Long Beach Post: LAT: Long Beach Police Responded as Women Loaded Dogs into U-Haul

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

LAT: Long Beach Police Responded as Women Loaded Dogs into U-Haul

by Long Beach Post | Staff Reports | 01.25.12 |

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3:18pm | The Lost Angeles Times is reporting that Long Beach police responded to a call at a dog-boarding facility on January 15 as Bonnie Sheehan, 55, and Pamela A. King-McCracken, 59, were loading dogs into a U-Haul truck. However, the police left because there was no criminal activity, Tom Modica, a spokesman for the city manager, said Tuesday.

The two women were later charged with felony animal cruelty after they were pulled over January 17 in Tennessee with more than 100 dogs crammed into the U-Haul with no food or water, amid unsanitary conditions, according to authorities. Another 21 dogs were in a minivan towed by the truck.

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Related:

P-T: Long Beach dog rescuers relinquish animals in Tennessee

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28 Comments so far.

Typical LBPD... lol
So basically they were lazy and didn't do their jobs.

Doggonit
Too bad one of the dogs wasn't holding an "Occupy" sign, or was trying to take pictures of the courthouse. THAT would have got their attention.

Horrifying
Oh those poor dogs - what on earth are people thinking? And if it was a boarding facility, were they stealing the dogs?

Where's JBGreet with his usual "Good work, LBPD"?

Judy Griffith
this time, I can understand the police not getting involved. they did not know, it would get worst before it got better. And there was no crime they thought. It is the shooting ect. that the police can get involved. this time. Bonnie just let it get out of hand. Sometimes people love animals so much. they do not allways think it all out. I know Bonnie , she was a very caring person and loved dogs. this time. She just let it get a little out of hand. the good thing is. Most animals except a few are ok. The people I really hate are the ones who dumps there pets all the time. With no real excuss. except.they do not want to deal with them anymore. OK. I will shut up now. I am not saying it is ok. what Bonnie and her friend did. It is not ok. OK, now I am finished.

Mac Hoser
I don't think you would have to have the intellegence of a rocket scientist to stop someone from loading a bunch of dogs in a death box with no air or ventilation. How could the cops simply drive off and allow it to continue. And if animal control was involved it really is inexcusable to allow someone to pack dogs into a torture chamber. These woman do not appear to be mentally stable in the least to me and I hope they are never allowed to own or board any animal again.It was border line insanity what they did. It was not a silly mistake.

LBCritic
If she owned the animals, and there was no evidence of any abuse while she was loading the dogs -- perhaps there was food and water present -- then there would be no probable cause to cite her . . . now, put her down the road a few days and gets pulled over and there is an unsanitary condition, and no food or water . . . NOW you have probable cause for an arrest. You can't make an arrest over what MIGHT happen. Give the LBPD some credit here, folks.

Eagle Eye
Good thing for the dogs that none of them had picked up a garden hose with their mouth.

John B. Greet
@Typical: Have you considered that whatever crime occurred in this case (if any...no one has yet been convicted of anything) occurred after the officers left? Perhaps the dogs were loaded in a manner entirely compliant with our state and local laws and that whatever crime occured (if any) occurred later, after H4H left LBPD's jurisdiction. Do you know one way or the other? Neither do I. So I am not willing to condemn either LBPD or H4H without more of the facts, something most people in Long Beach seem to have precious few of at this point.

@Horrifying: See above.

@Mac: Can you cite the source for your information that there was "no air or ventilation" in the U-Haul. I don't think I have read that anywhere else. Thanks!

Dog Lover
@John B. Greet:
From the UHaul website:

- Never allow passengers to ride in the cargo area or on the truck exterior. Passengers risk injury due to shifting cargo, asphyxiation and lack of collision protection.

I think if there is a risk of asphyxiation, that means there's probably inadequate ventilation, wouldn't you say?

Additionally, in what way -could- it be legal to load dogs into the back of a moving truck?

Let's flip the script:

The Lost Angeles Times is reporting that Long Beach police responded to a call at a [day-care center] on January 15 as [two adults] were loading [100 children] into a U-Haul truck. However, the police left because there was no criminal activity.

Do you feel the police should has stuck around longer to investigate?

