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Tracia L. Johnson Cruelty Case
Woman admits abusing dog, gets probation BY NICHOLAS J.C. PISTOR BELLEVILLE — A Cahokia woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an incident in which her dog was found abandoned with an electrical cord wrapped around his neck. Tracia L. Johnson, 34, pleaded guilty on one count of cruelty to animals and was sentenced by St. Clair County Judge Laninya Cason to one year of probation. Johnson also is forbidden from owning an animal during the probationary period, must complete 250 hours of community service and forfeit her $1,000 bond as a fine. Two other charges were dismissed by St. Clair County prosecutors in exchange for the plea. The dog was found by a sanitation worker as he was picking up Johnson's trash in Cahokia in September. At first, the 1-year-old pit bull mix, named Tommy, appeared to be dead. But the worker took a closer look and saw his head move. Tommy was placed in a shelter through Metro-East based Hope Animal Rescues. The extension cord was imbedded in the dog's neck and had to be surgically removed. Tommy, who was with protesters outside the St. Clair County Courthouse for the hearing Tuesday, has been rehabilitated and was placed into a new home late last year. Tracia Johnson: Sentenced to Year Probation for Leaving Tommy the Pit Bull for Dead in Trash By Chad Garrison An electrical cord tied tight around its neck had grown embedded into the skin. The dog was starved, bruised and beaten. Veterinarians didn't know whether the animal would survive. Eight months later the pit bull -- renamed "Tommy" -- finally had its day when its former guardian Tracia Johnson was sentenced Wednesday to a year probation, 250 hours of community service and the forfeiture of her $1,000 bail. Animal advocates had wanted the St. Clair County judge to mete out a harsher sentence. Still, they took solace in knowing that Tommy has survived his mistreatment and moved onto a much better life. At yesterday's sentencing, Tommy was on hand outside the courtroom with his new owner, Tim McGowan, who bested dozens of other applicants who also offered to adopt Tommy. "He hit the jackpot and we hit the jackpot," McGowan tells the Belleville News-Democrat. "He's such a sweet guy. He's well-adjusted, now that he knows what love is."
Owner sentenced for throwing dog in trash By: Casey Nolen KSDK -- Tommy is an 18-month-old dog who was nearly crushed in a trash truck when his owner threw him in the garbage with an extension cord around his neck. Wednesday, that owner had to stand before a judge and not everyone is happy with the sentence. The woman who rescued Tommy says it's the worst case of animal abuse she has ever seen. When he was a puppy, his owner wrapped the cord around his neck because he kept breaking loose from his chain. As Tommy grew the cord became embedded in his neck. Prosecutors say last fall his owner, 34-year-old Tracia Johnson of Cahokia, tossed the dog in the trash because she thought he was dead. A garbage man found him -- emaciated. And dog lovers at Hope Animal Rescue nursed him back to health. Wednesday, Johnson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty. And she was sentenced to one year probation, 250 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine. Prosecutors had asked for 60 days in jail. "From my perspective I really would have liked to see her get the sixty days in jail to think about it," says Jackie Spiker with Hope Animal Rescue. "I just think in order to change the way things are we have to start holding people accountable." Tommy's made a full recovery, but his new owners keep a scarf around his neck to hide his scars.
