Six missing Langley dogs died of heatstroke in back of walker’s truck

[Miss*Bijou]

This is just awful and so so preventable.

I saw a dog left in a car in the parking lot at Safeway yesterday and came very close to confronting the stupid owner when she finally came out. Even if it doesn't seem that hot out yet, it gets really hot really quickly inside a car, so don't be stupid and leave your dogs like that ffs. People should already know that. A DOG WALKER should know that. I certainly hope they file animal cruelty charges against her and that no animals are ever left in her care. What a moron!

Six missing Langley dogs died of heatstroke in back of walker’s truck

By Paula Baker Global News



An almost week’s long search for six missing dogs in Langley has ended in tragedy.

RCMP have confirmed the dogs have died, and believe they passed away in the dog walker’s vehicle from heatstroke.

According to Petsearchers Canada spokesperson Al MacLellan, the dog walker Emma Paulsen admitted to him that she left the six dogs in the back of her truck which resulted in them all dying of heatstroke. When she found the dogs dead, Paulsen panicked and concocted a story to cover up what had happened.

Langley RCMP have located the dogs, which will be recovered by the SPCA. Police will continue their investigation, while a separate investigation into the mistreatment of the dogs will be done by the SPCA.

MacLellan says Paulsen was going through personal turmoil before this incident.

“This young lady has been going through some serious family issues and is on medication for panic attacks,” he said.

“The dogs were left inside the pickup, according to her, with water and the side vents of the canopy open — and they perished in the heat.”

It was at that time, MacLellan said that Paulsen made up the story and went and hid the bodies.

The initial story Paulsen reported was that the dogs were stolen from the back of her pick-up truck from the Brookswood off-leash park, while she was in the washroom, near 206 Street and 44th Avenue in Langley on May 13.

The story of the missing dogs grabbed headlines in the Lower Mainland with a Brookswood 6 Facebook page and a rally held by the canine’s owners that was held to garner support for their search.

 

[cherise]

i knew there was no way those poor dogs had all been stolen so easily in broad daylight in a short time....i doubt anyone would even attempt it ,unless they were 101 dalmations ffs.
i dont care if the dogwalker was going through turmoil....she should not have taken on the added responsibility of 6 dogs then . she should be fully prosecuted,.it would be nice if she could be forced to suffer in a similar manner . and how long must those animals been in the truck...i think there is still m,ore t this story

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

I have been to that same dog park in Brookswood many times. I know how big it is and how busy it is and just KNEW there had to be more to the story. While I was out my walk with Willie today, I walked past another hardy soul braving the rain. She put forth this VERY SAME SUSPICION; that the dogs had died accidentally and the dogwalker had panicked and dumped the bodies somewhere. This makes me sick.

Were anyone to allow MY dog to accidentally perish due to heat stroke (HA! He's never been left alone for more than 3 hours in his LIFE!) prosecution and family turmoil would be the least of their worries.

 

[bcneil]

When the news broke last week about 6 stolen dogs I called bullshit right away. Who would steal 6 old dogs? It would be hard to sell them, since they would all be in the news.
You would have to take them out of province and sell them one by one. Not worth the effort.

I was told how insensitive I was, by a secretary at work.

Can't wait to go to work tomorrow and see what she says now.

I wonder if this lady ever walked the dogs? Or just packed them in her truck and pretended all along.
Latest story is she parked outside some business in Richmond, where the dogs all died, then drove out to abbostsford to dump the bodies in a ditch, then to the dog park to pretend they were stolen.

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

My heart breaks for those dogs! How could they be kept in the back of a truck beside a busy park with no one noticing???
I am sure people walked by but didn't do anything...

In THAT dog park? In ANY dog park? Not a chance. That's how I knew she was telling lies. When I first moved back here from the Mainland in 2005, I lived in Langley for a year and took my dogs there often. It's busy, it's a big parking lot, it is REALLY well utilised, and there is no way that dog park people would not do everything they could when they noticed six dogs in distress!

How am I so positive? Today, Woozer and I took our normal walk, as we do every morning. Passed the dog park, said hi to all the regulars and walked off into our woods. We were on the other side of another park when he caught scent of a bunny and he was GONE! I walked and called, called and walked, and thought all kinds of horrible things. Then I became aware my pocket was buzzing ever so slightly. BB on the phone.

"They have the dog at the dog park! How do they know our number? It isn't on his collar!" Well, they saw him come trotting up along the fence, very proud of himself, and quite tired. I guess when he finished chasing bunny, he decided it was closer to go back to the dog park and wait for me there than to actually, you know, come when he was called ! (He's almost 14 though....possibly he didn't hear me...) They saw him, immediately started worrying about why I wasn't with him (thinking maybe I had gotten hurt...) One woman had my personal number because of some common interests we share, so she called my house, and I picked the old bugger up there.

