animals

A lost dog has been found on Pike Road by an area resident.

The dog was pulling 50 feet of cable.

A deputy is responding.

The City Council agreed by consent Monday night to move forward with a recommendation to create a task force to study what to do to with the local deer population.

There are no specific recommendations now, but council members agreed it's an issue the city needs to take a closer look at.

"I took a walk out there last fall and there is a swath of damage as wide as a street through the woods and meandering through people's property taking care of all their landscaping," said Council President Eugene Jankowski. "There's a path of dead vegetation all the way out to the edge of the city."

City Manager Jason Molino is expected to present a plan for creating a task force and providing it with directions on the scope and timing of its work.

Students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of the Saint Joseph School in Batavia, all members of the National Junior Honor Society, collected useful items and monetary contributions for the PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion over the course of two weeks. All SJS students and their families donated pet items, pet food, cleaning supplies, and money to the fundraiser. Friday, the NJHS members delivered more than 300 items and $150 to PAWS.

Info and photo submitted by Alicia Palmer.

This video is from Christopher Weicher at Batavia High School. He said each year the same mallard duck returns to the school to lay her eggs in the courtyard, where's sheltered from predators. The problem arises after the ducklings hatch and have no way on their own to get out of the courtyard for food and water, so staff gently nudges the family toward the doors and the great outdoors.

Saturday, Amy Scott sent in these pictures of city firefighters saving ducklings from a storm drain.

A 28-year-old Oakfield resident, Jeffrey Johnson, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, in connection with the alleged theft earlier this week of a van from a residence on Ellicott Street, Batavia.

The incredible part of the story is that the owner's dog, Duke, was in the Toyota Sienna, and after the vehicle was recovered in Rochester, Duke was returned to Betty and John O'Brien.

"Our fear was something happened to the dog, because Duke is a very gentle dog," Betty Carlet Cleare, a reporter with our news partner 13WHAM. "He could have sold him, he could have beaten him, and he could have done any number of things to him. The gods were with us this week."

Duke is apparently so gentle that he did not make a sound when the van was taken.

"He didn't say a peep," Betty said, "which we're thankful of, because that's why I think he survived."

Eric Almeter sent in this photo of a fox he spotted trotting through Le Roy at Route 19 and Union at about 8:30 this morning.

A reader sent in this picture from Sunday afternoon of a young bald eagle that he spotted feasting on a fawn that was dead near the side of the road on Dodgeson Road near Ridge Road, Alexander.

The employees at Castilone Chrysler Dodge and Jeep took in these two handsome canines they found wandering and lost near the dealership.

"They are both very nice and want to go home," Sara Stockwell said.

She's hoping the owner will claim the dogs by 5:30 p.m.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: The owner has picked up the dogs.

Police are responding to 10 Seneca Ave. after a caller reported two dogs outside attacking another dog.

Reggie, on the left, a 3-year-old Rottweiler, and Zoe, a 5-year-old Austrailian shepard, have been missing in the Asbury Road and Route 20 area of Pavilion since yesterday afternoon. Owner Crystal Geitner thinks they may have ran off into the woods chasing a deer. 

If you can assist in locating them, call Jaret (716) 474-1881 or Crystal (716) 560-3644.    

We think of dogs who bite, lunge, snarl and bark as aggressive, but that isn't necessarily the case, according to Tori Ganino, co-owner of Calling All Dogs, on Harvester Avenue.

Those behaviors are often a response born of fear, Ganino said, and dogs can be taught to be less fearful in situations they find stressful.

"What we do is train them that these situations aren't so bad, that you don't have to be afraid, you don't have to bite to make the person or thing go away,"  Ganino said. "Instead, we're going to help you feel better about it. So we change their emotional responses from a fearful one to a good one so that when I they see this person coming along, it's not such a bad thing. It's a good thing."

Ganino is a certified animal behavioralist, certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the only such certified consultant in Genesee County.

The certification process includes more than 400 hours of coursework, 500 hours of work with clients and a 12-part, essay-based exam. Certification also requires ongoing training and keeping abreast of the latest research-based behavior and training techniques.

Ganino started on the path toward certification after becoming the owner of a dog who had become fearful after a bad experience with a man in a pet store where the dog had been available for adoption. Ganino said in certain situations, the dog would just shake with fear. She wanted to help her pup handle fearful situations better so she sought some training.

The first training class used what's known as "flooding," which is repeated exposure to the fearful situation until the dog learns not to fear the stimulus any longer, usually by just emotionally shutting down. Ganino didn't feel good about that technique for her dog, so she sought out alternatives and discovered animal behavior training.

"I wanted to find a way to help him feel better about the situation and not put him in a situation he couldn't handle," Ganino said.

Unlike techniques that rely on punishment or dominance, behavioral training is about positive reinforcement for correct behavior.

If a dog snarls and lunges at certain people, the owner shouldn't scold, but rather divert the dog's attention, elicit the desired response and then reward the dog for the correct behavior.

