Sarge Gets Justice ! The German Sheppard dog, shot by his owner 6 times while caged and survived, his fight to survive in Toledo, Ohio.
On the evening of July 9 2010, in a back yard in Toledo's East side.
A German Sheppard named Sarge is in a cage...
His owner Lawrence Mick and a friend, Adam Collins, are taking turns shooting him.
A neighbor Melissa Campau who lives behind the house could see the scenario taking place from an upstairs window. Called 911 after hearing the dog's crying after each "pop" from the 25 caliber gun.
When she told Mick "Stop it" she had called the police he threatened her with violence
Both men went inside the house for a few minutes, before "Mick came out and shot the dog a couple more times."
According to the Toledo Police report, Mick and Collins... "took turns shooting the dog while it was in the cage and the dog was screaming,"
When the police arrived....
they found Sarge in the same cage in the back yard bleeding from the gun shot wounds.
Adam Collins fled the scene but Mick was arrested and is being held on a $25,000 bond. Charged with cruelty to animals, discharging a firearm, inducing panic, obstructing official business, and felony weapons charges since he is a convicted felon and in Ohio that means you can not own or use a gun.
Hearing was scheduled for July 19,2010 at Toledo Municipal Court
Adam Collins was arrested later and the gun was recovered.
Collins pleaded no contest and was found guilty of cruelty to animals, inducing panic, giving false information to a police officer, and discharging firearms.
He was released on OR Bond....
"He's a tough guy." Dog Warden Julie Lyle said
According to paperwork on file at the Dog Wardens, reported on July 1, 2010 by Mercy St Charles Hospital
Sarge allegedly bit both his owner and the owner's girlfriend.
This makes Sarge ineligible for adoption to the public, and could cause him to be put to sleep.
One of Sarge's original owners, Mario Kiezi, 20, of Point Place, was interviewed by Toledo Blade...
"As a previous owner, I know Sarge would never bite a woman unless provoked,” Mr. Kiezi said.
Mr. Kiezi said his family got the dog as a pup from a Sandusky breeder about 3½ years ago and named him Sarge. He was very popular at his family's Navarre Carryout in Oregon, where customers often brought him treats. As Sarge grew older, he received training in obedience and other skills that he could use at the store.
As their family grew they could no longer keep Sarge and returned him to the breeder about a year ago.
On Monday while Animal activists yelled "Justice for Sarge" outside Toledo Municipal Court and booed Micks girlfriend and attorney Joanna Baron ...
Mick pleaded not guilty...Mick's Attorney said outside the courtroom that Mick "never shot the dog — his friend shot the dog."
Although Collins says Mick Shot the dog not him
.
The witness tells another story ..."They took turns shooting the dog"....
Mick's counsel also referred the July bite report "My client just tried to give the dog love, and the dog turned on him and turned on his girlfriend,"Mick also faces felony for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
Considerably longer time then he will get for shooting Sarge....
John Dinon of Toledo area Humane Society pleaded for custody of Sarge July 23,2010 in Toledo Municipal Court during an appearance by Lawrence Mick, 57, who used to be Sarge's owner. Mick's lawyer agreed to surrender the dog. Mick's only request was Sarge remain alive...
Friday, John Dinon, the humane society's executive director, said his staff has received hundreds of inquiries about Sarge from across the country and even internationally.
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| Sarge at Toledo Area Humane Society with trainer John Brown |
Sarge has his own facebook.com page - JUSTICE for Sarge -with 4,485 followers worldwide.
The Justice for Sarge Page was created by a Nurse/Animal Rights Activist living in Australia named Jayne Cvetanoski. Jayne is a member of group named Underdog Rescue International Voice with members worldwide who work together to help dogs like Sarge.
Numerous Rescue agencies and Dog Trainers offered help to Sarge. Animal Rights Activists have been on top of this case, from the start. The media attention has led Mick's at attorney to file a motion to request a jury trial and change of venue, stating media coverage is biased against her client....
You can try to run Mr. Mick but you can't hide ... His case is continued in Lucas County Common Pleas Court until Sept. 17,2010 at 11am.
Three days after Sarge was transferred to Toledo Area Humane Society they had the bullet lodged in his jaw removed. It is with the Toledo Police as evidence in the case against Mick and Collins.
The remaining 5 bullets are still inside Sarge, as they would cause to much damage to remove.
Sarge continues to improve but snapped at a couple staff members before the bullet was removed from his jaw.
Its understandable that he is a little leery of people given his situation. John Dinion and the staff at TAHS have done an incredible job caring for Sarge...especially with all us animal rights people looking over their shoulder.
