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Update Sept 26, 2006
One dog drinking from a muddy puddle
An urgent message to all dog lovers:
I am hoping that you've had a chance to view the story about Larry Mason
and his 32 dogs that are now under the care of the Town of Bennington while
waiting for the results of his hearing on Sept 26th.
It would be great if we could flood the Bennington Banner with
"letters to the editor" regarding this case. We don't want anyone to forget that
these dogs need proper homes.
news@benningtonbanner.com <mailto:news@benningtonbanner.com>
Please also write letters to the Judge hearing Larry's case
"David A Howard"
Bennington District Court
200 Veterans Memorial Drive
Bennington, VT 05201
If given to the town, these dogs will need very special homes, fenced yard, lots of patience, and a
very slow socialization program and most can NOT go to homes that have cats or
kids.
If you are interested in adopting one of these dogs if they are taken away from
Larry Mason, please contact Chris
Crawford, Bennington ACO at 802-442-1048.
Please see the end of the article for ways to help. Thank you!
See the updated story that was printed the Sept. 27 in the
Bennington Banner.
Noreen
“Larry Mason
was cited for animal abuse back in July 2006 (in Bennington County VT), when he
was found to have 32 German Shepherd Dogs on board a school bus, most in crates,
some 2 dogs to a crate and 11 dogs loose on the bus. Feces and urine were
dripping out of the back of the bus. Under fed, under socialized, some with
broken bones, some with old wounds that were never treated.
Larry was previously living in NH, as of
March 2006 he had approximately 50 dogs on his property, living in horrific
conditions.” Here is our story.
On March 27th, 2006 our hotline
received a call from a woman stating that over 50 GSD’s (German Shepherd Dogs)
were being neglected in Bridgewater, NH. Could we please call her back.
I called her back ASAP, only to hear that 50
plus GSD’s were living in horrible conditions. Some were tied up outside with no
shelter, others were in a pen together, while more were living crowded into a
small shed. Large dishes were out with no food or water in them. Dog fights were
occurring, with the more dominant dogs attacking other dogs, with groups of dogs
noted to be attacking one dog. Dogs were drinking from muddy puddles, they had
feces matted to their fur, some dogs had injuries that needed medical care. The
one common thing among ALL the dogs is they were all grossly underweight, with
ribs and backbones visible to the naked eye. The long haired dog’s starvation
was not as obvious but simply running a hand down their sides revealed that they
were just like the others, grossly underweight. She and other neighbors could
hear the dogs crying and barking, especially at night. As a neighbor and concerned citizen
she offered to buy Larry some food and help pay for medical care. He refused her
help. Out of desperation to help at least one dog, she purchased one of his dogs
and gave it to a friend. That dog has made very slow transition toward
integrating into a life as a house dog and is very slowly returning to good
health, with setbacks along the way. It took over one month before this dog
would even approach the woman to be patted.
Photos taken 3/06 on Larry Mason’s property
in Bridgewater NH.
Fenced area with an empty bowl, note the mud puddle
I encouraged the concerned citizen to call
the Chief of Police and to also report what she saw to the Humane Society and
the State Vet. We notified Dogs Deserve Better, a rescue that works to get dogs
off chains, and she called PETA and the Humane Society. She reported to us a few
days later that the Chief and the State Vet had visited the premises and were
working with Larry on improving conditions.
Many months passed, then in June, we were
surprised when we received a call with more information about Larry. We were
told he had been evicted from his home in Bridgewater. Water supposedly had not
worked in the house since February. How the dogs were getting water (or if) is
unknown. Larry was now living in a tent on property that he owns in Newport NH.
The dogs were there with him and the caller told us that the dogs didn't have food or water
available.
Though Larry had been told to get rid of half of the 48 dogs he now owned, it
was reported that he had not done so. The Newport Police Dept. knew where he
was and gave him a citation to go to court. Our concern for the dogs grew, but
there was little we could do except follow the law and see how this played out.
Note how thin the dog in the back is and the dull
appearance of their coats
Meanwhile, we learned that Larry had a bus and was planning on loading
up the GSDs and heading out west. He is hoping to get a rural town to give
him a place to live free as their preacher (the exact details of all this was a
little sketchy).