"If he's in a situation where he's growling, he's over the point where he's comfortable with what's going on, so you need to take him away from it so can get him at a place where he's comfortable and then start the training," Ganino said. "That's where the behavior work really starts. You can't reinforce the emotion. You can make changes to get him to feel better, but at the time that he's seeing that person and thinking, 'I'm upset and I'm getting yelled at, too,' he learns that it validates his concerns. He's feeling a threat. It's not a good situation and he's getting yelled at."

Dogs look to their owners for leadership and an owner who is upset in a bad situation is telling a dog "This is a situation where you should be upset."

"With behavior work, we don't say, 'I don't want you to bark at this person,' " Ganino said. "Instead, we say, 'Why don't you look at me. Why don't we go over here and do this.' because 'no' just means stop, but you're not helping him understand what he's supposed to do. When he's lunging at another person, back him up and work with him so he realizes, 'I can look at that person, but what am I supposed to do when I look at him? I'll look back at mom and dad and they'll guide me through it. We'll play. We'll get rewards for it and then we'll go on our way.' "

Ganino owns Calling All Dogs with her husband, Rich, and while Ganino specializes in working with fearful and aggressive dogs, Calling All Dogs offers a range of obedience classes and personal training sessions as well as doggie day care.

A typical six-week class is $99, but on a space-available basis, owners of foster dogs can sign up for free classes.

Well-behaved dogs are socialized, get plenty of exercise and ample mental stimulation. They know what's expected of them and can count on their owners to provide a stable routine. Obedience classes are as much about training the owners as training the dogs, and it helps the owners understand how to avoid situations that maybe their dogs can't handle and then raising the fear factor.

"Any dog can have that emotional change to 'I'm upset and I'm scared,' " Ganino said. "A lot of times biting is a response to 'I'm afraid.' We can help a dog feel better, but it's up to the owners not to put them in situations they're not ready to handle."

This kitty was known as Porky until today, but Porky will soon have a new name, undecided at the time of the picture, says new parent Diana Fox, of Holley.

Fox was one of at least four people to adopt cats today during the Volunteer For Animals 50th Anniversary Fall Fur Event at Petco this afternoon.

The Volunteers for animals will continue the 50th anniversary festivities later this month with its annual Fur Ball. The 12th annual event is at 6 p.m., Oct. 24, at the Days Inn in Batavia. For more information, click here.

It's been just over a week since Rocky joined our family and during the week I've been asked several times how he's doing.

He's doing great. He's fit in well.

He and Pachuco are getting along fine. As for the cats, they've gotten used to him. If they challenge him, he backs down. If they run, he gives chase, and a sharp "no" usually ends the chase.

He's a ball of energy at times. He's loving and loves to be a companion. 

When we got him, his only apparent discipline training was "sit." I almost have him doing "down" pretty well now. He's walking on leash 100-percent better, at my side with no tugging.

In other words, he's displayed no apparent behavioral problems.  

One thing I forgot to mention in our post about adopting Rocky is a big thank you to the volunteers with Volunteers for Animals and the staff at the Animal Shelter. They obviously did a great job caring for Rocky and they were so, so helpful during our adoption process, full of information and useful advice.  

Previously:

• Rocky has a new home -- ours
• Owner of scalded dog surrenders ownership during court appearance
• Dog burned by hot water in good spirits at Animal Shelter
• Batavia couple jailed without bail after young pit bull scalded with water

Remember Rocky, the dog whom authorities say was scalded by hot water? The owner and her boyfriend where charged with crimes, and the owner surrendered Rocky to the county for adoption.

Rocky walked this week in the Oakfield Labor Day Parade and I was surprised to learn nobody had shown any interest in adopting him. On the spot, he kind of muzzled his way into my heart, so after much thought and conversation with Billie and a couple of visits to the animal shelter, Billie and I decided we would adopt him ourselves.

He's a real sweetheart, very gentle, loves people and other dogs and doesn't care much about cats. We had him with Pachuco in Kiwanis Park today to ensure they would get along, and they hit it off and have been doing well together this afternoon.

We think we can give Rocky a good home.

Previously:

• Batavia couple jailed without bail after young pit bull scalded with water
• Dog burned by hot water in good spirits at Animal Shelter
• Owner of scalded dog surrenders ownership during court appearance

This orange tabby kept trying to get into the MedTech Center on R. Steven Hawley Drive (across from GCC) this morning. Workers there think it's a house cat who is lost. It's being kept at the nursing office. Call (585) 343-0055, ext. 6355.

This kitten was found by staff on school grounds at Alexander Elementary School. It appears to have had recent surgery because of the purple dye on its fur. If it's your cat, contact the school.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: The owner has been located.

A resident of Alexander Road, Alexander, found this apparently lost cat. The cat has a flea collar, so the cat definitely has a home and an owner. Contact 585-813-4560.

Deer are causing damage in Batavia and residents say the problem is as bad as they can ever remember it, but that doesn't mean a solution will be easy to find.