BG
Give the lbpd a break? They get all the breaks. I have been a victim of LB crime ,burglary, MC theft, and theatened with a gun.
EVERYTIME the lbpd down played and basicly took the min info and said there was nothing they could do and I should just call my ins company.Had to talk them into fingerprinting( they said FP's really only help catch bad guys in the movies).
The cops at the kennel seem to have done the same thing, they should have made the observation that there was no ventilation in a uhaul. I'll bet a doughnut they lied about the food and water cause when the women were stopped there was NO SIGN OF FOOD OR WATER. My bet is they showed up did minimal investigation, bullshitted with their buddies for a while and left.
No wonder it is reported crime is down in LB,yeah IT DOES NOT GET REPORTED. Sorry but that is my experience with the lbpd.

Owner of H4H Dog
I really doubt that Bonnie intended any harm to any of the dogs. I have a dog that I adopted from H4Hs and she was very well cared for while there. I was thankful that my new pet was not put down as she would have been if H4Hs had not taken her.

I tend to agree with Judy that Bonnie just let it get a little out of hand. I also agree that the people who adopt pets and then just dump them when they don't want to deal with them are the worst.

I hope for the best outcome for both Bonnie and the dogs.

U-haul
OK c'mon Greet - how many U-hauls do you know that have ventilation or that are made for hauling live animals? U-Hauls are made for hauling furniture, boxes, things that don't need air or water or food. Stop being a LBPD apologist.

Eagle Eye, yes agree, if the dogs had been holding hose nozzles or even plastic toy guns, they would have been shot on sight.

Theresa
To the Post:

You are SO-O late with this story, (after the Patch--as well as KFI).
Bonnie saved thousands of dogs during her last 7 years. Perhaps you saw her at the eastside Farmer's Market!!?? One dog died enroute to her farm in Virginia...one dog! Fingers crossed for a REAL dog lover--Bonnie!

Re: BG
That's because they are LAZY and CORRUPT.

The only time they can actually act on something is when someone is holding a hose nozzle (their response: start shooting) or parked in a meter spot (their response: ticket everyone!)

When you need them to actually do their JOB (like take a police report after an accident I had recently) they just say "there's nothing we can do" and drive off.

Lazy and worthless. The city needs to fire them all and start from scratch.

Disgusted
A cursory Google search reveals at least 5+ locations within 40 miles of Long Beach that rent horse/livestock trailers (you know, the kind with WINDOWS for VENTILATION, and a place for FOOD and WATER.) Obviously this is a case of GROSS negligence.

John B. Greet
@Dog Lover: You misunderstand me. I do not condone, to any degree, the manner in which H4H chose to transport these animals. But I think it is important to deal in facts where possible and I haven't yet read any factual account or description of the manner in which the animals were transported that specifically addresses ventilation or lack of air. That's all.

Oh Please
Mr, Greet, they were in the back of a U-Haul for god' sake. The U-Haul website specifically warns that asphyxiation is possible and states that living things should not be in the back. Doesn't that sound like there's no ventilation? And if there is any, it's not by design?

I swear the cops could stand in the middle of the street with a joint in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other and if it made the news you'd be saying "You don't know for a fact they weren't off duty."

John B. Greet
@Oh: Does it seem reasonable to you that the officers who were present at the time would have had the ready access to the U-Haul website that you have relied upon and cited in this case?

You appear to be benefitting from certain knowledge *now* and citing a source that the officers did not have and did not likely have ready access to *then.*

Given this likelihood, does it seem reasonable to you to condemn the officers' performance on that basis?

Yes.
Actually yes it does - do they not have internet access in the car? Do they not have smart phones / blackberries with internet access right in the palm of their hands?

And really are they not in possession of common sense which would cause pretty much anyone to say "I don't think U-Haul trailers are intended for carrying live animals."

John B. Greet
@ Yes.: Very well, perhaps you are correct. I honestly do not know.

I do know there are a lot of people commenting here and elsewhere who apparently consider H4H quite expert at animal care *and* transportation. Perhaps the officers did too and, if so, perhaps the officers were willing to defer to H4H's perceived expertise in this area?

Perhaps they believed that since LB Animal Control was already involved in the case and was apparently already aware of H4H's plans to move the dogs in the manner that they were, that they felt the matter was already being handled by another city department?