August 11,2010 Melinda Perry is charged with three counts of intimidation of a witness in a criminal case,
by a Lucas County grand jury. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison.On august 17, 2010 Perry pleaded not guilty, trial date is set for Sept. 23.
On August 20 in a written statement released by Toledo Area Humane Society ....Mr. Dinon said the humane society entered discussions with Best Friends after deciding early on that the dog was too aggressive to be adopted as a house pet. The sanctuary agreed to take Sarge, and the humane society received permission to make the transfer from Toledo Municipal Court.
In an article published August 31, 2010, Toledo Blade reports that Sarge bit someone's wife at Toledo Area Humane Society. His trip to Best Friends would be delayed because after a bite there is a 10 day mandatory quarantine.
"Mr. Dinon said Sarge was outside his cage Sunday for his daily walk when the bite occurred. He did not know if anything had provoked the dog, and he declined to identify the employee whose wife was bit."...
......"Frankly, someone made a little error of judgment and allowed someone who shouldn't get that close to him get close to him," ....
Mr. Dinon is also confident that the sanctuary will still accept Sarge after this latest bite.
The unofficial version of this story is, she raised her arm in an effort to take his picture with a cell phone.
Sarge is afraid of having anything pointed at him so he bit her. There is no verification of this story and TAHS isn't talking.
September 9, 2010 TAHS reports that Sarge and his friend Poppy are settling in at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Best Friends, a no-kill sanctuary is located in Southern Utah it houses about 1,700 animals
many of them have special needs. Best Friends will work with Sarge to rehabilite him in order to adopt him to a forever family. If it turns out he can NOT be adopted to a family ,Sarge can live out his days at Best friends.
Best Friends is the sanctuary who took in Michael Vicks dogs, and publicized the fact that abused animals CAN be rehabilitated.
Sarge's New Home !
Animal Rights Activists and the Media have spread this story all over the world.
The petitions, letters, phone calls, facebook pages, rally's & protests, put a spotlight on this case....The horrible abuse that Sarge endured while caged and being shot by the person who supposedly loved him, has sparked a heightened awareness of animal cruelty in this area. Sarges story and the story of Tyson another dog shot a few weeks before Sarge have touched off a campaign once again to change the animal cruelty laws in Ohio. New hope for new laws is in the air
People donated their time and money to see Sarge get justice.
Now other abused dogs may have a better chance at a "second chance"...
When in the past most dogs were put to sleep for showing any signs of aggression.
There are no bad dogs, only bad owners, dogs do what they are taught. Plain and simple.
With Lawrence Mick & Adam Collins charged for cruelty, and Sarge at Best Friends ...
Sarge is finally getting some justice !
Thank You to ALL who helped;
Melissa Campau - Sarge's HERO she reported the abuse to the police and started the ball rolling on saving Sarge and getting his abusers charged. We need more people like you !
Jayne Cvetanoski - Justice for Sarge Page/Sarge's Petition
http://www.facebook.com/pages/JUSTICE-for-Sarge-SHOT-6-times-by-his-owner/129259970448541?ref=ts
Krystal Haas -Team TY-Sarge on Facebook/ Magnets
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137581292940380&ref=share
Krystal made magnets to raise money for Tyson's vet bills and Sarge's care,
they can be found on the page above.
Josh and Kelly Luck-Tyson's Owners-Tending for Tyson-Courthouse Rally/Push for New Laws
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tending-for-Tyson/134069353289680?ref=ts
John Dinion and the staff at the Toledo Area Humane Society
http://www.facebook.com/ToledoHumane?ref=ts
http://www.toledoareahumanesociety.org/tahs/
Best Friends Animal Society
http://www.bestfriends.org/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DogTown-Best-Friends-Animal-Sanctuary/67336952848?ref=search
The Toledo Blade- Amazing coverage/Printing the animal stories ALL these years !
Below are links to the stories pertaining to Sarge's case published in the Toledo Blade.
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100712/NEWS16/100719921
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100713/NEWS02/7130357
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100716/NEWS16/7160358
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100718/NEWS16/7180308
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100719/NEWS02/100719686
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100720/NEWS02/100729958
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100720/NEWS02/7200408
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100721/NEWS02/100729908
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100721/OPINION02/7210311
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100723/NEWS16/100729811
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100724/NEWS16/7240329
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100725/OPINION03/100729747
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100728/NEWS16/7280303
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100803/NEWS16/8020376
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100808/NEWS16/8070406
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100813/NEWS02/8120373
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100818/NEWS02/100819685
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100820/NEWS16/100829992
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100821/NEWS16/100829962
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100826/OPINION02/8250366
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100831/NEWS16/8300397
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100911/NEWS16/100919942
Thank you to all supporters that were not mentioned ! We appreciate each and every one of you !
Underdog Rescue International Voice
