Due to the now 100% mortality of the turkey flock, including local favorites Buck and Miss Cuba, from this day forward any R&R Dog Boarding dog found running loose on my Nash Road property will be shot on site.
We have tried being reasonable. We have tried being understanding. We have tried alternate measures. We have tried getting animal control to intervene in an appropriate manner. All to no avail.
We hold the individual dog owners responsible for the carnage of Bob Valdetta and my daughter, Casmir's tame pets, in that they entrusted the care of their animals to someone who has not even been apologetic for the deadly actions of the dogs that are his direct responsibility.
R&R Dog Boarding dogs have killed hens setting on eggs inside the turkey house, ripped apart prize rare heritage breed gobblers in the pen, and chased the flock up and down Nash road, endangering both the birds and motorists.
Please do not be upset with Mr. Valdetta or myself if yours is the dog that is shot or caught in one of the leg traps we will be placing along the property line. We are simply using the only means left to protect our personal property and pets. Am truly sorry that it has come to this.
21 comments:
Removal of Post “Fair Warning to Customers of R&R Dog Boarding”
Thu 22 Feb 2007 - Filed under: Opinion, Announcement — Russell Stigall
Print Article -
The staff of Seward City News regrets to inform Dorene M. Lorenz that we have found it necessary to remove her post titled Fair Warning to Customers of R & R Dog Boarding.
The facts of her case are dubious. That R&R Dog Boarding dogs played a role in the euthanizing of her prized gobblers is false and scandalous.
The turkeys were put down by Alaska State Trooper Mark Cloward at 10 a.m., Saturday Feb. 17. Approximately 10 non-domesticated livestock fowl were shot with a 22 caliber rifle. I have yet to receive a statement of reason from the Troopers.
City council member Bob Valdatta, who owns the turkeys with Lorenz, was approached by the Troopers nearly one week before the birds were euthanized. Valdatta was asked then to pen the birds. Valdatta chose to let the Troopers take care of the situation.
In the past 6 months or so Seward Animal Control has received several complaints from Nash Road residents of Lorenz’s turkeys in the road, said Jennifer Carrick, shelter manager. Since animal control does not have jurisdiction on Nash Road, Carrick said she has referred the incidents to the Troopers.
However, the most important reason to remove Lorenz’s post is that her threat to kill innocent dogs in the Seward community does not fit well with the philosophy of Seward City News. We, here at the News, want to promote a healthy community conversation - one where we can enjoy one another’s successes and commiserate our losses. Not threaten each other’s pets at the point of a gun – or the jaws of a leg trap.
Seward City News does not take lightly the removal of a post. This venue is not ours to manipulate on a whim. Seward City News is built on user-generated content in the community commons. There would be no Seward City News without the input and posts of our readers.
Russell Freeman Stigall
SewardCityNews.com
Contact Russell Stigall at sewardcitynews@gmail.com
Russell,
The quality of your investigative reporting has not improved since you worked at the Log. You should have talked to Valdetta and myself prior to removing this post.
Valdetta would have advised you, as he did me last night, facts that make your coloring of my comments as “False and scandalous” libel.
In fact, I did not threaten to kill “innocent” dogs, but those who were theatening my livestock. There is nothing “innocent” about R&R Dog Boarding, as numerous witnesses you could have interviewed would have advised you.
But, I understand you have learned from your previous mentors at the Log that covering for your friend is more important than fair journalism.
Dorene Lorenz
You need to let this one go lady….seriously….you need help…..Thanks Russell, you do a great job and keep up the good work!
Comment by AKCHEF
I will tell you that I, along with four other people, saw a dog come from R&R Dog Boarding, dash the turkey house and kill one of Lorenz’s heritage turkey. The white husky, I think it is actually a wolf that Russ owns, returned to R&R. Russ was in the yard, initially yelling at it to come back, then laughing when it came back with a bird. Mid-August last year.
Trooper Cloward has nothing to do with it, or the killing of any of Lorenz’s turkeys. All of her birds were killed by dogs. And she bit her tongue and did nothing. Ask Rob Rance, his dog took out two of them in two days last summer.
Cloward shot Valdetta’s turkeys. You are getting your facts confused Stigall. And Valdetta was not happy about it, nor given a real choice in the matter.
And the only reason Lorenz has stepped back and said “yes” is because so many have been pressuring her to shoot the dogs…and she isn’t doing the actual shooting herself…even though one of her more clever friends dropped her off some lead shot last night.
It is the LAW Stigall. Lorenz didn’t make it, she is only following it, and you shouldn’t be beating her up for it.
Comment by Capt. Dan
Once again you have proved that you are totally crazy.
Comment by AKCHEF — February 19, 2007
Crazy as one gets when you try to be reasonable and constantly have unreasonable results. You loose over 20 hand raised birds in one year, listen to little kids cry as they watch a dog ripping their pet to shreds, have animal control be non-responsive.