Then on July 18, 2006, we received a message
on our hotline from an anonymous woman saying that a man was in VT with a bus
full of GSD’s. She said it was very hot, dogs were barking in the windows and
dogs were
eating their own stool. She said the man’s name is Larry. It took a few seconds
for this to all register in my mind. Suddenly it hit me, the name Larry brought
back memories of the earlier calls. and all the horrible stories I had heard
already. I was upset but glad at the same time. Perhaps the VT authorities would
be able to help the dogs now!
The dogs only source of shelter from the weather, this
is where they lived for the winter, note no food or water present
We received 2 other messages that day from
the same woman reporting that a man with a bus full of GSD’s was in Bennington
County and that she had one of his dogs. More stories of horror. An old school
bus is full of crates, stacked on top of each other, with urine and feces
dripping out of the back of the bus; she said the stench is horrible. It is very hot and
there is not AC on the bus to keep the dogs cool. Water dishes have urine and
feces in them, another report of dogs eating their own feces. Some crates have 2
adult sized GSD’s in them, some dogs are loose in the bus, some dogs are in the
windows barking at anyone who passes by. The second caller, like the first,
wanted to help in some way, so offered to buy him dog food in exchange for a
dog. She wanted to take another dog but knew she could only handle taking one.
By the time I heard the messages and
returned the calls two days had passed. By then Larry had been cited by the
Bennington Police Dept. for two counts of animal cruelty and his dogs and the
bus were confiscated.
The conditions were so horrific, that CNN
even picked up the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?section=/ALL&wm=9
Type into the Search Video box “Dogs rescued from bus” to see the story about
Larry getting caught at a diner when the bus he was traveling in with 32 German
Shepherds was "leaking".
This was the container for the dog's food
Bennington Animal Control Officer (ACO)
Chris Crawford, had not dealt with a case of this magnitude.
Now there was a mad scramble to find shelters all
the dogs. The 32 dogs that were in the bus are safe now, spread out all over
Bennington County. ALL had round and whip worms, some so bad that they are
"pooping spaghetti". One was pregnant, one had pups but she ate them probably
because of all the stress. It is not known what happened to the other 20
plus dogs that we were originally told were with him in New Hampshire (or if
that number was correct).
One dog drinking from a muddy puddle
Larry’s court date was quickly set, as it
would be a burden for the town to care for such a large number of German
Shepherds for long. GSRNE put the word out to other rescue groups and GSD fans,
asking them to write letters so that Larry would never have the chance to harm
more animals. On August 14th, 2006, Larry is arraigned and he pleads
“not guilty”. The courtroom is filled with people who have some connection to
the dogs; local people who are concerned about the dogs, shelter workers, animal
control officers, Larry’s neighbors and me.
The judge accepts his plea and instructs him
he is to not care for any domesticated animals, not even an overnight or a dog
walk.
After the arraignment, Chris Crawford took
me to see about 12 of Larry’s dogs. They were outside in their kennel runs, most
of them were paired up and they were all barking as we approach. I knew what I
was in for so the first few pairs of dogs looked like I expected. We approach
the third run where there’s a pair of young males, I was shocked and horrified
at what I saw. They were the thinnest of all the dogs. I could see every rib and
every bone in their backs with my naked eye. Matted fur hung from their bodies,
there was no shine to their fur and there was a deep sadness in their eyes. One
of the males slowly approached the front of the kennel run to take a biscuit,
something Chris said they needed to learn to do. These dogs didn’t know what a
biscuit was or that it was safe to take food from a human’s hand. A month has
gone by and they now look forward to getting biscuits but most are still very
hesitant to take them. The second male in the run hangs way back, watching to
see what the first male is doing and to see what the humans are doing to the
other male. He eventually comes forward to take a biscuit but quickly retreats
to the safety of the back of the kennel run where he stays for the rest of my
visit.
The shed which housed multiple dogs
Three of the male dogs are at the fronts of
their kennels my entire visit, barking a good part of the time. They don’t seem
to be afraid but I wouldn’t dare put a hand or my body in their runs.
