subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Fri, Aug 29 2008 

Published: December 14, 2007 11:52 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Activist guilty of dog theft

BY KATHY MELLOTT
The Tribune-Democrat

HOLLIDAYSBURG A Blair County jury took less than 30 minutes Friday to find animal-rights activist Tammy Grimes guilty of stealing a tethered dog and refusing to return it.

But the verdict only has spurred Grimes, 43, of Antis Township to fight even harder for a state law to make constant tethering a crime.

“Absolutely I’ll continue my fight. I may cry for a half-hour now, but they can’t keep me down,” she said as she hugged supporters and cried outside the courtroom minutes after the verdict was read.

The case pushed Grimes and Dogs Deserve Better, the anti-tethering organization she founded five years ago, into the national spotlight. She said that publicity has helped her cause – and hurt it.

“It polarized people. We have a lot of people who support us, but we have a lot who don’t,” Grimes said.

Grimes openly admitted that, on Sept. 11, 2006, she went onto the private property of Steve and Lori Arnold and took Jake, a 19-year-old mixed-breed German shepherd, after receiving a complaint from a neighbor of the Arnolds.

Jake was taken to a veterinarian and moved to an unknown foster home where he died more than five months later.

The three-day trial was a mix of conflicting testimony about the condition of Jake while he was in the Arnolds’ care, whether or not Grimes was told not to take the dog from the vet’s office, and attempts neighbor Kim Aungst made to contact authorities about the condition of the dog.

Despite conflicting testimony, Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio said in closing arguments that the condition of the dog could not justify Grimes taking the animal.

“The dog was not hers. She deprived the owners of the dog.

“If the defendant failed to return the dog to the Arnolds and gave it to a third party, she deprived the owners of the dog,” Consiglio said. “Without law you have chaos. Who wants someone taking the law into their own hands against them.”

Earlier in the day, the college-educated Grimes took the stand in her own defense, saying she didn’t know what to do with the dog after the veterinarian was done with the examination.

And she said she was determined it would not go back to the Arnolds until she could be guaranteed it would be cared for.

“It was either his skin or my skin. I had two choices: Either give the dog back to that situation or get arrested,” she said.

During the last months of his life, Jake was in two foster homes and was beginning to put on weight and show signs of improvement, she said.

“That dog was the worst dog I’d ever seen on a chain, and my thoughts were to get him care,” she said.

“It had nothing to do with being on a chain.”

Animal activist Trudy Schroth of Altoona said Grimes is the winner, despite the jury’s decision.

“I hope people read this and will realize you don’t treat dogs this way. I don’t think she lost,” Schroth said.

Despite the verdict, Grimes’ mother, Lorena Estep of Flinton, said she was proud of her and will continue to support her efforts to educate the public on not tethering dogs.

Grimes will be sentenced Feb. 22.

The convictions are misdemeanors and probably will carry probation and community service, officials said.

print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.



monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premium Jobs

DRIVERS NEEDED
DRIVERS NEEDED
IMMEDIATELY
Regional - Home Weekends - 38cpm
OTR- Home every other weekend - 40cpm
...>MORE

RNs/LPNs
Rns/LPNs

Immediate Openings
For Private Duty Nurses

28 yr. old female, trach, g-tube, spina b
...>MORE


PBG
The Pepsi Bottling Group
Of Johnstown, PA is hiring Production Maintenance Mechanics. Please review the de
...>MORE

Meadow view LPN's

MEADOW VIEW
NURSING CENTER

Come join our dedicated, professional staff. We’re recruit
...>MORE

Secondary Social Studies Teacher
SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
Full time position, effective immediately.
Send application, resume, transcri
...>MORE

Delivery Driver
LOCAL DELIVERY DRIVER
Needed to deliver heating oil and motor oil. Must have CDL with tanker and HazMat endorsement
...>MORE

Customer Service Reps
DON’T WAIT!
CALL US TODAY FOR A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY!

We have immediate openings for
Customer Ser
...>MORE

LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
JUSTICE RESOURCE INSTITUTE
CRESSON SECURE TREATMENT UNIT

A maximum-secure treatment facility for male ju
...>MORE

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS
CUSTOMER
SERVICE REPS
CallcenterHR, Inc. is growing. We are looking for motivated individuals to become Cus
...>MORE

CONTROLLER/ACCOUNTANT

CONTROLLER/
ACCOUNTANT

wanted for growing local company. Computer experience with mo
...>MORE

See all ads

Garage/Yard Sales


MOXHAM YARD SALE - 8:00-4:00, Saturday, 415 Coleman Ave. FOLLOW THE ORANGE ARROWS for a wide variety of h/h items, adult...>MORE


8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th. 107 Maxwell Ave. Follow signs at the top of Ohio St., off of ...>MORE


1227 SOAP HOLLOW RD. Fri., 8-7; Sat. 8-3. Longaberger, Art, Craft, Scrapbook Supplies, Collectibles, Furniture, Baseball...>MORE


RICHLAND YARD SALE 8am-2pm, Saturday - Aug. 30th. 311 Kerr Drive. Kids clothes, toys, HH & more. Quality sale! Rain Date...>MORE


229 HAWTHORNE, (behind St. Benedict school). 8 am-2 pm, Sat., Aug. 30. Tons of household items, stereo, kids toys, aquar...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

RICHLAND TWP. & SALON
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP

SUCCESSFUL BEAUTY SALON in Richland Twp. for sale. 1st flr. of 3 BR cape cod house, also at
...>MORE


ASH ST. PROPERTY FOR Rent/Rent with option to buy. New kitchen, carpeting, 2 bedrooms, Section 8 approved. 814-392-1182...>MORE

TOWNHOUSE, RICHLAND
Townhouse- Richland Move-in cond.! 2 BR, 1.5 BA, family rm. Many updates. Brick & vinyl ext., beautiful wooded back yr...>MORE


CENTRAL CAMBRIA SCHOOLS - Exquisitely remodeled, great starter or retirement home. 1 level living, 3 bedrooms, partially...>MORE

Walnut Grove

WALNUT GROVE

2 houses for sale,
3 BR rented $350/mo,
& a 2 BR vacant,
$37,500 for both.<
...>MORE

See all ads

Don't Miss This!


2 TICKETS - Richmond Sprint Cup Race 9/06. Row 29. $90 each. Call 814-241-0899....>MORE


LIBERTY TAX SERVICE
FREE TAX SCHOOL
Earn extra income after taking course.
Flexible Schedules.
Con
...>MORE


STEELERS TICKETS 9/7 opener (Myron Cope), $250/pair. End zone. Call Jim 814-243-3626....>MORE

See all ads


click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here click here

 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index