Hundreds of dead pets dumped!!!

[Charade]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11152396/

W.Va. officials, investigating a Fairfax crematory, describe a 'morbid scene'
By Leef Smith

Updated: 3:26 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2006
The carcasses of hundreds of pets from the Washington region have been dumped in a rural West Virginia town, and a Chantilly company that was paid to cremate the animals is the focus of an investigation, Fairfax County police said yesterday.

Investigators with West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources said about 250 animals -- dogs, cats, rabbits, raccoons, white-tailed deer, foxes, even an exotic bird -- were discovered Saturday morning by a woman walking on private residential property in Hampshire County, about 70 miles west of Dulles International Airport.

Officials said it appeared that no effort had been made to hide the animals, mostly dogs and cats, which were piled and left to rot. Some still had intravenous tubes attached.

"It was a morbid scene," said Lt. Harry Shaver, a spokesman for the law enforcement section of the Division of Natural Resources. The agency investigates the unlawful disposal of animal carcasses, which can be punished by fines and jail time. "It's not an uncommon occurrence in West Virginia for our agency to receive a complaint of refuse dumping and locate a dead animal. But something of this magnitude, with this number of animals, is unusual."

Investigators said they used collars and identification medallions to link the animals to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter and to facilities in several other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. Officials declined to name any of the other locations.


Until the discovery, made near the town of Capon Bridge, Fairfax's animal shelter had a contract with Family Pet Cremations in Chantilly -- whose motto is "Your friend is our friend" -- to dispose of animals that had died or been euthanized, county officials said. The company also has been used by Montgomery County and by private veterinarians.

No one answered the phone yesterday at Family Pet Cremations, also known as Northern Virginia Funeral Services.

'Horrific finding'
Fairfax officials said their contract with the company was canceled Sunday.

"They had a legal obligation to properly dispose of the animals, and it looks like they didn't do that," said Fairfax County police spokeswoman Mary Mulrenan. "As a police department, we're disturbed and concerned. It's a horrific finding." The police department oversees the animal shelter.

Officials with the Montgomery County Animal Services Division, which had used Family Pet Cremations for five years, said yesterday it also had canceled its contract. The discovery of the animals was first reported on WRC-TV (Channel 4).

Mulrenan said Fairfax County was conducting an audit of its contract with the company and an administrative inquiry into a Fairfax County Animal Shelter civilian employee who worked part time at Family Pet Cremations. The employee was put on administrative leave Wednesday, officials said.

Family Pet Cremations's Web site outlines its philosophy: "Our caring and compassionate staff are professionals. We treat your pet as if they were our own. Out of respect we follow the same strict cremation guidelines as funeral homes."

Yesterday, officials with the U.S. Forest Service said they were investigating a possible connection between the animals and a similar incident that occurred just before Christmas about 30 miles away in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. In that case, a visitor to the park found about 50 to 75 pets -- domesticated and strays as well as wild animals -- in a mound.

"It was pretty disgusting," said Woody Lipps, a patrol captain in charge of law enforcement for the national forests. "I think if you look at this remote corner of West Virginia and you have two sites like this, it would be highly unlikely that they're not linked."

Lipps said his department established a link between the animals found in the forest and the Fairfax County Animal Shelter last week, just before the discovery in Hampshire County.

"At this point, all I know is [the crematory] had a contractual agreement with Fairfax County to deal with these animals, and we know these animals were at one point in time dealt with by Fairfax," Lipps said. "What happened in between is what we're trying to figure out."

 

[Carrieannew]

OMG .. thats horrible. Peoples loved ones pass one. And then to be treated like that. And the poor women who found them.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Just when you think there's no way man's inhumanity can get any lower, someone comes along to prove you wrong.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

Uuhhgg....reminds me of the human cremetory in GA that dumped all the remains of people they weren't actually cremating. Disgusting.

 

[Muffy]

OMG, this is despecable!

 

[4nana]

Saw this on the news last nite and can't believe any human being could stoop to this level.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I should never have clicked on this thread. I feel like I'm going to get sick.

How could anyone be so inhuman?

I paid extra when I had to have my beagle put down, to have her cremated on her one, without other animals. I wanted her ashes to be hers alone. I always wondered if I was really getting what I thought I was getting.

Animals have no voice. I hope someone steps up and prosecutes the h*ll out of this/these person.

 

[sha_lyn]

I paid extra when I had to have my beagle put down, to have her cremated on her one, without other animals. I wanted her ashes to be hers alone. I always wondered if I was really getting what I thought I was getting.

we did the same thing with both of our dogs. I have the same doubts at times, especially when I here storys like the one posted.

