DOG SHOOTING CASE
Therapy Dog �Jeb� Killed by Shots from Pellet Gun
The $1,000 reward is added to pledges from other animal welfare groups, from the Placer County Crime Stoppers and from family and friends of Jeb and increases the total amount posted for a conviction of Jeb�s killer to $5,000.
Jeb was a popular therapy dog who worked with the Humane Society of Truckee/Tahoe in its Pet Assisted Therapy Program visiting and cheering up patients at the local hospital. He was apparently shot with a pellet gun on Sept. 22 in his family�s Donner Summit neighborhood west of Truckee. Jeb was rushed to a local veterinarian by his caregiver, Kelly Weas, but tragically died during emergency surgery the following day.
UAN President Jeane Westin said the person or persons who shot Jeb should be brought to justice for the suffering inflicted on Jeb and his family. �This was a senseless act of violence against an innocent and trusting companion animal who was a helping friend to so many,� said Westin. �Those responsible must be punished to demonstrate that such brutality against animals, against any living being, will not be tolerated by our society.�
The Placer County Sheriff�s Department has launched an investigation into Jeb�s shooting death in the Serene Lakes neighborhood of the Donner Summit area. Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Detective Minton-Sander at the Placer County Sheriff�s Department at (530) 889-4877 or the Placer County Crime Stoppers hotline (for anonymous tips) at 800-923-8191.
UAN�s Zig Zag Memorial Reward, named for the dog Zig Zag who was burned, beaten and tortured for hours in Southern California before mercifully dying, is offered in the hopes that it will break the wall of silence and encourage people to step forward with information. UAN is a national animal advocacy and rescue group based in Sacramento, California. For further information, contact UAN at (916) 429-2457 or via email at [email protected]. Information on the Zig Zag Memorial Reward fund is available on the UAN website at www.uan.org.
Eleven-year-old Jeb was the canine companion of Kelly Weas. Jeb's influence extended well beyond Weas' home. Since June 2000, Jeb and Kelly had participated in the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe's Pet Assisted Therapy Program, which provides visits from companion animals and their caretakers to patients at the Tahoe Forest Hospital.
According to Coreen Wagner, co-coordinator of the program, Weas had let Jeb out around 6:00 p.m. He came in about fifteen minutes later lethargic and coughing. When his condition did not improve, Weas took him to her veterinarian who found a small puncture hole on the side of his chest behind his front elbow. X-rays revealed a pellet in his chest cavity. The pellet had done so much damage to his lungs that he did not survive surgery.
"Any person who commits this kind of brutal and senseless act demonstrates a lack of respect for life," says Cynthia Cutler, program coordinator for The HSUS' West Coast Regional Office. "And studies indicate that without intervention, there is a risk that the person could act out violently towards people as well. That means that until the perpetrator is caught, other animals and humans are in danger," adds Cutler.
The HSUS West Coast Regional Office serves the states of California, Nevada, and Hawaii. According to California law, the perpetrator can be charged with a felony
punishable by a maximum of one year in county jail and/or a maximum penalty of $20,000. In addition, California mandates psychological counseling as a term of probation.
The HSUS encourages people to keep a close eye on their pets. Dogs should not be left outside unattended for extended periods of time. Dogs should not be allowed to roam. Roaming dogs are vulnerable to individuals who want to abuse them, are at increased risk of injury and disease, and when unaltered add to the pet overpopulation problem.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Placer County Sheriff's Office at 530-889-7800 or Crimestoppers at 800-923-8191.
Contact: Cynthia Cutler: (916) 344-1710
