Andrea Rosebrock 
Every time I start to work on this I break down at the images and the heartbreak the owners went through and still are going through knowing that they did what they were told during Hurricane Katrina and left their precious dogs.
They were told that they would be rescued. Many were told to leave their dogs at several schools around the Parish. They were tortured and massacred. Dog were shot in the street while their killers laughed and joked. Much of this is caught on tape and deputies even admitted to killing dogs. Of course they said it was for humane reasons…. so why were they laughing? You can see the video below.
Two deputies, Michael Minton and Clifford “Chip’’ Englande, were even indicted in November 2006 on felony aggravated cruelty to animals charges stemming from the fatal shooting of dogs on the streets of St. Bernard in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina.
For more background information and a timeline, see Pasado’s Safe Haven.
Sadly, in January of this year, citing insufficient evidence, new state Attorney General James “Buddy” Caldwell has dropped animal cruelty charges against two men accused of killing stray dogs while working for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina.
The indictments, which were obtained by Caldwell’s predecessor, Charles Foti, were partially based on jerky video shot by a Texas photojournalist that shows a black Labrador lying mortally wounded on a Violet street as two civilian vehicles commandeered by the Sheriff’s Office drive past.
See Video Below Which Included Noted Footage – NOTE – GRAPHIC
)
Shootings not shown
Minton was accused of shooting the dog while standing in the back of a Jeep driven by Englande, according to court records. But the recording does not show the dog being shot, and Caldwell, who was sworn in Jan. 14, dismissed the charges in a pair of letters filed Tuesday in 34th Judicial District Court in Chalmette.
“Despite the existence of probable cause for arrest and sufficient evidence for a grand jury indictment, considering all the facts and circumstances in this matter there is insufficient evidence to prove the guilt of the defendants
beyond a reasonable doubt,” said the letters signed by Assistant Attorney General Dana Cummings. (The Time Picayune)
Here is another video showing many of the victims of the horrific slaughter, they are GRAPHIC! It hurts to watch it and know that the men who so callously and tortuously shot these dogs, many gut shot to die a slow and painfully linger death, at walking free and have so far gotten away with their atrocious acts!
You’ll see picture of many of the dogs in the loving arms of their owners in happier times and the pleas written on the walls of the school houses where the dogs were left… and you’ll see the aftermath. It’s not for the weak hearted. I’ve only been able to watch the video in bits and pieces and the tears don’t stop flowing.
Will there every be justice for these victims and those who loved them? Thankfully some are still fighting, angered beyond belief that even in the face of what most would see as overwhelming evidence, witness and more, the case was dropped. This is not over yet and we can hope and pray that before it is, there will be justice!
Please, visit Pasado’s Safe Haven and read… read it all… it will break your heart but you will see that they have been and continue to fight.
Do what you can do, raise your voice as well!
From Pasado’s Safe Haven:
What you need to do:
The case could still be sent to the U.S. Attorney (Federal Court). You need to express your outrage at what has happened and beg the court to hear this case.SEND YOUR COMMENTS!
Write from the heart and we will forward your comments to the U.S. District Court (and forward them to CNN, ABC News, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune – all media sources that covered this story for Pasado’s Safe Haven).
Click here, vent (politely) and help keep this case alive!
MAN, animal cruelty is damn sickk… makes me want to kill ALL people that kills tortures or even hurts animals.
i just want to rip they’re lungs off, kick them 9 times on the head and rip they’re spines offf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HATE THEM ALL
ITS JUST SICK!
ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS TOO!
GODDAMN! JUST CUZ THEY AIN’T LIKE US DOESN’T MEAN THEY DON’T HAVE FEELINGS! I JUST WANT TO PUKE WHEN I HEAR ABT ANIMAL CRUELTY! ANYWAY, DOGS AIN’T THE ONLY ANIMALS IN THIS WORLD THAT ARE TREATED LIKE CRAP!
