california – Page 2 – My Cocker Spaniel

Cocker spaniel rescued from 100°F car

Sacramento firefighters freed a cocker spaniel from parked car Wednesday afternoon. The owners had left it in the Arden Fair Mall parking lot while they did some shopping. Mall security had checked on the dog several times then called firefighters when the car’s interior reached 100°F. Mall security said the spaniel was in distress. They noticed it “panting and sweating profusely.”

Animal control officer John Sorrels fined the couple $200 dollars for leaving an animal unsupervised in a car. Sorrels said, “They could die, they could get heatstroke. We’ll have to break your window out maybe and take your dog and take it to the vet and you may or may not get it back.”

When the couple learned their dog had been taken by mall security they left without it. The couple later returned for it saying they were embarrassed the first time. The couple claims they took precautions including parking in the shade, cracking the windows, and checking on him every 15 minutes. Even so, mall security chief Steve Reed said, “put a fur coat on and sit in a car that’s a 100 degrees – it’s not gonna be very good for you.”

Update: Burbank siblings to appear in animal cruelty trial

Prince died after fatal stabbing — Prince died after senseless attack

The 18-year-old brother and 23-year-old sister who brutally killed their aunt’s cocker spaniel will face trial March 7th. On February 4, 2012, Timo Bodtcher held down Prince while Charissa Bodtcher stabbed him approximately 10 times with a 12-inch hunting knife. Both fled the scene leaving Prince to die. Prince managed to climb up the long flight of stairs leading to his home in a 2nd floor apartment. Police testified Prince left trail of blood on the stairway where they found him bleeding profusely with his organs protruding. Tim Bodtcher justified his actions by saying Prince was “crazy” and “bites people.” Both siblings are free on bail.

Update: Burbank siblings plead not guilty

Timo Bodtcher charged with animal cruelty

Charissa and Timo Bodtcher plead not guilty yesterday to animal cruelty. Burbank police say the two stabbed their aunt’s cocker spaniel mix with a 12-inch hunting knife. District Attorney Michael Stewart accused Timo Bodtcher of holding down Prince while Charissa Bodtcher stabbed him. Stewart said the stabbing was so brutal that Prince’s intestines were hanging out. The two remain jailed in lieu of a $20,000 bond each until their February 16 court date. The siblings’ mother, Maria Theresa Bodtcher, plead not guilty to accessory charges and was released on her own recognizance.

Burbank family arrested in cocker spaniel stabbing

Last Saturday, Charissa Bodtcher, 23, and her brother Timo Bodtcher, 18, were arrested for fatally stabbing their aunt’s dog in Burbank, California. Lt. John Dilibert of the Burbank Police Department described the scene as “pretty horrific.” Prince, the cocker spaniel, had been stabbed “numerous” times dying from his wounds. The siblings’ mother, Maria Theresa Bodtcher, 47, was also arrested after disposing the 8-inch knife in a nearby dumpster.

Prince reportedly nipped Charissa Bodtcher who came over to do her laundry. “It appears that when she’s come over the dog has tried to nip at her heels and has barked at her” said officer Dilibert. The three family members are being held on a $20,000 bond each as they face animal cruelty and conspiracy charges.

Woman fatally drags cocker spaniel with truck

On July 28, 2011, a horrified driver witnessed Cecilia Bojorquez’s cocker spaniel jump off the back of her pickup truck while she drove more than 50 mph down 45th Street in Lancaster, California. The dog was tied with a rope around its neck while being dragged behind the moving truck. Off-duty Animal Control Officer Derek Ames honked his horn and flashed his headlights but it wasn’t until two miles later that Bojorquez finally stopped.

According to Ames, the three-year-old brown cocker spaniel named Marley had severe injuries to her paws, legs, and belly. Bojorquez was eventually met by Lancaster sheriff’s deputies and arrested while Marley was taken to High Desert Animal Care Hospital in Palmdale. Marley’s injuries were so severe that she was “humanely euthanized.” According to Hospital Director Marcia Mayeda, this incident was one of the, “more agonizing animal cruelty and neglect cases in recent memory.”

Bojorquez plead guilty to felony animal cruelty charges and was sentenced to 3 years’ probation, 45 days community service, and $300 in fines and court costs. Authorities say Marley’s death could have been prevented if she was allowed to ride inside the truck. It is illegal in many states, including California, to transport a dog in an open-bed truck unless certain measures have been taken.

California Vehicle Code Section 23117: Carrying Animal in Motor Truck

No person driving a motor vehicle shall transport any animal in the back of the vehicle in a space intended for any load on the vehicle on a highway unless the space is enclosed or has side and tail racks to a height of at least 46 inches extending vertically from the floor, the vehicle has installed means of preventing the animal from being discharged, or the animal is cross tethered to the vehicle, or is protected by a secured container or cage, in a manner which will prevent the animal from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the vehicle.