You are right, AKChef. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, that is crazy. I should have moved to a different strategy earlier.
Educating the public as to what is going on so perhaps they can make better choices, that is the smart move.
Comment by dorenemlorenz
Animal control has no authority outside city limits. Someone who has ran for city council should be aware of this. Making threats on a public website to shoot peoples pets is pretty darn crazy.
I am sorry that you have had these troubles and what your children have gone through, but you shouldnt be making luntatic remarks about trapping other peoples dogs and shooting them. Why would you put someone else through losing a pet? What is this? The Hatfield and Mccoys? You are nutty. I sure hope your kids or thier friends dont get caught in those leg traps as they run around your yard. That wouldnt be worth a few Turkeys.
Comment by Erik Slater
I am following the letter of the law by advising owners and giving them reasonable opportunity to restrain their animals.
AS 03.55.030. Killing Dogs Annoying or Evincing Tendency to Bite Animals or Fowls.
Whenever any dog habitually annoys any wild deer, reindeer, sheep, cattle, horse, or other animal or bird either domestic or wild, or evinces a disposition which makes it likely that it will without provocation bite an animal or fowl, any person may lawfully kill the dog, when at large. The owner or keeper of the dog, if known or reasonably identifiable, shall be notified and given reasonable opportunity to restrain the dog before it is lawful to kill it. Persons authorized to enforce AS 16.05 (Alaska Fish and Game Code) and peace officers may enforce this section.
Comment by dorenemlorenz
You have the right as you have stated to kill dogs….it still doesnt make you any less crazy.
Comment by AKCHEF
I’m sorry, I just can’t let this one go.
Let me get this straight, Lorenz and her turkeys have hurt no one. Law breaking neighbors allow their bird killing dogs to destroy Lorenz’s personal property, and offer no retribution.
So, Lorenz is the bad guy??????
I will grant that she is totally crazy and nutty for thinking that following the law will bring about her desired result.
She should have shut up, shot the dogs, and dumped them on the beach next to Bardison’s horse. (Contrary to Animal Control Jen’s PR spin, it is not a rumor and is actually there - photos are floating around town)
Hmmm, I do recall Lorenz’s sister mentioning that they are related to the Hatfields, and Lorenz has been spending a lot of time in Tennessee lately, but I don’t believe that that is material to the issue any more than I believe that Bob Valdetta out-of-the-blue called Fish and Feathers and ASKED them to shoot his birds. (Another rumor flying around town.)
Comment by Capt. Dan
AK Chef from what I understand it was your really large husky that got loose and killed our Royal Palm gobbler this summer.
Later in the summer, I pulled your dog off of the Seward Highway, where he was playing chicken with big trucks, and dropped him off at the Seward Shelter. Even though the dog had no collar, Jen advised that she knew who the owner was and would return the animal to you even though you live outside the city.
Why would I be crazy to take legal measures so that your husky didn’t get any more of our birds? Isn’t your unresponsible, unappologetic attitude more crazy?
Comment by dorenemlorenz
Actually, I live in the city and I dont own a husky.
You are thinking of someone else.
Comment by AKCHEF
Dorene,
What are you thinking??
You quote the law as stating that A dog that HABITUALLY harasses animals can be lawfully put down. So which particular dog is the criminal? If the dogs you’ve seen attacking your birds are random pests for you, how do you know those individual dogs are HABITUAL killers elsewhere too and need to be shot? If the dogs you’ve seen are regular pests at your property, have you contacted their owners to resolve the problem?
Also, how do you know the dogs that killed your birds are from R$R Boarding Kennels? Do you have ID tag proof or photographic proof that the dogs who killed your birds are from the Kennel and not part of the free running pack in your neighborhood? If you don’t have that proof, you should not be smearing a local business in this public forum. Especially one that has extensive confinement fencing to keep it’s clients’ pets safe.
I’d also be interested in why your birds were running down the road and not couped. We live in an area where large wildlife can kill birds and other domestic animals. If your birds were not safely fenced and couped to keep a DOG out, how are they safe from bears and other game? Maybe you should look into the confinement of your OWN animals. If dogs (bears, coyotes, eagles, etc)couldn’t get to them, they would still be alive, right? Birds are vulnerable animals - ALL predators want them and I’d hope you would have had them properly contained for their safety.
Trapping and shooting dogs on sight is not the answer, Dorene. The Shelter can not help you individually since you live out of town. However, the Shelter DOES actively educate Seward and outlying neighbors about the dangers of leaving your pet to wreck havoc in a neighborhood. What have you personally done to spread the education of safely keeping pets at home in your neighborhood? If nothing, than I would suggest something less violent than shooting and trapping as a first step to that education. If it means that much to you, go door to door - you were on the City council and probably know everyone so it shouldn’t be that hard for you to knock on some doors with reasonable advice! You can get the info you need to do so from our helpful Shelter.
