French Bulldogs in the News

A few random French Bulldog related news articles, including an update on the ME puppy mill Frenchies, the French Bulldog link to the Thai plane crash, and a disturbing poisoning case in CT.

First off, an update on the French Bulldogs and other dogs seized in Maine –

A national animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), urged psychological evaluation for the owners and jail time if they are convicted.

Kennel owners John and Heidi Frasca, who have alleged the state violated their rights leading up to and during a raid on their home in late August, this week called the state’s actions “organized, criminal animal racketeering.”

“My biggest job is to pray,” said John Frasca. “My hope is that God is going to send someone to speak for us.”

New Sharon woman, Carol Murphy, claimed in a letter released this week by the attorney general’s office that the state stole her dogs that were in the Buxton kennel.

Of course, it’s hard to take anything convicted animal abuser and apparent nutjob Carol Murphy says seriously. Here’s her rap sheet from pet-abuse.com :

Carol Murphy was convicted in April 2005 and sentenced by Franklin County Superior Court Justice Joseph Jabar to six months in jail with all but 24 hours suspended followed by one year probation.

Jabar placed a lifetime ban on Murphy possessing any animals, said her property can be randomly searched while on probation, fined her $2,000 and ordered her to pay $3,174 in restitution to the state for the cost of caring for the animals. She must also submit to a psychological evaluation.

Murphy refused to cooperate at a court-ordered mental exam last week after the psychologist allegedly told her she had a choice. Jabar said that if she fails to cooperate again, it would be a probation violation.

After a two day trial in April, Murphy was convicted on a charge of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, and four counts of illegal possession of wildlife, namely two Russian tortoises, pygmy hedgehogs, a peacock, and a Quaker parrot.

Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson described the conditions at the Murphy property on March 22 as “horrific” where animals were suffering from starvation, dehydration and exposure.

He said Ann LeBlanc, head of the state forensic unit, prepared a psychological evaluation largely based on Murphy’s voluminous written diatribes where she portrays herself as a victim of a conspiracy.

The writings call prosecutors, the judge, animal welfare officials and witnesses “whores” and “vermin” who took kick-backs from the sale of her animals she claims were worth thousands of dollars.

It’s upsetting to see PETA jumping in where it’s not needed, since Maine’s Animal Welfare Department seems to be doing just fine without their interference.

In other news, a British Columbia woman who survived the crash of the Thai Airlines jet lost more than just her passport and identification. From this article on Canada.com –

Since Mildred Furlong first visited Thailand a few years ago, the tropical paradise has kept drawing her back.

The 23-year-old from Prince George, B.C., recently returned to visit the Thai friends she had made in four earlier trips to the country. This trip was nearly her last.

Furlong was flying with Thai friend Chatree Sukswat to the resort island of Phuket when their budget airliner broke in two and crashed while attempting to land in heavy rain on Sunday. Eighty-eight people died.

Furlong, who works in the restaurant and retail industries, and her friend were among 42 who survived the burning wreck.

Furlong lost her passport and her identification in the crash. But the biggest loss was her seven-month-old French bulldog, Roxy, who was in the cargo hold. Furlong had bought the dog in Thailand, and it lived with Sukswat.

“Chatree is pretty shaken up about that,” she said. “He believes that maybe the dog had been there to take the death for him.”

Finally, semi-rock star Rick Derringer’s ex wife suspects foul play in the death of her French Bulldogs –

Dyan Derringer spoiled her four French bulldogs. She did more laundry for her dogs than for her family, changing their bedding every night and laying blankets over them while they slept outside in an area surrounded by hurricane fencing and a big apple tree.

When Derringer woke up Sunday, only her five-month-old puppy, Marilyn, had survived the night. Her other three dogs — Morticia, 2, Gomez, 3, and Juanita, 5 months — were all dead, lying in a pool of their own feces and vomit.

“Somebody killed those dogs,” Derringer said, sobbing into the phone Monday.

Derringer, who is the ex-wife of rock star Rick Derringer, said she had been breeding the dogs, all born by Cesarean section — working to make their coats lighter in color — and selling them for $2,500 a piece. She and her family had decided to keep these four dogs for themselves.

“They were our family. We loved these dogs,” she said.

Colchester animal control and the Connecticut State Police at Troop K are investigating the incident. The three dogs have been sent to the University of Connecticut’s Pathobiology Lab for autopsies that should determine whether the dogs died of natural causes or may have been poisoned.

“It’s suspicious,” said Dr. Michael Berard, veterinarian at the Colchester Veterinary Hospital, where surviving Marilyn was recovering Monday from a bout of vomiting, shivering and shaking. “for three healthy dogs to all die the same night like that.”

Derringer said there was no heater in the dog’s outdoor kennel, just a screen and two doors. She said she checked on the dogs at 9:30 p.m. Saturday night after she thought she heard someone outside trying to “make a sound like a dog.”

“I turned on (the) light, got down on my hands and knees, and I looked into the kennels, and I’m looking and I didn’t see anything — that probably was their last breath of air,” Derringer said through tears.

Now, before anyone says anything, I agree – she seems like a nitwit (and that’s being generous). Dogs sleeping outside? Breeding to ‘lighten the color’? Yup, nitwittery ahoy. That said, no one deserves to have their dogs poisoned, and it’s nice to see that at least she’s trying to find out what happened, via a police investigation and autopsies.