James Griffin: Arrested for intentionally causing harm to his pet hedgehog

The allegations are:

• James Griffin abandoned his pet hedgehog in an apartment with no food or water.
• Hedgehog was found with rubberbands around her back feet causing loss of circulation and infection to both back feet.

Witness testimony will support

• the hedgehog was found in Griffin's vacated apartment with no food or water
• both back feet had rubberbands on them, one foot was black due to loss of circulation
• Griffin stated, laughingly, to witness he used rubberbands on the hedgehog's feet cause he used her as a bowling ball
  
• the hedgehog's right rear root that was tied off was severely infected, the left rear foot was tied off and infected.

We will be following the case and information will be updated on the link to James Griffin

Notes taken from the Lewark Hearing on May 5

Unofficial notes taken at the May 5th Bond Revocation hearing are available. The notes are in Word format. To open click on May5Hearing.doc.

Lewark's Bond is revoked

The Bond hearing was heard this morning. Lewark was not present. Defense attorney mentioned Lewark's childhood as well as the fact that Lewark only hurts his own property. Prosecutor cited the dead alligator in Lewark's yard and the dog under Lewark's bed. Judge issued a bench warrant for Lewark.

Judge Dugan said he wants to hear from Lewark and from Lewark's mental counselor regarding Lewark at or by the next Docket Sounding on the 19th.

The dog under the bed was never seen so the condition of the dog is unknown. The dog was heard barking under a bed in an unkempt bedroom at Lewark's residence when the police went in to be sure there were no other victims of gun shot wounds in the residence.

Update on Rusty Lewark case

There will be a Bond Hearing held on Wednesday May 5th at 8:30 AM, as Lewark has violated his bond argreement restriction of not being around pets. Media coverage at Florida Today dated May 3, 2010

On April 23, Lewark was shot three times. When the police went to Lewark's residence they found a dog. (Lewark had a dog on record, named George, when Lewark was initially arrested for slaughtering his other two dogs, it is logical to figure the dog at the residence is George).

"Lewark's residence also was searched by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission because of a dead alligator on the property and by the Department of Children and Families because of “poor living conditions,” police said." per Florida Today article dated April 24, 2010.

Update on Vanschaick dog, Molly

Molly lived with Vanschaick for at least a year, in miserable shape. She was rescued in December of 2009. She has since been in foster and then adopted by her loving foster home.

Her family treated us to a current photo of Molly. We inserted her before picture to show how some loving care in a few short months can make all the difference in this sweet dog's life.