File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO — A Montara man walking two lapdogs off leash was hit with an electric-shock gun by a National Park Service ranger after allegedly giving a false name and trying to walk away, authorities said Monday.

The park ranger encountered Gary Hesterberg with his two small dogs Sunday afternoon at Rancho Corral de Tierra, which was recently incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said Howard Levitt, a spokesman for the park service.

Hesterberg, who said he didn’t have identification with him, allegedly gave the ranger a false name, Levitt said.

The ranger, who wasn’t identified, asked Hesterberg to remain at the scene, Levitt said. He tried several times to leave, and finally the ranger “pursued him a little bit and she did deploy her” electric-shock weapon, Levitt said. “That did stop him.”

San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies and paramedics then arrived and Hesterberg gave his real name, the park spokesman said.

Hesterberg, whose age was not available, was arrested on suspicion of failing to obey a lawful order, having dogs off-leash and knowingly providing false information, Levitt said.

He was then released. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Witnesses said the use of a stun gun and the arrest seemed excessive for someone walking two small dogs off leash.

“It was really scary,” said Michelle Babcock, who said she had seen the incident as she and her husband were walking their two border collies. “I just felt so bad for him.”

Babcock said Hesterberg had repeatedly asked the ranger why he was being detained. She didn’t answer him, Babcock said.

“He just tried to walk away. She never gave him a reason,” Babcock said.

The ranger shot Hesterberg in the back with her shock weapon as he walked off, Babcock said.

“We were like in disbelief,” she said. “It didn’t make any sense.”

Rancho Corral de Tierra has long been an off-leash walking spot for local dog owners. In December, the area became part of the national park system, which requires that all dogs be on a leash, Levitt said.

The ranger was trying to educate residents of the rule, Levitt said.

The park service is investigating the incident, he said.

Deputy Chief Adam Palmer played a graphic video of skateboarder Chris Evans smashing a Coast Mountain bus repeatedly with his skateboard, screaming profanities and breaking windows on the passenger side of the vehicle.

That led to a call to the police, who responded with a canine squad. In the ensuing arrest Evans suffered extensive injuries to his leg.

“We want to provide some context because at this point you’ve only heard one side of the story,” said Palmer.

Police recommended charges against Evans but the crown decided to stay them.

In a Province story last week, Evans said he knew he did wrong – but thinks the resulting police-dog attack was way out of line.

Evans says he lost his temper when three buses drove right by him and he smashed the last one with a skateboard – but the vicious attack he suffered was complete overkill.

“For a moment of losing my temper, it’s a huge price to pay,” said the a 33-year-old construction worker. “I lost my apartment, I lost my job and my leg doesn’t work. What I did was wrong, but the repercussions are ridiculous.”

Evans said he required about 100 staples to close his wounds after the attack.

“When the bus took off, I decided to skateboard home,” said Evans. “I didn’t even know there were police around. A police dog should never be the first responder.”

Meanwhile, the Pivot Legal Society is asking the Vancouver Police Department to probe what it calls a “really high” number of instances of police dogs biting suspects.

According to statistics from the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC), between March 2011 and January 2012, 46 per cent of the reportable injuries received from B.C. municipal forces came from police dog bites. The year before it was 48 per cent. A recent OPCC quarterly report states that “most reportable injuries are as a result of police dog bites.”

BRICK TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY — Health inspectors closed a township pet store Thursday, and animal welfare volunteers confiscated 39 puppies that were either sick or at risk.

The Puppies Galore store in the Brick Mall at Brick Boulevard and Chambers Bridge Road was closed about 1:30 p.m. because of a report of unsafe conditions and unhealthy animals, according to Ocean County Senior Public Health Investigator Ryan Griffin, who was at the scene Thursday.

The owners of the store, identified as Maria DeSantis and Nat Sladkin by Brick animal cruelty investigator Nanci Keklak, were told to leave. A “closed” sign was placed in the window while veterinarians examined the puppies.

Four puppies were extremely ill, and 26 of the 39 dogs suffered from illnesses ranging from mild to severe, according to Dr. Adam Christman, a veterinarian with Jersey Shore Animal Center in Brick.

Christman and Phillip Begun, a staff veterinarian with the Ocean County Animal Shelter, were called about 1:30 p.m. by health officials to examine the puppies. Police were called to the scene but no arrests were made.

A red certificate issued by the county health department and taped to the store wall showed the business had an unsatisfactory inspection on Jan. 20. “We performed different exams to determine the welfare of the puppies,” Christman said. “Four were deemed to have severe pneumonia and 22 had some sort of respiratory illness.”

The puppies ranged in age from 10 to 14 weeks, he said. Among the breeds were chihuahuas, yorkies and German shepherds, he said.

Sharon Kight of Brick — who is a member of the township Board of Education — said she called the health department Thursday as a concerned resident, after her sister told her about the conditions of the puppies.

“Why do people have to buy puppies from stores like this?” said Kight, who owns a dog that had been rescued.

The owners of Puppies Galore will not be allowed to reopen their business until after a court hearing, according to Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis, who was at the scene Thursday night.