 

[Trish Bessette]

This is very disturbing

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I think it is very disturbing as well. I read this story on CNN last night and have been very upset ever since. How could I ever trust one of these places?
One of my good friends' family dog passed at age 16 several years ago and the family brought her to be buried in a special place at home. They must feel such comfort knowing exactly where her final resting place is.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I think it is very disturbing as well. I read this story on CNN last night and have been very upset ever since. How could I ever trust one of these places?
One of my good friends' family dog passed at age 16 several years ago and the family brought her to be buried in a special place at home. They must feel such comfort knowing exactly where her final resting place is.

This is what I'll do when my Golden Retriever passes on. The only problem, is that eventually I'll move. What then? I can't imagine ever leaving her behind.

 

[hiwaygal]

These mass graves are why I did something different when I had to put my last dog (^Zeke^) down...I paid extra for his cremation, and I found a lovely urn to put him in. It sits on the mantle with his picture in it and his collar on top.

I couldn't bear to leave him alone somewhere, and I can take him with me whenever I move.

I will do this for EVERY pet I have from now on...

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I paid extra when I had to have my beagle put down, to have her cremated on her one, without other animals. I wanted her ashes to be hers alone. I always wondered if I was really getting what I thought I was getting.

We've done this with each of our cats. It isn't cheap, but it is important to us as a family.

 

[eclectics]

Uuhhgg....reminds me of the human cremetory in GA that dumped all the remains of people they weren't actually cremating. Disgusting.

Any mortuary business, human and animal, has a moral and a legal obligation to treat remains with the respect they deserve (and were paid to do). I hope they are punished and put out of business.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Every single time a pet thread comes up on here, I say the same thing - "I probably love my dog too much."

The thought of losing her actually hurts. I can feel it in the pit of my stomach. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who feels that way, mainly because nobody else talks about it around me. I'm sure there are others.

I can put myself in the position of the people who's pets could have been those that were dumped and it just makes me sick. The thought that my dog could have been left like that makes me ill.

I would want to have Chloe with me too, but hearing these stories makes me wonder how ethical these crematoriums really are. Were those dogs supposed to be cremated? I didn't/couldn't read the whole story.

I'm absolutely dreading the day I have to face this with her. She's my heart dog and she can never be replaced. I'm such a sissy... I have tears in my eyes as I'm typing this and I have to leave to show a house in an hour!

 

[Christine]

I would want to have Chloe with me too, but hearing these stories makes me wonder how ethical these crematoriums really are. Were those dogs supposed to be cremated? I didn't/couldn't read the whole story.

Yes, the dogs were supposed to be cremated. But I believe it was the "mass cremation."

When my dog was euthanized, I was given three options:
1. My vet let me take the dog home with me for yard burial
2. For $40, the county would pick up the dog from the vet (they do this once a week), take the dog to the county crematorium or whoever they contracted with to do this, and the dog would be cremated with many other dogs. That was it.
3. My dog would be picked up by a private crematorium, cremated, and ashes returned in an urn. That was a few hundred dollars.

My guess is that these animals were part of "Option #2". Fairfax County contracted this agency to take care of the pets and they didn't follow through.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

This is what I'll do when my Golden Retriever passes on. The only problem, is that eventually I'll move. What then? I can't imagine ever leaving her behind.

I wondered this about my friend's house too. It was her parents house. The neatest thing happened, though, the parents did indeed move, but they sold the house to their daughter. The father actually built the house...nice to see it staying in the family.

Am I There Yet, you are not the only one. The thought of losing my dogs makes me physically faint. When I hear a story like this, I actually begin to feel desperate. I don't know what I will do when this horrible time comes around for me.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Yes, the dogs were supposed to be cremated. But I believe it was the "mass cremation."

I wonder if those owners were supposed to get ashes back? If I hear that they did, I'm going to freak.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I wondered this about my friend's house too. It was her parents house. The neatest thing happened, though, the parents did indeed move, but they sold the house to their daughter. The father actually built the house...nice to see it staying in the family.

I'm glad that worked out for your friend. Eventually I'll be moving back to Florida, so I don't know what I'll do. It would be comforting though, to know that there was as spot I could go to, to feel closer to Chloe.

Am I There Yet, you are not the only one. The thought of losing my dogs makes me physically faint. When I hear a story like this, I actually begin to feel desperate. I don't know what I will do when this horrible time comes around for me.

While it's nice to know I'm not the only one, I'm sorry that you deal with the same thing I deal with. My youngest daugher thinks I worry about it too much, but I can't help it. She's not getting any younger. Again - I think I've gotten too attached, but how can you control that?

 

[Christine]

I wonder if those owners were supposed to get ashes back? If I hear that they did, I'm going to freak.

My guess is yes. The crematorium *probably* handled those properly since they were paid more. Probably figured that they could get away with it on the "cheaper" option.