Many, if not most of the dogs will be
difficult or impossible to place in pet homes. They have not been socialized,
they have lived in a dog pack and are leery of people. Life as a house pet is
an unknown to these dogs. Many of the dogs had the
sweetest, softest looks on their faces. Although they looked unsure and a bit
scared, they would make eye contact and their seemed to be a bit of a spark in
their eyes. A sweet, love bug kind of look. Almost like they were crying for
someone to help them, love them and they would love back.
Chris, the ACO, saved the best of the bunch
for last. The older male came out to greet us on a leash, no need to have him in
a kennel run for our safety. He greeted me with a wag and was snuggling up to
me. Being a long haired dog, his weight appeared to be okay. I quickly placed my
hand on his shoulders and ran it down the length of his body, another horrifying
moment for me. Under his long fur he was nothing but bones, I could feel every
rib. My first thought was “How can anyone do this to such a sweet and loving
dog”, I knelt down by his side and asked him “How did you survive all of this
and turn out to be such a happy, sociable dog?” The answer we will never know.
Most of these dogs are very scared, very
leery about making human contact and very underweight. This older male is the
exception in this case not the rule. How he survived this ordeal is beyond my
comprehension.
Another view from the side this time, of the dog's food
container.
According
to the Bennington Banner, August 22 issue, “If the state of Vermont has its way,
Larry Mason will never be able to reclaim the 32 dogs he has been accused of
abusing.
…the state
would like to make sure that Mason can never regain ownership of the 32 German
shepherds, which are being housed in several different shelters. A motion was
filed in Bennington District Court on Monday by Deputy State's Attorney
Gabrielle J. Gautieri, asking the court to grant an order forcing Mason to
forfeit his right to the dogs."
"The state
doesn't think that Mr. Mason ought to be the owner of the dogs at this time. He
still has formal ownership of the dogs. ... We want to formally sever his ties
with the dogs," said Gautieri.
Mason is
next scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 26”
Bennington Banner Article:
State to Mason: Give up shepherds
Inside the shed
Care
of 32 dogs costs town $3,000
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Bennington Banner
“BENNINGTON — Just two months into the new fiscal year, the town's animal
control budget has been depleted as a result of caring for the 32 German
shepherds taken from the custody of a man charged with animal abuse.
Town
Manager Stuart A. Hurd said the town has spent $3,157 caring for the dogs since
Larry Mason was cited for animal cruelty on July 18. …
At the
start of the 2007 fiscal year on July 1, the animal control budget was $3,000.
Since that time, the budget has been overspent by about $1,700, Hurd said. The
care of the German shepherds accounts for most of the spending. The cost of care
for the dogs averages about $525 per week.”
GSRNE
made a donation to help care for these dogs along with animal lovers everywhere.
This was what these poor dogs called "home."
Noreen Crouch
GSRNE
Shelter Hotline Coordinator
Assistant Dog Intake Coordinator
One dog tied out, no food, water or shelter
Click here for a
copy of this story in Word.
March 2007
Abuse Case Dogs Placed
All of the German Shepherd Dogs
from the Larry Mason case who were looking for new homes have been placed. Very
special homes were needed for these dogs. Bennington Animal Control Officer
Chris Crawford is to be commended for her incredible efforts on behalf of the
dogs and their new families.
Mason was convicted in January
on three counts of animal cruelty. He was sentenced to 4 to 12 months in prison,
all of it suspended except for five days to be served on a work crew with the
Department of Corrections. Mason will remain on probation for four years, the
first three of which he will not be allowed to have any pets. In the fourth year
of his probation sentence, Mason will be allowed to have animals with the
permission of his parole officer and will be subject to random visits by an
animal control officer. Judge David Howard also ordered Mason to receive animal
cruelty education and prevention counseling as well as psychiatric counseling.
Mason has also been asked to pay over $30,000.00 in restitution for the costs
associated with the care and boarding of the dogs.
Debra M. Theriault
Editor, Publisher and Working Dog
Yankee Dog Newspaper
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