posted 03-27-2003 12:15 PM         

Posted By: Lisa Jenkins/Full Moon Kennel
Date: 3/26/2003 at 12:387 p.m.

They bought a puppy - Sandy - and had the woman who runs the store, Rene
Lynn Schreiber, crop the dog's ears.

The procedure is considered cosmetic surgery that requires anesthesia,
proper surgical instruments, pain medication, and sanitary conditions, local
veterinarians said.

When the couple returned for their dog Feb. 8, they were stunned at her
condition.

"She was in a cage and the floor was covered with blood," Jessica Holmes
said.

"There was blood on her head. She kept shaking and crying."

Last week, Hampton police obtained arrest warrants against Schreiber,
charging her with two counts of animal cruelty. The charges involve
allegations the 37-year-old dog owner was practicing veterinary medicine
without a license.

Schreiber left town before detectives had an opportunity to search her
business and home for surgical instruments and medication that might have
been used to crop the ears of two pit bull puppies, police said.

Authorities tracked Schreiber to Pinellas County, Fla., where she was
arrested Sunday, said Hampton Police Cpl. Jimmie Wideman. Her arrest
followed two complaints to local animal control about mistreated pit bulls
in the back of a truck, according to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
spokeswoman.

Both Virginia charges are misdemeanors, punishable by as much as 12 months
in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Had either dog died, the cruelty charge would be a felony, said Hampton
Commonwealth's Attorney Linda Curtis.

It was unknown Monday whether Schreiber planned to return voluntarily or
would fight extradition to Virginia.

"We have the right to extradite for misdemeanors, but we rarely do because
of the expense involved," Curtis said.

"But I consider this case fairly serious."

Veterinarians in the area say they've been aware of medical complications
with dogs treated by Schreiber for several years.

About 21/2 years ago, Dr. John Freed, president of the Greater Peninsula
Veterinary Medical Association, reported Schreiber to the Virginia Board of
Veterinary Medicine in Richmond. But there was little the board could do
because Schreiber was not a veterinarian.

Dr. Gary Farwell, another local veterinarian, says he sent letters Feb. 9 to
the Hampton mayor, city manager, commonwealth's attorney and several animal
rights groups asking for an inquiry.

Detectives started investigating Schreiber on March 15.

They interviewed veterinarians who treated Daniel and Jessica Holmes' pit
bull puppy, Sandy, and another pit bull pup for infection following
ear-cropping surgery at Schreiber's store at 512 E. Mercury Blvd.

When the Holmes family bought Sandy, they said they trusted Schreiber.

"We were naïve, but she said she had been doing this for 15 years and
sounded like she knew what she was doing," Daniel Holmes said.

After picking up Sandy, Jessica Holmes drove the sickly pup to the Armistead
Avenue Veterinary Hospital in Hampton. Farwell said the dog was in shock
from a loss of blood.

"It wasn't too far away from death, within a few hours," Farwell said.

Farwell cleaned the infected tissue and administered antibiotics.

Sophia Holmes of Newport News - no relation to Jessica and Daniel - also
owns a pit bull that was treated by Schreiber.

Her dog is the other one Schreiber is accused of mistreating.

"When I picked up the puppy the next day, there were splotches of dried
blood on the head and legs and he kept shaking his head and yelping," she
said. "He looked pitiful, a mess."

After a week, Sophia Holmes took the dog to Warwick Animal Hospital in
Newport News.

Dr. Paul Gustafson examined the pup.

Both pit bulls are continuing to recover.

Some veterinarians say the recent complaints about Schreiber aren't new.

"About three years ago we received a complaint against this woman that she
was doing surgery, giving immunization shots, treating skin diseases and
giving medical advice," Freed said.

"The animal came in with excruciating pain. The ears had been crudely cut
and sutured with fishing line," Freed said.

City officials as well as the Peninsula Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to animals knew of allegations involving Schreiber. In 1997,
Schreiber was convicted in Hampton of charges related to her own animals,
including no rabies vaccination and dogs running loose.

A spokeswoman for the SPCA said the organization had no comment on the
investigation.

Commissioner of Revenue Ross Mugler confirmed that his office received a
complaint in August 2001 from a veterinarian who claimed Schreiber was
performing veterinary services. Schreiber indicated in her business license
that she operated a retail store offering pet supplies and dog food.

