Animal Hoarder Mary Lou Petrucci Accused of Holding Ex-Boyfriend Captive

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By Denise A Justin
Mary Lou Petrucci, 55, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was charged Friday with holding Harold Scheaffer, 72, in her home against his will. The home is in the 1500 block of Mineral Springs Road. Neighbors called it a "House of Horrors,” reports sfgate.com.According to police, Scheaffer and Petrucci had been dating and he moved into the house in 2010. Court documents indicate the two broke up shortly after Scheaffer moved in.Scheaffer said Petrucci lived on the second floor and he was held prisoner in one room on the first floor. Police allege that Petrucci locked Scheaffer in a room with access to a bathroom and nailed the windows shut.Scheaffer told police on October 19, after his daughter had rescued him from the house, that Petrucci locked him in the room from July to September and fed him only once a day. He said he could not recall the exact dates, according to publicopiniononline.com.On Friday, when authorities arrested Mary Lou Petrucci, they found animal feces throughout her house and also numerous domestic animals and wildlife--some running around freely and some in cages--and an estimated thousands of dollars in health-code violations.Petrucci was arraigned before District Justice Michael Leonardziak on charges of false imprisonment and recklessly endangering another person. The judge said Petrucci still owes $12,000 in fines for other offenses. Police said Petrucci was fined in the past for hoarding dozens of animals and for health code violations.DAUGHTER PAID RANSOM TO FREE HER FATHERScheaffer's daughter, Lynanne, said a two-month search for her father led her to Petrucci's home. “There were a lot of times I couldn't sleep,” Lynanne Schaeffer told WFMZ-TV. “Anxiety, stress, frustration, anger, pretty much everything.” “She's a monster, pretty much," said Scheaffer.Petrucci allegedly had started dating another man after Schaeffer’s father moved in with her, stated Lynanne Schaeffer, and the man was living mostly in his car parked on the property.Lynanne said she learned Sept. 13 that her father, who suffers from the early stages of dementia, was locked in the room. That's when she said she ran into Petrucci's new lover and asked him for help..."  More

Glenview Couple Charged With Child Endangerment, Animal Hoarding

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By TOM ROBBA Glenview couple is set to appear in Cook County criminal court today (Friday) to answer charges of endangering the life of a child and companion animal hoarding.Scott Corneliuson, 40, and Jennifer Corneliuson, 43, both of 3317 Lakewood Ct., Glenview, were taken into custody at the Glenview police station and charged Thursday before appearing at a hearing where a judge set bond at $25,000 ($2,500 cash) for each, Glenview police said.Glenview police and DCFS officials reportedly found 35 dogs in the home as well as urine, feces and damage caused by dogs in an inspection of the Lakewood Court home last week that led to yesterday’s charges being filed, police said.Court records obtained by the Journal said three children also lived in the home. Media reports say those children were between the ages of 3 and 5. Those children were placed with family members and the dogs are being relocated as part of a DCFS reaction plan.Glenview and officers and DCFS officials were reportedly responding to a report of neglect.Court records said dogs living in the house, “defecated and urinated throughout the interior of the home to include the children's beds and clothes” and said the parents were “unable to manage the dog excrement and waste (in the home).”..." More

The Easter Bunny's Important Message

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Every year, around June and July, animal shelters around the country are seemingly instantly flooded with rabbits that are no longer wanted. Countless well-meaning families buy cute baby bunnies as Easter presents for the children, only to realize a few months down the line what complex creatures these are, what complex care they require, and what a bad combination a skittish, unneutered rabbit and a rambunctious child can be. Read this article on why rabbits don't always do so well with children and vice versa and read here about the importance of spaying and neutering.

Buying a rabbit as an Easter present is a time-tested bad idea. Sure, baby bunnies are ridiculously adorable, but they also require a varied diet, not inexpensive vet care, a spay/neuter surgery, daily attention and playtime, and intricate rabbit-proofing (which in turn requires a watchful eye and sometimes infinite patience). Rabbits are excellent pets, but only in the right circumstances, which includes knowing full-well what you're getting into. And if you've done the research and still think you're ready to get a rabbit, don't ever buy from a pet store! Instead adopt from a shelter or a rescue and save a life!