Acropolis said the complaint was initiated by a concerned citizen who said a puppy was loose in the store when it was closed, and that some puppies appeared sick.

“It’s like human trafficking,” Acropolis said of the puppies, which humane officials said were overcrowded in pens and cages in the store. “The biggest thing is that people call us when they see something wrong like this. The health department makes inspections, but we count on people to be our eyes and ears in between.”

“Their license is suspended, and we didn’t want these sick puppies going out for sale anywhere else,” the mayor said.

Volunteers Thursday night were awaiting the arrival of shelter vans from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare shelter and the Monmouth County SPCA, which would take the puppies to different facilities throughout the area for medical attention.

The four puppies with pneumonia were taken to NorthStar Vets in Robbinsville, Christman said. NorthStar is a 24-hour emergency veterinary center.

Cosmo is from the film, ‘Beginners’ and was thanked by his human costar Christopher Plummer when he accepted his Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Uggie, the Jack Russell, is one of the lead actors of ‘The Artist” which was just nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

Enjoy the video!

Pit Bull File Photo.

Another pit bull was found Saturday inside a brand new dog crate. He had just been shot in the face. His body was still warm and blood was still flowing. It had a collar on. The killer or killers shot through the crate.

The Houston animal loving community is in shock about the horrific cruelty inflicted on these dogs.

BBRR is asking for help from Houston police to investigate these killings.

We’ll bring you more info as we receive it.

Dox, center, and Lyon, right, were killed in May during an operation carried out by Military Police.

BRAZIL — Quick, determined and with impeccable senses of smell and hearing, Dox and Lyon lost their lives during a recent police operation.

The two dogs were fatally shot while pursuing suspects in a forest near the city of Ribeirão das Neves on behalf of the Minas Gerais Military Police on May 17.

As soon as the trained German Shepherds located the hiding criminals, they started barking to alert officers they had located the suspects.

“One of the fugitives fired nine rounds and five hit Dox and four hit Lyon,” says Capt. Paulo Roberto Alves, commander of the Minas Gerais Military Police (PMMG) Shock Brigade, where the dogs had trained and served. “They gave their lives to protect police officers.”

But the PMMG took an extra step to honor their canine colleagues.

The courage shown by Dox and Lyon, who had been on the force for six and two years, respectively, inspired the organization to create a Hall of Heroes.

It’s expected to be built this year at the headquarters of the PMMG’s 1st Company for Special Missions, in Contagem.

The hall will contain the ashes of dogs lost in service, as well as plaques and their photographs.

Dox and Lyon will be the first enshrined.

The dogs also were the first to be cremated by the PMMG, on May 20. Prior to their cremation, the officers spent a few minutes with the Dox and Lyon’s remains, paying respect to their fallen heroes.

“It was one of the saddest moments of my life,” says Officer Luís Antônio de Castro Maciel, who was assigned to work with Dox five years ago. “It was like he was family to me.”

Officer Welly Lucindo, who was assigned to work with Lyon more than two years ago, says he “lost a friend.”

“What happened was a real tragedy,” he says. “I’m never going to forget him.”

Alves says the 16 dogs assigned to the unit are considered police officers.

“They train, they’re registered and they work just like any other officer,” he says. “In addition, they learn to give their lives if necessary.”

Police dogs are an invaluable resource when conducting operations, Alves says.

“In dense forests, 70% of the operation depends on the dogs, and only 30% on the human officers,” he adds. “They’re essential.”

“The dogs are one step ahead of the human officers in terms of speed, because of their body types; in hearing, because they can detect infrasound and ultrasound; and in their sense of smell, because they possess somewhere around 200 million olfactory cells, while a human, on average, has around 5,000,” says Sgt. Marcelo Piovesan, who heads the technical training of the War Dogs at the Army Police’s 5th Company in Curitiba in the state of Paraná.

The Federal Highway Police (PRF) in Paraná said the dogs’ performances played a major role in the department’s recent success in its fight against narcotics. The results of the PRF’s operations in Paraná enabled the state lead the nation in crack and marijuana seizures.

“Three police officers would take between 15 to 30 minutes to inspect the baggage on a passenger bus,” says Leonel Weng, a police officer who works with the PRF police dogs. “In two minutes, a dog can let you know if there are drugs on the scene.”

Brazilian Police pay their respects to Dox and Lyon.

Brazilian Police pay their respects to Dox and Lyon.

Human head found by dog near Hollywood sign.

Los Angeles police detectives are investigating the slaying of a man believed to be an Armenian American whose head rolled out of a plastic bag discovered by a dog off a trail below the Hollywood sign Tuesday afternoon.

Two women were hiking with the dog in the rugged hills near the 3200 block of Canyon Drive, when the dog found a plastic bag in the brush containing the head, according to law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation but who asked not to be identified because the investigation was still unfolding.

The sources said the head was believed to be that of an Armenian male in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair. Police also believe that the slaying was recent based on the condition of the remains.

Sources said investigators are trying to determine whether there are additional body parts in the area. Neither the circumstances nor the cause of death were immediately known.

