Post by Brooke on Feb 14, 2004 21:06:33 GMT -5
Alleged puppy mill operator caught by authorities at JFK
By Grace Dove 02/10/2004
TUNKHANNOCK -- An area dog breeder accused of operating illegal puppy mills has been caught in New York City.
According to Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick, John C. Tanis III was nabbed at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday and is in custody in New York.
An extradition hearing has been scheduled and Mr. Skumanick said he expects Mr. Tanis to be returned to Wyoming County sometime this week.
Mr. Skumanick said Monday night he still was waiting to hear on Mr. Tanis' extradition.
Mr. Tanis has run up a lengthy list of convictions for animal cruelty and other offenses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1996.
On Jan. 12, he was fined $11,080 and given a suspended 60-day prison sentence on animal cruelty and abuse charges in a nine-year-old New Jersey case after police nabbed him in a Dec. 24 traffic stop. Mr. Tanis was allegedly delivering puppies to customers.
Mr. Tanis failed to appear in Wyoming County Court on Jan. 14 for further court action on animal neglect charges and was declared a fugitive.
He allegedly called the Wyoming County sheriff about two weeks ago and said he's out of the state and not coming back, Mr. Skumanick said.
In late January humane officers seized 31 dogs from an unlicensed Eaton Township kennel owned by Mr. Tanis. The dogs were outside without any shelter, and some didn't have any food or water. The dogs have since been adopted out.
A condition of Mr. Tanis' bail from previous cases is that he isn't allowed to have more than two dogs, humane officials said.
Mr. Tanis has been charged 279 times in Pennsylvania with animal neglect and abuse, and numerous times in New Jersey.
By Grace Dove 02/10/2004
TUNKHANNOCK -- An area dog breeder accused of operating illegal puppy mills has been caught in New York City.
According to Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick, John C. Tanis III was nabbed at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday and is in custody in New York.
An extradition hearing has been scheduled and Mr. Skumanick said he expects Mr. Tanis to be returned to Wyoming County sometime this week.
Mr. Skumanick said Monday night he still was waiting to hear on Mr. Tanis' extradition.
Mr. Tanis has run up a lengthy list of convictions for animal cruelty and other offenses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1996.
On Jan. 12, he was fined $11,080 and given a suspended 60-day prison sentence on animal cruelty and abuse charges in a nine-year-old New Jersey case after police nabbed him in a Dec. 24 traffic stop. Mr. Tanis was allegedly delivering puppies to customers.
Mr. Tanis failed to appear in Wyoming County Court on Jan. 14 for further court action on animal neglect charges and was declared a fugitive.
He allegedly called the Wyoming County sheriff about two weeks ago and said he's out of the state and not coming back, Mr. Skumanick said.
In late January humane officers seized 31 dogs from an unlicensed Eaton Township kennel owned by Mr. Tanis. The dogs were outside without any shelter, and some didn't have any food or water. The dogs have since been adopted out.
A condition of Mr. Tanis' bail from previous cases is that he isn't allowed to have more than two dogs, humane officials said.
Mr. Tanis has been charged 279 times in Pennsylvania with animal neglect and abuse, and numerous times in New Jersey.