Dog park people would NEVER let six dogs suffer in an unvented space.

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Jeez, how long do dogs have to be in a poorly ventilated area before they die. One hour or more? Why would you leave them in a car for an hour or more? I do not understand this is terribly irresponsible.

Depending on the temperature inside that area? Under 15 minutes, just like a child. Legally, if you break a window on a vehicle to save an animal's life in such a situation, the police cannot charge you, as I understand it.

 

[CJ Tylers]

It's horrible, revolting and extremely sad.

Also, I notice that it stirs up more sentiment than people dying or being mistreated. In general, not this board specifically. Just...people in North America... in .... general.

 

[Miss*Bijou]

It's horrible, revolting and extremely sad.

Also, I notice that it stirs up more sentiment than people dying or being mistreated. In general, not this board specifically. Just...people in North America... in .... general.

How so? How does it stir up more sentiment than people dying or being mistreated?

 

[CJ Tylers]

I see more public outcry and anguish, more front line news. I mean, sure, if it's a nice young kid, a pretty girl, or some other glorious new source... people will act outraged. But anything less than that? Maybe a day or two of anger or outrage, then it's forgotten.

Foster child beaten to death? That might earn you a few days. Dogs? 2 weeks of on going anguish. Homeless or drug user? They had it coming (etc), though "naughty naughty" to whomever does it (if we pay attention at all). I'm just sayin'....

 

[MissVioletRei]

It's sickening how some people can be so careless/abusive towards animals.
I understand mental illness exists (etc) however taking things out on creatures (animal or human) is not right and unfortunately animals cannot speak up for themselves.

 

[Miss*Bijou]

I see more public outcry and anguish, more front line news. I mean, sure, if it's a nice young kid, a pretty girl, or some other glorious new source... people will act outraged. But anything less than that? Maybe a day or two of anger or outrage, then it's forgotten.
No Foster child beaten to death? That might earn you a few days. Dogs? 2 weeks of on going anguish. Homeless or drug user? They had it coming (etc), though "naughty naughty" to whomever does it (if we pay attention at all). I'm just sayin'....

I think you're mixing two different issues: the difference in reaction for humans vs animals and the way we value some human lives more than others. I totally agree that we value the lives of some people more than others and that it is sad. However as far as animals vs humans are concerned, I disagree. If a daycare worker had dramatically announced that six kids under her care had vanished while she went in to use the restroom, do you honestly think that people would have shrugged it off and simply forgotten about it? And done the same when she finally admitted they hadn't vanished after all but had died in her car while she was busy doing God knows what? I'm sorry but it would have been a big deal and would have remained one. A way bigger deal than has been for the dogs. Additionally, we value some animal lives more than others to an even larger degree than we do for humans. Look at the fuss people have made over 6 dogs dying of heatstroke and just think of how unconcerned people were for the millions of tortured animals they eat every year and the several thousands who die in barn fires, in road accidents while in transport or other types of tragic accidents before they make it to the kill floor:

2,000 Pigs Die in Factory Farm Floor Collapse
May 19, 2014


Earlier this month, 2,000 pigs died near Guelph, Ontario, when the factory farm floor they were living on collapsed.

The floor was suspended eight feet above a liquid feces tank. Several hundred pigs died in the collapse, while hundreds more became stuck in the feces where they eventually died over the course of the day.

-----

Pigs are considered one of the smartest animals on the planet. They can solve problems, use mirrors to find hidden objects, and even play video games. In fact, the pig genome is very similar to the human genome. Major segments are identical, indicating that we are physiologically, behaviourally, and cognitively similar.

Mercy For Animals Canada has exposed the cruelty inherent in the Canadian pork industry. In late 2012 we documented:

- Thousands of pregnant pigs confined to filthy, metal gestation crates so small the animals were unable to even turn around or lie down comfortably for nearly their entire lives
- Workers firing metal bolts into the skulls of pigs, leaving many still conscious and blinking
- Pigs suffering from large, open wounds and pressure sores from rubbing against the bars of their tiny cages or lying on the hard concrete flooring
- Pregnant pigs -- physically taxed from constant birthing -- suffering from distended, inflamed, and bleeding prolapses
- Workers slamming piglets into the ground and leaving them to slowly suffer and die
- Pigs too sick to stand being kicked, slapped, and pulled by their ears to force them to walk
- Workers cutting out testicles and slicing off the tails of fully conscious piglets without the use of any painkillers


Whether they are purposely killed to become food, or they die in horrific accidents like collapsing through a barn floor into their own feces, pigs on factory farms are guaranteed a miserable life and death.

Thousands of animals dying from barn fires or other kinds of such accidents is not even an uncommon occurrence either.

