywhere people will see it and help to fight against this injustice!! ,Do not let this happen to another dog!

UPDATE - 4/23

An attempt was made to post this story to the Tattnall Journal to get some additional coverage and bring it to the public,s attention. This is the response:

From: Allison Cobb
Date: Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 4:13 PM
To: The Juninator
Well, I cannot post it online since the incident is
still under investigation and has not been finalized
yet. We know the K-9 handler personally and as usual,
the information out there is not the whole story.
We will run it in the paper when the investigation is
complete.
What I would like to know is, what is the rest of the story? No one seems to want to come forward with it not that I believe there is any way that anyone could possibly come up with a valid reason that a dog could wound up in Hannah,s condition aside from extreme neglect and abuse.

It also seems that the identity of the abuser isn’t a secret to everyone, just those trying to get justice done!

Please visit: http://petloverstips.com/ForTheLoveoftheDog/
for updates on this horrible abuse to such a sweet girl named Hannah!!

Please, we have yet a case of K-9 handler abuse. Please help bring justice for this handler’s abuse to his loyal friend:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/46/justice-for-k9-dogs-full-prosecution-for-sgt-charles-l-jones

The recall was not made available to the
general public!! Notices went to the dealers directly. On 4/9 they
recalled 27 equine products inc. Senior and Platformline. On 4/21 they
recalled another 18 products. The problem is Aflatoxins which can cause
liver dysfunction, immune suppression and neurological difficulties.
This is cross-posted from Lisa Ross-Williams of Natural Horse Talk:

I went to the Purina site and found a SMALL alert:

Eastern U.S. Feed Product Retrieval

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC has implemented

 a voluntary product retrieval

of certain feeds manufactured between

November 3, 2007 and February 8,

2008 at our Statesville, N.C., feed plant;

between January 1, 2008 and February

8, 2008 at our Harrisburg, Penn., feed plant;

and between January 1, 2008 and

March 10, 2008 at our Guilderland, N.Y. plant.

This voluntary retrieval was initiated due to the

possible presence of aflatoxin

contamination above acceptable levels.

To date, we have received no confirmed

aflatoxin-related animal health

complaints involving any of the retrieved products.

Nevertheless, we have taken

such precautionary action as our utmost priority

continues to be our customers

and the well-being of their animals.

All dealers who purchased any of the retrieved

products directly from Land

O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC have been notified.

These dealers are located in the

following states: Connecticut, Delaware,

Georgia, Maine, Maryland,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,

New York, North Carolina,

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,

Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Our investigation and product testing identified one

ingredient of concern, which

originated from a single supplier.

We have discontinued purchasing from this

supplier. Other feed companies that purchased

om this supplier are facing a similar situation.

For more information about specific products

included in the retrieval, contact the

Statesville, N.C., Feed Plant at 704-924-5100

or the Harrisburg, Penn., Feed

Plant at 717-737-4581.