Owner of abused, abandoned pit bull gets probation; 'She got off easy for what she did to him,' new owners say link BELLEVILLE -- Tommy the pit bill, who was found beaten, starved and discarded in a trash can eight months ago, stood outside while his former owner, Tracia Johnson, pleaded guilty in court Wednesday to animal cruelty and received a one-year probation sentence. Tommy came to the St. Clair County Building with his new owners, Sue and Tim McGowan, to protest animal abuse. Inside, St. Clair County Associate Judge Laninya Cason accepted Johnson's guilty plea. Cason then sentenced Johnson to one year of probation, during which time she cannot own any animals, must complete 250 hours of community service, and forfeited her $1,000 bail. Assistant State's Attorney Benjamin Henning asked for 60 days in the county jail. Johnson, 34, declined to comment after the plea. "She got off easy for what she did to him," Tim McGowan said after he learned about the terms of the plea. "It should have been a felony," said Jackie Spiker, founder of Hope Animal Rescues in Alton, who helped save Tommy. "If the judicial system would have reviewed the law, she should have faced a felony charge." A trash collector found Tommy emaciated and injured in a trash can in back of Johnson's home at 503 Mildred Ave., in Cahokia. The dog had an electrical cord embedded in his neck, his body was covered with bruises and burns, and he weighed only 30 pounds -- 15 to 20 pounds less than a healthy dog his size. Spiker remembered the first time she saw Tommy. "I covered him in a blanket and I was going to pick him up, and the two animal control guys told me that he was going to bite me right in the face," Spiker said. "As I went down to get him, I was thinking, 'Oh God, don't let him bite me. Don't let them be right.' But I picked him up, and he just melted into my arms." Tommy was immediately taken to the Horseshoe Animal Hospital. When a veterinarian went to remove the embedded cord around his neck, Spiker said Tommy began to lick the vet's face. "He was in so much pain, but he knew the doctor was trying to help him," Spiker said. Spiker said Tommy has scars on the outside, but his behavior wasn't affected by the abuse. He has never showed any signs of aggression, and lapped up the attention brought by the media coverage of the case, Spiker said. "He felt like he was the center of everything," Spiker said. "He was the reason for the party. He's still that way." After months of rehabilitation, Tommy was put up for adoption. Hope Rescue received 47 applications, but one stood out. On the application under breed, applicant Tim McGowan wrote, "Tommy the-never-to-be-trashed again Pit Bull Puppy." The McGowans got the dog Dec. 13. Tommy now plays on six acres near Lenzburg with his two canine sisters, a Labrador Retriever named Dixie and a shepherd mix named Little Bit. His favorite toy is a chew toy. "He hit the jackpot and we hit the jackpot," McGowan said. "He's such a sweet guy. He's well-adjusted, now that he knows what love is." When a reporter asked McGowan what he thought Tommy would say to Johnson if he could speak, McGowan was quiet for a moment, then said, "How could you do this to me?" (under picture fat lady holding sign)
Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy BELLEVILLE, Ill.— A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck. Tracia Johnson of Cahokia was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty. Other misdemeanor counts were dropped. Prosecutors had pushed for Johnson to spend 60 days in jail. Authorities say the abuse surfaced in October 2009 when a trash collector found the then-9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Besides the electrical cord in his neck, the dog's body was bruised and burned, and he was 20 pounds underweight.
Pit Bull Puppy Abuser Sentenced link
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(KMOV) -- A woman accused of throwing a puppy in the trash will not face any jail time.
link Wednesday, Jun. 09, 2010 Protesters in front of the St. Clair County Courthouse carried signs Wednesday morning in support of a puppy once tossed out with the trash. Tracia Johnson, of Cahokia, was charged in connection with the October 2009 incident when a trash worker found an abused 9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Johnson is scheduled to be in court Wednesday morning to face the three misdemeanors for cruel treatment to animals and violating owner's duties. A trash collector found the dog, now named Tommy, Oct. 29, 2009, emaciated and injured. He had an electrical cord embedded in his neck, his body was covered with bruises and burns and he weighed about 20 less than a healthy dog should. Some of the protesters' signs said "Justice for Tommy."
Woman goes on trial for alleged puppy abuse BELLEVILLE -- A woman accused of abusing a puppy with an electrical cord and then throwing the animal in the trash goes on trial this morning. Tracia L. Johnson, 34, is charged with misdemeanor counts of cruelty to an animal and violation of animal owner’s duties. The pit-bull mix, Tommy, was found by a sanitation worker in October and eventually turned over to a shelter. He survived. The extension cord was buried into the dog's neck and it was struggling to breathe. Johnson's trial will be in St. Clair County Circuit Court. |
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