Buy a toy rabbit for Easter-- adopt a real rabbit for life!

Celebrate Petfinder's Birthday by Sending in Your Adoption Story!

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March 15, 2011 will be Petfinder.com's 15th birthday! This revolutionary website has not only helped unite hundreds of thousands of homeless pets with their adoptive parents, it also tirelessly works to educate and entertain the public with their blog, message boards, library of articles on pet health, behavior, training, and much more. To celebrate this exciting milestone, Petfinder.com is staging a takeover of the Internet on March 15. This will entail a massive awareness explosion about adoption and shelter animals by numerous participating pet-centric blogs.

In honor of this momentous occasion, here at The Rabbit Advocate, I am hosting a rabbit adoption story contest. Send in a picture and story (up to 100 words) of how you and your bunny friend found each other and I will post a winner here on March 15th. Let's all get to writing!

The Easter Bunny Isn't Real

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I know all of us bunnyparents look forward to the Easter holiday season and the sudden availability of all imaginable rabbit-shaped objects that comes along with it. But while we’re enjoying the bunny cards and figurines, we need to realize that Easter is also a terrible time for many rabbits. Year after year, unsuspecting parents buy real baby bunnies to put in their children’s Easter baskets alongside jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Weeks later, these rabbits are dumped at shelters or (even worse) released into the wild, when the family slowly realizes that rabbits are not perfectly behaved inanimate objects.

As you and I know, rabbits are not toys, and they’re certainly not appropriate gifts for young children. Help spread the word to people in your area by writing in to your local newspaper, putting up posters at obliging shops/malls/grocery stores/veterinary clinics, or simply talking to friends and family about the commitment involved in owning a rabbit. Shelter and rescue volunteers have already begun spreading the word all over the country and I urge you to reach out and educate your local town or city about choosing toy rabbits for Easter, and adopting real rabbits for life.



While Peanut (left) and Jimmy may look like toys, these 3 lb. dwarf Hotots are real-life bunny brothers, adopted for life by Caroline and Matt in Boston, MA.

To read more about a national Easter awareness initiative, check out the House Rabbit Society’s Make Mine Chocolate campaign.

RSPCA SEIZE 132 ANIMALS IN SUBURBAN PERTH

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RSPCA inspectors seized 132 animals from a suburban Perth property yesterday.Inspectors had been told there were a large number of animals living in unhygienic conditions.All of the animals, including cats, rabbits and birds, are in RSPCA care and many require veterinary attention.The big influx of animals has forced the RSPCA's Malaga headquarters to temporarily suspend its adoption and retail services."This appears to be a sad and unfortunate situation. I want to pay tribute to the work of RSPCA Inspectors," RSPCA CEO David van Ooran said."Our Inspectors worked all day and through the night to make sure the 132 animals that were located at the property were safe in RSPCA care."Our shelter staff also worked through the night to look after the animals and make them comfortable."I would like to thank our supporters for their patience and understanding. RSPCA has been overwhelmed with offers of help from the public and we are extremely grateful..." More

At least 140 cats, most sick and deceased, removed Lake Worth home

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By Ana M. Valdes

LAKE WORTH —
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officers removed at least 140 cats — most of them sick and some deceased — from a woman’s home Wednesday morning, in what investigators are calling one of the largest cases of animal hoarding the county has recently seen.The cats were removed from Diane Carle’s home in the 1700 block of 12th Avenue South, where officials said they found adult cats and kittens in an “overwhelmingly deplorable situation.” It was the second time officials had visited the home in about a year in response to a complaint of cat hoarding. Carle, 64, will likely face animal cruelty charges, officials said.Some of the dead were kittens. Most of the cats found alive are so sick they will be euthanized, said Dianne Sauve, director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. Fewer than 10 cats in the first group of 40 brought to the shelter Wednesday were saved, she said..."  More