Judge to dog 'hoarder': No pets for three years

[TribalRats]

Judge to dog 'hoarder': No pets for three years

February 27, 2007

By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff

BENNINGTON — As part of a sentence for animal cruelty, a judge ruled Monday in Bennington District Court that a man who was crossing Vermont in a school bus with 32 German shepherds could not own pets for at least three years.

Larry Mason, 52, formerly of New Hampshire, was convicted on Jan. 24 of three counts of animal cruelty.

The state is asking Mason to pay almost $34,000 in restitution for the costs associated with boarding the dogs after they were taken from him, but a restitution hearing will be held at a later date. Mason's attorney, public defender Frederick Bragdon, said his client's financial status was "quite dire."

Mason was sentenced by Bennington District Court Judge David Howard to a total of four to 12 months in prison, all of it suspended except for five days to be served on a Department of Corrections work crew.

Howard said Mason would remain on probation for four years. During the first three, he will not be allowed to own pets.

In the fourth year of his probation, Mason may be allowed to own animals, but only with the permission of his parole officer.

Bragdon had requested Mason be allowed the possibility of owning pets while still on probation.

"Otherwise, we just go cold turkey. His probation is over, there's no one to supervise him, he can own as many animals as he can take care of until someone intervenes," he said.

During the fourth year Mason is on probation and can own pets, he is expected to be subject to random unannounced visits from an animal control officer if he acquires new animals. Howard also ordered Mason to receive animal cruelty education and prevention counseling as well as psychological counseling.

Howard and Bennington County Deputy State's Attorney Andrew Costello made references to "animal hoarding," a disorder that causes people to possess more animals than they can successfully care for and fail to see their inability to manage the animals.

Howard admitted it was "troubling" that Mason did not seem to believe he had done anything wrong.

Given a chance to speak at his sentencing hearing, Mason said many people got involved in the case only to criminalize his behavior and his dogs.

"If people were truly interested in helping, the numbers represented to me of what was spent to investigate my case could have supported us for several years," he said.

Howard said the comment demonstrated that Mason didn't understand the potential harm he could have done to the German shepherds on his bus.

Mason was cited by Bennington Police after they were called to the Top Notch Diner on Route 9 in Bennington on July 18. Police said when they got to the bus on what was a hot day, they found about 30 dogs onboard.

Mason had taken one dog with him inside the diner and another had been left behind at a camp site.

During Mason's trial, police described overcrowded conditions on the bus and a strong smell of urine and feces coming from inside. A veterinarian who treated the dogs said they appeared malnourished.

The dogs had been in state custody since Mason was cited, but in December, he was ordered to give up ownership. The dogs were given over to the custody of Bennington Animal Control Officer Christine Crawford, who said most of the dogs have been placed with new owners.

The restitution asked for from the state would cover more than $41,000 spent to take care of the dogs, less some money that was donated for their care.

After the sentencing, Crawford said she was pleased, but would have preferred an order banning Mason from ever owning pets again.

Mason declined to comment.

Bragdon said he was appealing the judge's decision that creates a stay for Mason's incarceration, but not his parole.

[mrsgrubby]

Wow, 30 GSD? It's so sad that he doesn't think he did anything wrong

[KennelMom]

32 dogs, much less German Shepards, living in a school bus??? That's insane.

[Cassiepeia]

I agree that it's sad he doesn't know what he did wrong. Those poor dogs. I really don't know how anyone can just keep aquiring animals even though they can't really take care of them. I'm glad he's getting therapy for it though. Hopefully that will help him (and any future pets he adopts).

Cass.

[Rivsky]

The RSPCA here have just rescued 150 dogs from a suspected animal hoarder in my state - I think as many as 60 of them were suffering from broken bones that had been left untreated

The worst thing is the RSPCA was saying that the maximum penalty this person could be facing for 150 charges of animal cruelty is 1 year in prison and/or a $10,000 fine - pathetic really isn't it?

[Cassiepeia]

The worst thing is the RSPCA was saying that the maximum penalty this person could be facing for 150 charges of animal cruelty is 1 year in prison and/or a $10,000 fine - pathetic really isn't it?

I don't know, I mean yes I believe animal cruelty is a much bigger deal than society seems to think it is, however hoarding is an illness so I think therapy is a much better way to go and jail is a very bad place so even 1yr is tough for anyone and if you were fined $10,000 would you find that an easy thing to pay? I know it'd cripple me for years.

Cass.