Do you think you would have heard about a similar accident if it had happened in a school and the victims had been children? Obviously it would have been a huge deal and all over the news. Probably you would have heard about it if it had involved cats or dogs. But pigs? Not a peep.

We're schizophrenic about how we determine which lives are valuable in general. We have odd ideas when it comes to different humans and we have odd ideas when it concerns animals.

 

[clu]

I think the direct harm and betrayal of trust by someone caring for an innocent dependant (children or pets) is going to generate more outrage than adults being cruel to each other. It doesn't mean pets are valued over humans. For whatever reason it's just considered more despicable to take advantage of those incapable of knowing they are being taken advantage of.

ETA: that's also what distinguishes treatment of pets from treatment of livestock: there's no presumption of trust and care offered to betray.

 

[Cami Parker]

One of the dogs was her own so she didn't do it on purpose, just stupid. Like really REALLY stupid, because who doesn't know that? My dog is my baby, and I would never ever leave him with someone outside of our family, just like I would never leave a child with someone outside the family

 

[Jessica James]

This is my take on this situation. Murder is murder . Murder is different than an accident murder is different than killing for food although many practises of butchering I would consider criminal murder .
I'm sure in the investigation of how that day and days and years before the murders she will have left a trail of chaos hurt , injury and destruction to those people closest to her . These types get away with it because they present as normal . Not every murder starts off with that intention but given the right set of circumstances and stressors the act of snuffing out a life out of rage is nothing for them look how innocent she acted on TV how sweet and believable she is . She has the markers , lies for her gain ,engaging , intelligent , glib , and an underlying seething rage .( which I'm sure will have a history of )

I believe she is a psychopath. I believe she killed out of rage . No one accidentally leaves what they describe as "their baby the love of their life " anywhere were they can't see them and don't know their safe . Everyone who has an animal knows this instinctually This was a purely evil act .
Sorry for the negativity lol

 

[manni]

I think it's just an unfortunate accident.

they did say that she took care of the dogs when they were still pups
which leads me to believe that she wouldn't hurt them intentionally.

it's just a lapse of judgement on her part and unfortunate that six dogs suffered
a cruel fate.

she stated on camera that she was just going to the washroom briefly.

my question is…
how did briefly (my definition is 2-3 mins max) turn into 45 mins?
what did she do in that timeframe? drugs? booze? tryst?

murder on the other hand would be the case in Whistler with the sled dogs
or Captain…the dog found in a Kitsilano dumpster.
those responsible should do some time but I don't think they ever did.

 

[Miss*Bijou]

murder on the other hand would be the case in Whistler with the sled dogs
or Captain…the dog found in a Kitsilano dumpster.
those responsible should do some time but I don't think they ever did.

The guy who killed the dogs in Whistler did not get any jail time, only 3 years probation.

The man who killed Captain did but not much. He was sentenced to 60 days.

 

[Miss*Bijou]

I don't know if it's true but another article I read said she'd done that 'hundreds of times' before.. meaning it was common practice and presumably she was totally clueless how dangerous it was? Great dog walker. I'm sure she was just as knowledgeable about all types of emergencies that might occur with 6 dogs in her care (not!).

Makes you think twice about checking people's credentials before you leave your dog with a dog walker, sitter, trainer, groomer or even daycare. Because, really, if she did this and did this regularly, she shouldn't have been trusted with dogs in the first place.

I wonder if she does the same with her child?!

In a hot car, Chortyk said, animals can suffer heat exhaustion or even death within 10 minutes.

People need to NOT leave their pets or their kids in the car AT ALL. Don't bother leaving water, the windows cracked, parking in the shade, checking on them every now and then or try to judge if it's still not 'really that hot out'... just don't leave them in the car AT ALL. You can fuck up or misjudge that way. So don't do it, ever!


Someone told me you're legally allowed to smash the car window if you see a child or dog in a car without water and windows rolled down? I asked if the dog or child had to be in distress and was told no, even if they're not visibly in distress. I have a hard time believing that's true. I figured they would have to be in distress. Does anyone know what the law says in these situations?

 

[Jessica James]

I bet she did this many many times . She's probably a dog walker because it's a job with little accountability and dogs can't talk back . Perfect victims for this type of human . I will never believe this was an accident more like her problems became too much for her so she killed the dogs . Think about it do you really think all the dogs were dead when she got back to her truck ? I don't think so .

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour. -Japanese proverb.

FORTY FIVE MINUTES??????????

Unforgivable.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

we've only got her word that the dogs were only left alone for 45 minutes - and we already know she's incapable of telling the truth

as a matter of fact the entire story could be bull shit - she could have been getting high at the crack house for all anybody knows

i for one don't believe a word of the story of running into a 'store' for 10 minutes but taking 45? no way, sorry... does not compute