The case is being handled by the LAPD’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division. In addition to combing the area for evidence, investigators will seek help from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office to identify the victim through dental records.

A reward is now being offered in the case of Sam the dog, who is believed to be a victim of dog fighting in Henderson County, Kentucky.

Officials with the Humane Society of Henderson County say they’ve been getting calls from across the nation and Canada with people wanting to help or take Sam in.

He’s being nursed back to health after being found curled up in some straw at the edge of a Henderson County field injured and starving.

Officials say he weighs about half of what he should and has several puncture and tear wounds around his face and neck. They say he also has a punctured eye that will most likely have to be removed.

Officials say they think Sam was being used as bait in dog fighting.

The Humane Society of the United States has heard all about Sam, and is now offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Humane society officials are asking anyone with any information to give them a call. You can remain anonymous. Call 270-826-8966 or email info@hshcky.org if you have any information.

Retired Miami-Dade Narcotics Detector Dog, Franky.

MIAMI — Franky the drug dog’s supersensitive nose is at the heart of a question being put to the U.S. Supreme Court: Does a police dog’s sniff outside a house give officers the right to get a search warrant for illegal drugs, or is the sniff an unconstitutional search?

Florida’s highest state court has said Franky’s ability to detect marijuana growing inside a Miami-area house from outside a closed front door crossed the constitutional line. The state’s attorney general wants the Supreme Court to reverse that ruling.

The justices could decide this month whether to take the case, the latest dispute about whether the use of dogs to find drugs, explosives and other illegal or dangerous substances violates the Fourth Amendment protection against illegal search and seizure.

Many court watchers expect the justices will take up the case.

“The Florida Supreme Court adopted a very broad reading of the Fourth Amendment that is different from that applied by other courts. It’s an interpretation that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court will question,” said Tom Goldstein, who publishes the widely read SCOTUSblog website and teaches at the Harvard and Stanford law schools.

The case, Florida v. Jardines, is being closely monitored by law enforcement agencies nationwide, which depend on dogs for a wide range of law enforcement duties.

“Dogs can be a police officer’s best friend because they detect everything from marijuana or meth labs to explosives,” said Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. attorney in Miami now in private practice.

The 8-year-old Franky retired in June after a seven-year career with the Miami-Dade Police Department. He’s responsible for the seizure of more than 2.5 tons of marijuana and $4.9 million in drug-contaminated money. And because he’s an amiable chocolate Labrador, he was used extensively in airports, sports arenas and other places where people congregate.

“He’s a friendly, happy dog,” said his former handler, Detective Douglas Bartelt, who kept Franky after he retired. “People don’t have fear because of his appearance.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has approved drug dog sniffs in several other major cases. Two of those involved dogs that detected drugs during routine traffic stops. In another, a dog found drugs in airport luggage. A fourth involved a drug-laden package in transit.

The Florida case is different because it involves a private residence. The high court has repeatedly emphasized that a home is entitled to greater privacy than cars on the road or a suitcase in an airport. In another major ruling, the justices decided in 2001 that police could not use thermal imaging technology to detect heat from marijuana grow operations from outside a home because the equipment could also detect lawful activity.

“We have said that the Fourth Amendment draws a firm line at the entrance to the house,” the court ruled in that case, known as Kyllo v. United States. The justices added that the thermal devices could detect such intimate details as “at what hour each night the lady of the house takes her daily sauna and bath.”

It’s well-settled that law enforcement officials can walk up to a home and knock on the front door, in hopes that someone will open up and talk. But if a person inside refuses, the officers must get a search warrant — and for that they need evidence of a crime.

On the morning of Dec. 5, 2006, Miami-Dade police detectives and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents set up surveillance outside a house south of the city after getting an anonymous tip that it might contain a marijuana grow operation. Bartelt arrived with Franky. The dog quickly detected the odor of pot at the base of the front door and sat down as he was trained to do.

That sniff was used to get a search warrant from a judge. The house was searched and its lone occupant, Joelis Jardines, was arrested trying to escape out the back door. Officers pulled 179 live marijuana plants from the house, with an estimated street value of more than $700,000.

Jardines, now 39, was charged with marijuana trafficking and grand theft for stealing electricity needed to run the highly sophisticated operation. He pleaded not guilty and his attorney challenged the search, claiming Franky’s sniff outside the front door was an unconstitutional law enforcement intrusion into the home.

The trial judge agreed and threw out the evidence seized in the search, but that was reversed by an intermediate appeals court. In April a divided Florida Supreme Court sided with the original judge.

In its petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, state lawyers argue that the Florida Supreme Court’s decision conflicts with numerous previous rulings that a dog sniff is not a search.

“A dog sniff of a house reveals only that the house contains drugs, not any other private information about the house or the persons in it,” wrote Carolyn Snurkowski, Florida associate deputy attorney general. “A person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in illegal drugs.”

The criminal case against Jardines is on hold until the question involving Franky’s nose is settled. Meanwhile, Jardines is out on bail following a 2010 arrest for alleged armed robbery and aggravated assault. He pleaded not guilty in that one, as well, and trial is set for Feb. 21.