Perhaps the officers (already severely short staffed) just didn't see a crime in progress at the time and had many other police calls awaiting their attention?

I am very unhappy with H4H over the manner in which they chose to transport these animals and the conditions under which they did so. But they have not yet been convicted of any crime.

Nor, despite all of the back and forth in the blog-o-sphere, do any of us yet have all of the facts, despite that many are choosing to comment as if they do.

If you are that displeased with what you believe to be the LBPD officers poor performance in this case, why not simply file an official complaint and have it investigated?

Or have you already done so?

No Complaint
Greet,

I'm happy to say I have far more appealing things to do with my time than fill out a complaint about the PD and their ability or lack of ability to evaluate a situation involving dogs and a U-Haul and I hope the city has more important ways of spending its money that chasing down complaints like that. If a complaint is warranted, I would imagine it would have the most weight if it was filed by some kind of animal advocacy group, not some poster on a news website.

Doggonit
@ Greet- "Perhaps the officers (already severely short staffed) just didn't see a crime in progress at the time and had many other police calls awaiting their attention?"

Hilarious! When they are hassling innocent photographers or non violent Occupy protesters they don't appear short staffed or to have any other police calls awaiting their attention.

What a piece of work Greet is!

You Haul
Why didn't the dog ladies (KK & Judy) cover this biggest pet story of the year so far? Is it because a dog rescuer turned into a dog abuser, something that's endemic to a pathological commitment to dumb animals? Was their cage being soiled by bad behavior, which they chose to overlook?

John B. Greet
@ No: I think your view concerning filing a police complaint is very unfortunate. We have a right and a responsibility to file a formal complaint anytime we reasonably believe misconduct has occurred.

If we do not do so, such concerns cannot possibly be properly investigated and, if warranted, appropriately addressed.

I do not believe we should ever squander this precious right or shirk this important responsibility. Whenever we do so, we miss valuable opportunities to ensure that but one aspect of our city government remains responsive to us...the people who give them their lawful authority in the first place.

crackpots
Greet, I totally disagree - while I agree we need to value our right to ask for accountability and explanations, I don't think every issue or decision that has opposing points of view needs to have a complaint filed. That could very quickly add up to millions of dollars spent in useless investigations.

In the case of the dogs and the U-Haul - to what end would we want to see a complaint lodged? So a costly investigation could ensue with an ultimate result of "they didn't know, there was no malfeasance and case closed." I'd rather see a pot hole fixed for the money.

John B. Greet
@crack: I don't think every issue or decision that has opposing points of view needs to have a complaint filed either. I do think, however, (as I said) that whenever a person reasonably believes officers have committed misconduct, that person should file an official complaint. I don't really care if that costs us one dollar or one million dollars.

Misconduct is misconduct. It is wrong and we have a right and responsibility to have our reasonable complaints along those lines investigated.

To what end would we want to see a complaint lodged against police officers in this case? I believe the perceptions voiced so far were that the officers who responded were lazy, corrupt, didn't do their jobs, lied about their observations, failed to properly enforce the law, lack common sense, lack the ability to evaluate a situation involving dogs and a U-Haul, and hassling innocent photographers or non violent Occupy protesters.

Yet none of these accusers seem to find it worth their time to file an official complaint? I think that is pretty sad. Because if even one of them can be proven true, I would think all of these nay-sayers would want the issue corrected...yesterday.

Guess what? It can't be, unless the complaint is filed. This leads me to a pretty reasonable conclusion: None of these whiners wants to see anything corrected...they just want to whine.

Not a very constructive approach to monitoring one's police department and achieving accountability if you ask me.

Common Sense
We can agree it's a continuum. My posts have all related to the dogs and some lack of common sense on the part of the women and the PD. I don't think a lack of common sense is worthy of investigation - not even sure it would be able to be since the notion of common sense is fairly subjective.

John B. Greet
@Common: You'll understand if I find it difficult to track which posts are yours and which are not given your choice to constantly change your pseudonyms.

We can agree that it is a continuum and, hopefully, that sincere allegations of officer misconduct require the filing of official complaints before they can be properly addressed. Thanks!