Man might go to jail for saving dog

[Ann]

I know I post a lot of these, but once again emails are needed.

A man saved a dog from dying from heat in a car, and is now being prosecuted for theft and conspiracy charges. It's ironic, cause I remember when I posted a long time ago about the woman who left her children in her car that I said I'd simply just break the window if I ever saw something like that, and Karen told me I could get in trouble if I did but I never really belived her, but now I see that it's true for real. How sad

The article about this along with contact info can be found at the following URL:

http://peta.org/alert/automation/AlertItem.asp?id=544

[Pam]

Ann thank you for posting this link. I certainly will respond to the e-mail address listed and plead this man's case. He is a HERO....NOT a criminal!! The criminals were the dog's very own humans who would have found a dead dog in their car when they returned if it wasn't for this concerned man.

[Ann]

Thanks Pam!

Seriously, if something like that ever would happen to me, I would thank the man from the bottom of my heart, not report him to the police!

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

I will write a letter right away. This is rediculios! Sending the guy to jail for saving the dog's life! Honestly! What are people thinking?

[Ann]

Thanks Souraya!

Maybe I could PARTLY understand it if say he had broken her window and she was greedy enough to want money for it, but he didn't even do that! It's messed up...

[anna_66]

I too will write a letter.

What is wrong with people these days, when you can't even do something to help without getting in trouble. How ridiculous!
Why after all this time do people insist on leaving their dogs in cars? Are they really that stupid? I sometimes wonder.

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

I just e-mailed the DA of that county as well as 3 of Pittsburg TV stations and 3 newspapers.

[lovemymaltese]

what kind of world are we living in here, the man is a hero.

[lovemymaltese]

The Honorable Steven Zappala,
I have just read a statement that a man might be prosecuted for saving a dog from a heated car. It makes me wonder what kind of world we are living in when a human is supposed to stand by and watch a dog perish for fear of prosecution. The man is a hero, he saved a life worthy of being saved. I ask what if this were a child? Would the situation be any different? If anyone should be prosecuted it should be the irresponsible pet owner who left their dog out to perish. Have you any idea the pain involved with a death of this nature? Please do not make American citizens fear doing the right thing. That man should be honored, not punished. Thank you for your time.
Sincerly,
A concerned citizen

[Cinder & Smoke]

On the surface - Jeff Kearns seems to be the injured party - "Rescue" poor Vixen and he gets prosecuted...

But PETA didn't print ALL the details of this case ~
There is more to the story than PETA put on their web site (reference: PETA's "Pittsburgh Hero..." story

This line in the PETA story caught my attention:
"... When asked why he didn’t immediately volunteer to return the dog to the owner, Kearns acknowledges that he should have..."

PETA's story left out some details contained in the First of the TWO stories posted on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

First Tribune-Review story, dated August 16, 2002:
"Hot car prompts dog 'rescue'

Second Tribune-Review story, dated August 25, 2002:
"Dog rescuer now facing charges"

According to the second article; the only way Vixen was returned to the owner was that the 'rescuer' (Kearns)"...was turned in to police by a friend who collected the $1,000 reward the city had posted for the dog's return." Nice 'friends' he has!

The dog 'rescue' was a possibly nobel act;
Deciding to not return the dog is probably being considered a criminal act.

I'm not taking 'sides' on this one...
There are two versions of whether Vixen was behind sealed or cracked windows; and if there was / was not water in the car available for the dog.

Be interesting to see how this case winds up...

[Ann]

Thanks Anna, lovemymaltese and Souraya!

Cinder & Smoke, thanks for posting those links. I too was curious what PETA meant with that particular line, but when I tried searching for it on Google I couldn't find any results. However, when I've now read through those additional articles you posted my opinion hasn't changed at all. I still think the man did the right thing. He did leave a phone number, so it wasn't as if he was kidnapping the dog. And the whole friend thing I understand as well... I'd be scared of having to go to jail too, so the first thing that would come to my mind would be just that; to leave in the dog at the police station, claiming I just found her. And he obviously stepped forward later after that, taking full responsibility. So yeah, I'm still on his side. However I don't think PETA should have left out the full details like they did. It just makes it look as if they are hiding something I guess, and that's a bad thing.

[NoahsMommy]

Either way, I guess we'll have to rely on the judge to make a sound decision. I wonder about these people that do this stuff...

[toughCookie]

ok I just read a small amount, I can't read the rest. it just IRKS me to no end I don't even care what the rest of the article says, it said that the owner left the dog in the car with all the windows closed WHY? I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THEY HAD TO BRING THAT DOG, TO JUST SIT IN THE CAR WHILE THEY GO TO AN ART SHOW? what is the purpose of that? "gee, I want to go out for a couple hours, should I leave the dog homewhere he's comfortable and safe? no I think I will bring him and leave him closed in a hot car...." people like that should not be allowed to have pets, or children, and I'm wondering if they themselves shouldn't have a "keeper"!
they obvisouly can't make reasonable choices! such cruelity to the poor dog! she didn't care about that dog, thats why she's suing the guy that saved it, if she cared she would not have done that in the first place.
I'm all for giving dogs car rides, short trips to the store, etc, but not to shop for hours! I guess what the guy did wrong was not to call the authorities first, instead of saving the dog himself. sad.

[NoahsMommy]

toughcookie, I totally agree!! People can be so selfish sometimes....

[Ann]

Yeah, I totally agree. I get so mad too! And it's like, you'd think people would learn!! Every year things like this happen where dogs (and kids even) are stuck in a hot car and some even die, and yet people refuse to learn!