DEC Biologist Art Kirsch led a two-hour meeting on the issue Wednesday night, but offered no clear answers and said it could take years for Batavia to thin its deer herd to a less destructive level.

City Manager Jason Molino agreed.

"We've got the right folks at the state level to help us," Molino said. "We've just got to get the right folks in the community to participate and try to come up with a solution. Unfortunately, the solution isn't a cookie-cutter solution and I don't think the time frame is either. I don't think what anyone can predict what type of obstacles we might receive in the process."

Several residents told of the problems they face, including Gus Galliford.

"We're concerned about the deer just ravaging our property," Galliford said. "They're coming in numbers we've never seen before. I built my house 25 years ago and lived in the neighborhood all that time, but after this past spring, they're just destroying the whole thing."

The deer have cost his family thousands and thousands of dollars, Galliford said.

Kirsch said an overpopulation of deer are a problem on at least three levels: ecological damage, car accidents and transmission of disease.

His best suggestions for now: fencing, repellents, and fertility control.

Molino suggested the city may need to set up a committee to study the issue and recommend a solution.

Reporting for story provided by The Batavian's news partner, WBTA AM/FM.

Melissa Broadbent, a defendant in an animal cruelty case, appeared in City Court this afternoon and surrendered ownership of her dog, a pit bull named Rocky.

Rocky was scaled with hot water sometime around July 20. Broadbent's boyfriend is accused of abusing the dog and Broadbent is accused of facilitating the crime and trying to cover it up.

We reported earlier today that Rocky is at the Animal Shelter and doing much better.

An animal control officer was in court today when Broadbent signed a document turning the dog over to the Sheriff's Office. The change in ownership will allow Animal Shelter volunteers to seek a new home for Rocky.

With Broadbent's agreement, Rocky is spared potential months in confinement at the shelter while her case winds through the legal process.

Broadbent, 36, is charged with: "overdriving, torturing and injuring" an animal; endangering the welfare of a child; first-degree coercion; offering a false written statement; intimidating a witness or victim in the third degree; and owning/harboring an unlicensed dog.

With no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions, Broadbent was released from custody and placed under supervision by Genesee Justice by Judge Robert Balbick.

Broadbent's boyfriend, 26-year-old Brandon M. Maldonado, of 52 Walnut St., is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal and offering a false written statement. He also appeared in court today.

Maldonado is currently on parole, but his public defender, Jamie Walsh, said he isn't aware of a violation being filed in connection with his arrest and said it's his understanding that Maldonado has been doing well on parole. He asked Balbick to set bail at $5,000 or $10,000 bond.

Robert Zickl, ADA, noted Maldonado does have that felony conviction, plus five misdemeanor convictions and five previous failure to appear charges.

Balbick went along with Zickl's recommendation of bail in the amount of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond.

A pre-trial hearing, also known as a felony hearing, has been set in Maldonado's case for 11:15 a.m., Thursday.

Broadbent, who waived a felony hearing, isn't due back in court until next month. Balbick did sign a stay away order of protection for her and her children and told her to take up any visitation rights with Family Court.

Zickl noted that the Department of Social Services will be investigating the case.

Rocky, the 2- to 3-year-old pit bull found at a local residence reportedly suffering from second- and third-degree burns from scalding water poured on his back, is doing much better, according to Batavia PD officials.

The boyfriend of the dog's apparent owner and the owner were charged Friday with several crimes related to the incident, including animal cruelty and lying to police about the incident.

The dog was burned around July 20 but the incident wasn't reported to police until Aug. 3.

Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan and Animal Control Officer James Sheflin investigated the complaint.

As a result of the investigation, Brandon M. Maldonado, 26, of 52 Walnut St., was charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal and offering a false written statement.

His girlfriend, 36-year-old Melissa A. Broadbent, and believed to be the dog's owner, allegedly tried to help Maldonado cover up the crime, including coercing her children into lying about the incident, and was charged with: "overdriving, torturing and injuring" an animal; endangering the welfare of a child; first-degree coercion; offering a false written statement; intimidating a witness or victim in the third degree; and owning/harboring an unlicensed dog.

The couple are scheduled to appear in City Court on the charges this afternoon.

Sgt. Dan Coffey said a State Street Animal Hospital vet conveyed to police that the dog was likely in a great deal of pain between the time he was burned and brought in for treatment nearly two weeks later.

It's expected that the second and third-degree burns will leave permanent scars, and some patches of skin will never regrow any fur. 

Despite what he's been through, Rocky was in great spirits during a visit at the Animal Shelter today. He was eager to meet a visitor and go outside. He readily obeyed commands to sit and stay.  

The dog's wounds show marked improvement from what was visible in the photo released by police Friday.

Officials believe Broadbent has owned Rocky since he was a puppy.

Coffey said police are trying to work through the District Attorney's Office to find a way to speed along the process that would result in a new owner for Rocky. As in previous dog cruelty cases, the owner must relinquish ownership or be convicted of a crime before the dog can go into foster care or to a new permanent home.