Dog Fighting Suspected
19 DOGS SAVED
FROM ‘TORTURE’
IN FRANKLIN
By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
SIDNEY – Erin Insinga, shelter director, Delaware Valley Humane Society, described the scene of a rescue in Franklin as “like something out of a horror film.”
“I have never seen animals in such conditions of pain, torture and neglect,” she said through tears. “These dogs were stacked like pieces of furniture in a dark room.”
Cages were soaked with vomit, urine and feces. 19 dogs – 17 pit bulls and two German shepherds, ranging from 9 weeks to six years old – were emaciated, dehydrated and covered with wounds old and new.
“Based on what we saw and what our veterinarians said in their exams, we believe these animals were the victims of dog fighting,” said Stacie Haynes, executive director, Susquehanna SPCA.
With limited shelter space at the shelter in Sidney, Haynes and Karen Matson, executive director, Broome County Humane Society, volunteered to take some of the dogs back to their shelters. “I took six dogs,” she said. “It was really something, seeing three shelters come together to help out with this horrific case.”
One of the dogs Haynes brought back to the shelter had a staple in her nose. “At some point, her nose was ripped off,” she said. “They stapled it back on, and then the skin started to grow around the staple.”
Insinga was alerted by a concerned citizen in January, and immediately notified the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department. “Last night I was coming from my daughter’s basketball game and I got the call that they were seizing the animals,” she said. “And when I got there, all these eyes were just looking at me. It will affect me for the rest of my life.”
The owner, who has not been named, did surrender the dogs to the Delaware County Humane Society, allowing the shelters to begin treating the animals. All the dogs are expected to survive, and once they are medically cleared, will be made available for fostering and adopting.
“They’re very sweet, but very scared,” said Haynes. “Their tails were tucked, they didn’t want to come out of their crates.”
“These dogs have suffered so much, but they are so forgiving,” said Insinga. “When you touch them, their tails start wagging. All they want to do is have that human contact.”
The case remains under investigation.
“We’re not going to let this go,” said Insinga. “We’re going to push for legal action and make sure that everyone knows that there is never excuse for neglect like this.”
Why haven’t they given the name of the horrible person responsible for this??
This is very sad what some people do to dogs. If they would stop and Realize they are a loyal friend. People that do things like this should get the highest punishment that the law will give. I am so glad that they finally got caught. Praise the people that are now taking care of them and pray they all find loving homes.
Thank you to all of the SQSPCA crew for the good work. I hope that all of those involved are punished to the full extent of the law and rot in jail
OMG 😱😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 19 hearts for each and every one of these poor babies that have suffered unspeakable abuse! 🙏 prayers for their recovery .
God bless you all for the amazing work and compassion you have to do this work, I can’t begin to understand cruelty to Any animals 💔🙏
If I can help in any way, please let me know. I’ve been rescuing and homing German Shepherds for the past few years and this just turns my stomach. If I can foster or anything please let me know.
Thank You once again Erin, and the other shelters as well.❤
When will our judges final past down a punishment that fits this horrific act. Enough!! If these degenerates start facing serious prison time, we may finally start to make strives to stop this! Start contacting the DA office and let them know, that’s the voting public has said, Enough!!
Why Not name the bastard who is involved with this horrible act
Put him or them in a cage and ignore them!!!
I never realized that dog fighting was in this area. I know I’ve see posts about animal that are used for Dog fighting bait” but I always thought that was in more backwards areas. I hope the person/people for this incident are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
This is DISGUSTING, and I am HORRIFIED that such an EVIL THING was going on right under our noses in this small, close knit community! I think NAMES should be posted!!! Make it PUBLIC!
OMG these poor babies. Can’t imagine what they have been through. Thank God you all have saved them. Hope the Scumbags pay for what they have done to these poor furbabies. Crying my eyes out .. 🙁
I urge everyone to contact local officials and the DAs to make sure that this act gets the full punishment of the law. Thank you to All Otsego for bringing this out in the open.
Did Chenango County SPCA take some in?
Why protect the bastard responsible for this disgusting and inhumane act? Who was there to protect these animals?? He should be shoved into a crate filled with vomit, urine & feces after his nose is staple together. The laws have been passed regarding this…….put his name out there and let him do time!!!
This is horrific. I pray that these people pay for what they did to innocent animals who give unconditional love. Animal abuse is unforgivable.
From floods to other emergencies, the people of this area band together to help. The concern, kindness and support shown during this case of horrible animal abuse is a reminder of how very special you all are. Thank you to the Deputies, the rescuers, the people who reported this, the staff and volunteers at the animal shelters, Compassionate Care and all who are donating time, money and goods. You are what makes this area special. God bless!