City records showed Schreiber obtained a business license on June 15, 2001.
It was not renewed this year.

posted 03-31-2003 06:16 PM         

Ear cropping- first, most dog fighters prefer natural ears on their dogs... the reason? They'd rather the opponent gets a mouthful of their dog's ear than a mouthful of their head and a tooth deep inside their "open" ear canal. The only real function ear cropping has today is for dogs that are going to be working in conditions where they're likely to tear their ears, like boar dogs and some "guardian" type breeds (mostly the mastiffy breeds), and as a "preventive" surgery. Other than that, it's pretty much just a cosmetic thing based on personal preference. I will say though that a torn ear can be a huge pain, they bleed A LOT, and sometimes they take forever to heal, with the risk that they'll end up tearing again anyway. I doubt that I'd ever have a dog cropped (probably the only way would be if it was going to be in a situation as described above), but at the same time, I won't condemn a good, caring, responsible home/owner if they choose to do so to their dog (not saying that anyone here is condemning, but I have seen it in real life and other places online).

Docking- if it's done properly, on a 2-4 day old pup, there seems to be minimal pain, the pups forget a few minutes (sometimes seconds), and they're completely healed within a few days. There are some breeds of dog that have really thin, bony, or non-furry tails, which are particularly susceptible to being split open on walls/crate sides/tables when the dog wags. These injuries are sometimes impossible to heal, and take forever if they do, usually by the time they're "normal" again, the owner's walls, ceiling, and floors are so bloody it looks like someone was murdered there. If the owner opts to try and the split of their adult dog, it usually involves several weeks (at least) of keeping the tail wrapped so it's not broken open again... then of course most dogs will "wag" the wrap off, so it has to be taped onto the fur. There are also the dogs who see that "nifty toy" on their tail, and either remove the wrap, or chew their tail, causing worse damage than before... so most dogs with split/wrapped tails are also suited up with a "cone". Then, even if the tail does heal, there's a good chance that it will be split open again at some point, so you spend a good part of your time teaching your dog "GET AWAY FROM THE WALL(crate/doorway/stove/etc)", and frantically diving between them and whatever they're bashing their tail against. If the owner opts to have the tail "docked" on an adult dog, it is considered to be an "amputation", and will have both mental and physical effects on the dog. The dog may have problems with balance/coordination afterwards, or may become severly depressed. This route also involves aftercare, wrapping, and taping for the tail, but at least after one time, it can't happen again. I prefer a dog with a tail, but would consider having a pup docked if it was of a breed at especially high risk, or if I knew that other dogs in it's line had similar problems.

Dewclaws- I like dewclaws, and think that they're an imprtant thing for dogs. I know that some owners prefer dewclaws removed if the pup is going to be hunting/doing anything involving brush/harsh terrain, and that some take off dewclaws because they can scratch pretty hard with them. We have four dogs here with dewclaws (one without, but she does have "nubs", so they must have been nipped off as a pup), and I keep them filed down, plus if we go out someplace where I'm afraid of them snagging and ripping a nail, I wrap a little piece of vetwrap around their "ankles", covering the dewclaws, so there's no way they'll get snagged. They use them for holding things while they chew (bones, toys, etc), and for climbing hills and ledges when we go to the beach. Goo also uses them when we're fooling around on the agility stuff in the yard, and when she tries to climb trees after squirrels. I don't think I'd have a dog's dewclaws removed, unless they were particularly "flappy" (with no bone there to hold them "in", or if they were extra "loose"), or I was going to be doing a lot of work in bad conditions where they'd be likely to get snagged.

Annie demonstrates what a torn ear (her left ear) looks like 2 yrs after stitches, cauterization, wrapping, and glueing (the tear was originally around 1/2" long, by the time it was done, it was only around 3/8" (obviously all the medical stuff was a huge help :rolleyes ). There's also a smaller tear beside it that you can't see in this pic:

Goo demonstrates proper use of dewclaws ( ):

Goo shows her disgust at being "wrapped" (not originally a wagging injury, but her wagging it against things has kept it from getting any better):

posted 02-04-2004 09:34 PM         

****MODERATOR EDIT**** This topic doesn't need to be restarted. The original poster posted this news article almost a year ago. If you want the "trashing" to stop, there is no need to state this and then proceed to start "trashing" back. Rene you are posting hearsay about someone (which I have removed) and this is NOT the place to do it. If you have a problem take it elsewhere.

TOPIC CLOSED! Further references to this will be deleted and membership terminated.

Moderator