Traps will kill innocents as well as your proclaimed HABITUAL killers which is completely unacceptable!! Dorene, really think about that. Do you want your kids seeing trapped domestic and wild animals on your property that had nothing to do with the loss of your birds? Or, even worse, you shooting the neighbor’s dog? Think about that too…
I really am sorry about your birds and understand your frustrations are high. I’d be upset too and do not trivialize your loss. However, I urge you to re-think this accusation without proof of R&R Boarding Kennels and your extreme idea of awful traps and shooting of animals that should be innocent until proven HABITUAL killers. Get some proof of which dogs have killed your birds and the community can help you with the problem without your making the entire neighborhood unsafe.
Comment by rjralaskar
Well, rjralaskar, several groups of witnesses have seen the dogs come directly from R&R Dog Boarding. They are not from a free roaming pack. I do not live there, it is recreational property. However, I do have a caretaker family who stays there, and friends/family do camp there as well.
My daughter’s pet birds were kept in a fully enclosed shed with an outdoor walking area that was completely fenced on the top with chicken wire over 2 x 4 supports.
The only animals that have breached it are R&R Dogs. My neighbor on the other side has several dogs that roam from time to time, I have had no reports of them attacking the birds. I am guessing that these dogs are used to the birds, whereas the kennel dogs mostly come from the city and have not been socialized with fowl.
Bobby’s birds started out in a fully enclosed shed on another part of the property, but once the dog (as individuals, not as a pack) came from R&R Dog Boarding (which is NOT competely fenced) and killed my birds in front of several witnesses, they were horrified that the birds had no chance since they were unable to get past the dog to the opening it CREATED in the pen by smashing in the gate.
After that, Bobby started leaving his birds out, even when he was not there. The birds stayed on-property except when they were chased off by dogs. I have had several reports from witnesses to this.
I have no desire to have any animals killed, but was advised by the authorities that this is the proper way to proceed. The Troopers are not allowed to dispatch a dog unless they personally witness the dog doing harm.
As to the legality of anyone dispatching a dog that is threatening their livestock, I refer you to the second part of the Statute:
“or evinces a disposition which makes it likely that it will without provocation bite an animal or fowl, any person may lawfully kill the dog, when at large.”
All the dogs with tags on their collars that have come from R&R Dog Boarding have been contacted, and one of the owners took the initiative to contact me when they personally witnessed the kennel owner brag about what happened. Brag is the word they used, not one I chose. Another witnessed the attack when they pulled in to pick up their pet.
The owners that I have spoken to have all been mortified to discover what happened, some of them were completely unaware that their pets had been involved in any sort of off-campus activity.
We caught up with one owner walking her dog, on a leash, at the beach in town. We recognized the dog and advised her of what happened a few days prior. She contacted R&R and was assured that her dog had never left the premises, and had never been out of the enclosed kennel. She had been wondering where the blood streak on his collar came from, and the kennel offered no explaination. We haven’t seen her dog back since.
It is a really nice, otherwise well behaved, beautiful and friendly dog, and the owner seemed to be a really responsible person. It would break my heart to have to put it down, and it was obvious that she was unaware that R&R is not a secure or responsible facility.
I don’t want innocents to suffer, I don’t have a contact list for R&R clients, hence the public warning.
Comment by Dorene M Lorenz
You cant kill the dogs if you’ve got no birds left for them to harass. Its right there in the code:
AS 03.55.030. Killing Dogs Annoying or Evincing Tendency to Bite Animals or Fowls.
Whenever any dog habitually annoys any wild deer, reindeer, sheep, cattle, horse, or other animal or bird either domestic or wild, or evinces a disposition which makes it likely that it will without provocation bite an animal or fowl, any person may lawfully kill the dog, when at large. The owner or keeper of the dog, if known or reasonably identifiable, shall be notified and given reasonable opportunity to restrain the dog before it is lawful to kill it. Persons authorized to enforce AS 16.05 (Alaska Fish and Game Code) and peace officers may enforce this section.
Comment by smartypants
Never occured to you that we get new chicks each spring??
Right on Russell. Dorene and her alter ego Captain Dan have menaced our community for years. This is another sad example of her unwillingness to be responsible for her actions.
Comment by Local Sewardite
I am Rob Rance. I was there on the morning of feb. 17th and i was an eye witness to the trooper as he exterminated the turkeys.
please cease all of this bickering. it is time to embrace ourselves, admit our weaknesses, encourage our strengths and be truthful.
I humbly request that the following two posts be removed:
Comment by Capt. Dan — February 22, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Comment by Dorene M Lorenz — February 22, 2007 @ 9:31 am
They have no basis in the facts and serve for nothing more than to alter reality.
thank you,
Rob Rance
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