I am SO Angry!! My heart is so broken knowing that these poor babies went through this kind of abuse. These horrible people need to be punished like anyone else that would treat children the same way. Animals have hearts … souls … they feel pain just like us! Oh what I’d like to do to the people or person that did this to them, however I know that this is not my place. I do hope, however, that they are punished to the fullest extent of the law, and beyond! This kind of cruel and inhumane treatment of animals has to stop!!
Staple the nose of the person responsible..Make it an industrial strength staple please. The only way this scenario will ever change is by word of mouth about the consequences..
They should also pay a penalty for all costs related to rehabilitation of these animals..Profits from the fights maybe? Lastly, I think there should be a national list that outs this sort of slug to adoption and animal sales organizations. Maybe a little tattoo on the drivers license.
They should release the name of this person nope no normal human would treat their dogs like this scumbag is more appropriate I hope they throw the book at this creature that did this to these innocent dogs this person is just another reason why pit bulls get bad media as an owner of a pitty they are just like children are a product of their environment ,and a final not God doesn’t like ugly so I hope this jerk is ready for karma because karma coming for you
PEASE KEEP US UPDATED!!! MY HEART HURTS FOR THESE POOR BABIES. THANK YOU ALL FOR RESCUING THEM.
Let’s hope those responsible for these horrific acts are held accountable to the fullest extent. The Franklin 19 should be made the poster pups for anti-dogfighting legislation that increases the punishment for whatever it is now, to what it needs to be in order for creeps like those who did this to be afraid to do it again. There’s no excuse for what they did here.
Someone knows someone in power for this to be hushed! Anyone that could be so cruel to innocent animals has no heart prayers are needed for all those involved in this horrific act because there’s a place called ‘hell” with the devil and there torture will be for eternity. Shame on you all!! God bless the ones that saved these poor animals!
yes, why are the names not being given out. these douchebags need to be put under the spotlight and shown for thevdirt bags they are. I would also like to know whiv
ch shelter the German Shepherds are at. I still missing two shepherds from last year.
Thanks also to the person that reported their concerns about these dogs. If that person didn’t say anything the dogs would still be in that horrible situation and who knows for how long.
What is the street address where the dogs were found? With that information the name of the owner of the building can be found via an online county tax search.
Please, why can’t you put the name of this horrible person or persons who did this? They need to be put in jail for the rest of their horrible lives and suffer. These poor fur babies were put on this earth to comfort man and all they ask for is food, shelter and love. Our two our treated like family and I can’t stop crying over the horrible things that were done to these poor critters, the person or persons who did this are ANIMALS, not the dogs. I am so glad someone is helping them, please keep us up to date when these critters can be adopted and I beg you, put the name of the person or persons who did this all over the front page so they can be humiliated, please punish them to the fullest extent of the law. PLEASE!!!
The name of the dirtbag should be published. Why do they deserve protection!
Thank you to all that reported, found and saved these poor dogs. Thank you to all that are caring for them now. This breed is very forgiving and loving, but they will have quite a bit of recovering to do. This should not have happened here. Franklin and Delaware County need to step up their vigilance with protecting its animals and citizens.
Jail time and fines for these animal abusers is always too short and too little but I hope he gets the max, and is also assigned some animal based community service and then gets some therapy.
What happened in his life to make him become such a horrible evil person. I have no love, tolerance or respect for anyone who harms children or animals.
Everyone’s concern is heart felt, but remember we have humans in cages on our border that are not getting much better attention.
This man or all involved should have severe consequences. Total dirtbag ! Poor animals. I’m glad they have Erin she is the voice of all glad they have found new homes. Very grateful. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I struggled so to read this, with tears in my eyes and love in my heart for these poor babies. This crushes me.
As for the parties responsible and ANY involved, may you rot in a cell in your own vomit, urine and feces. Never to own animals again.
I saw this on TV when it happened, haven’t come across any articles where you could comment until now. Dirtbags like this are plentiful, more dog fighting around than most people know about in ALL areas. People who advertise free dogs/puppies (cat/kittens also) even VERY young puppies can be victims of this brutality. Sometimes these inhumane people will even buy the dogs,etc. Stop breeding animals or letting them breed, there is help for most people to get pets spayed/neutered through local SPCA’s. Stop burying your heads in the sand people, you can’t judge potential owners because they show up with a “family”, many times it can be a scam, look at the website for Humane Society of the US, it’s all there. I am considered an elderly woman but I would like 5 minutes alone with this so-called owner(s) with my metal baseball bat for about 5 minutes for a “discussion”.