THE CATS TOO! ALL THE ANIMALS ARE TREATED LIKE SHIT.
BUT, WHY? CAUSE WE ARE SOME RETARTED SON OF A BITCHES THAT DOESN’T HAVE BRAIN AND WE ARE GOING TO BURN ETERNETLY IN THE HELL AND BE TREATED LIKE SHIT BY THE DEVIL. ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO THE HELL PPL WHO KILLS,HURTS OR TORTURES ANIMALS! THEY DON’T DESERVE THAT! IF AN ANIMAL HAS TO DIE IS BY THIS: OR BY AGE, OR BY ANOTHER ANIMAL. THATS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DIE. NOT BY HUMANS. NOW LETS GO TO THE FARM ANIMALS: THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE, HOW THEY TREAT PIGS? WELL, THEY LEAVE THEM ON SOME CAGES BUT SOO TINIEST THAT THEY CAN’T EVEN MOVE. ALL THEY DO THEY’RE MISERABLE LIFES ARE EAT EAT EAT AND DO POOP ON THE CAGE. THEY EVEN DIE CAUSE OF THE FREELESS CAGE. THEY DROWN IN THEY’RE OWN POOP.WHEN ITS TIME TO KILL THEM, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO KILL THEM. EXAMPLE: THEY CUT THEY’RE TAILS AND THEY TAKE A KNIFE AND THEY CUT THEY’RE THROAT. OR THEY EVEN STAND ON THE PIGS HEAD AND BODY TILL THEY DIE. HORRIFIC, HUH?.
THE COWS: THEY TAKE THEY’RE BACK FOOT WITH A ROPE, AND THEY CUT THEY’RE THROAT.
THE CHICKENS: WELL, THEY DON’T HAVE A VERY-NICE-DEATH LETS SAY. ITS PAINFULL, AND QUICKLESS.
THEY MAKE THEM EAT TILL THEY’RE STOMACHS PUT ALL PURPLE. AND LATER THEY CUT THEY’RE BEAKS, THEY CUT THEY’RE FOOT NAILS.
AND OF REST… THEY DIE BLEEDING.
I DON’T GIVE A DAMN IF THEY KILL PEOPLE.
JUST LEAVE ANIMALS ALONE! THEY HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD! SOMETIMES I WISH I WERE GOD AND I COULD KILL THEM OF THE MOST PAINFULL WAY EVER!
Well, if you readed this or someone ever readed this[near impossible] thanks alot for your time.
After reading this and reviewing all the articles and videos, the only thing I hear in my head is David Bowie’s song “I’m Afraid of Americans”.
This is just another example of how the law looks at us all differently,there is one law for the people and one for those in office,we have said this for decades and this just proves it again,to let those cops get away with MURDERING peoples pets is a kick in the face to the people and shows that governments etc are above the law,what a serious joke this is and i hope some animal does to them as they did to the animals,they are nothing but gutless cops.
Why do I not remember hearing this. I did not know whey were told to leave their animals in schools to be rescued later. Unfortunately ther dimwitted and ignorant…believe such things. Never, never leave your animal anywhere.Heck, people leave their children so what can you expect. I can understand if you are not home and are at work when tragedy strikes. That can happen to anyone. That is my biggest fear. But if I am with my dog…we go together or we do not go at all. The bullet would have to through my body first. Death sentences to anyone who would shoot a dog under any circumstances.
Please remember that the people were also told by government officials NOT to evacuate until it was really too late (at least for those in the most vulnerable areas) and the lower parishes are still not recovered even at this late date. Many of the dogs that WERE “rescued” were then dumped in the more northern parishes where they now run in packs. Poorly run and corrupt government (funding going into politician’s pockets) is a huge part of the animal control problem here.
In any disaster you need to have a plan in place ahead of time for both your family AND your pets which does not involve relying on the government, which includes having your own transportation, food, water, medicine and supplies as well as sufficient fuel and CASH.