this is the jerkweed that me and another local wolfdog rescuer have been pursuing and setting up for over two years.... i think i posted some of the previous articles here on him. about a year and half ago, he even threatened to poision my animals ..... i filed a sherrifs report on him then let him know in a "subtle way" that if anything happend to my animals..... he would wind up missing for life..............
anyway..........
taaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaaaa:
(we helped snag him by sending in an undercover person with a cell phone camera, a young lady possing to adopt a wolfdog)
Dog rescue owner gets jail time
By MARIA HEGSTAD
mhegstad@manassasjm.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
"I think about those pictures much too often," Prince William
General District Court Judge Peter W. Steketee told the founder of
Black Wolf Rescue of the pictures of his malnourished, parasite-
infested dogs. "If I could have those pasted in your cell … I would."
Steketee sentenced Robert Clifton Artois, 56, to serve more than
four years in jail for animal cruelty. Artois' animals were rescued
from the three-acre property he rented on Fuller Heights Road in
April. Artois was jailed in Alexandria on a civil matter, and called
an acquaintance to care for the animals. Upon discovering their
condition, she called animal control.
At Artois' June trial, animal control officers described a house
infested with fleas and mice and reeking of feces. Twenty-eight dogs
and wolf dogs were shut in cages of urine-soaked newspapers so small
they couldn't stand.
Tuesday, Animal Control Director Samson Newsome said Artois' house
was in similar condition when he executed a search warrant on the
house in 2002. Artois was under investigation for sexually abusing a
teenage boy. Artois was convicted of two counts of contributing to
the delinquency of a minor in 2003. Artois met the victim, a 15-year-
old boy, on the Internet.
"This man continues to abuse. First it was boys, but boys talk,"
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Sandra R. Sylvester said
Tuesday. "Then it was animals. And animals can't talk."
Artois told the court Tuesday that he did care for his animals, but
became overwhelmed with the number he tried to take in. Thirteen of
the dogs belonged to two friends who died and left their animals in
his care, Artois claimed.
"I was just so afraid some of them looked so close to wolves they'd
be put to sleep," Artois said of his decision not to seek help from
animal control. "No one wants these animals. I couldn't place the
adults."
After a court order removing Artois' animals from him in June, the
Prince William Animal Shelter put his dogs up for adoption. Newsome
said the shelter would not adopt the wolf mix dogs to individuals.
Instead, animal control officers tried to find placement at a
sanctuary for them. They were unable to do so, and the wolf dogs
were euthanized, Newsome said in a phone interview last week.
The wolf dogs' euthanasia has been contentious, with activists
arguing Prince William Animal Control didn't do all it could have
done to find placement for the Black Wolf Rescue animals, and set
standards too high for anyone to take them in. Newsome said his
officers were unable to find a sanctuary with space for the wolf
dogs, and the Prince William shelter was overcrowded. Tuesday,
Newsome explained that he didn't want to hand the animals over to a
rescue network; he wanted to know exactly where they would be placed
permanently. Newsome said he was particularly cautious because of
the treatment the animals received at Black Wolf Rescue.
Tuesday, Artois said he accepted that the wolf dogs' fate was his
responsibility, but he told the judge he had already spent enough
time in jail to learn his lesson. Nothing else would be served by
keeping him in jail longer, Artois said.
But Sylvester argued that Artois was a danger to society who lived
off the backs of his animals, using them to solicit donations for
his personal use.
Earlier Tuesday, a substitute General District Court judge convicted
Artois of perjury, for lying on forms to receive a court-appointed
attorney. In the paperwork, Artois claimed he was indigent. However,
Artois was receiving food stamps and soliciting donations on the
Internet for the Black Wolf Rescue. Despite protesting the breeding
of wolf dogs on his web site, Artois also sold three litters of wolf
dog puppies on the Internet, he admitted under Sylvester's
questioning.
Describing the wolf dog problem in a June phone interview, Wolf
Haven International animal curator Wendy Spencer-Armstear
said, "There's big money in it. It's the animal that pays the price."
Wolf Haven is a wolf rescue in Tenino, Wash. They advocate against
the breeding, selling or owning of wolf dogs. Like Newsome, Spencer-
Armstear described wolf dogs as a human-created phenomenon. Both
said there was no good reason for owning or breeding the animals.
Authorities estimate Artois made $50,000 on Black Wolf Rescue in the
past year, Sylvester said after the sentencing. Newsome said the
estimate was gained from records and cancelled checks seized from
Artois' house. On the stand, Artois claimed that all the checks
bounced. He was unable to properly care for his animals because he
didn't have the money to pay for veterinary care, Artois said.
"None of the money ever cleared. I wish I did have $50,000," Artois
said. "If I did, I wouldn't be here today."
Judge Steketee didn't accept that. After Artois was first charged
with one count of animal cruelty in 2004, Steketee ordered animal
control to visit Black Wolf Rescue weekly to monitor their care.
After his arrest in April for the 29 counts of animal abuse, Artois
admitted hiding animals from the officers to thwart their
surveillance.
Steketee sentenced Artois to serve 12 months in jail for animal
abuse of Rodney, a cocker spaniel who died shortly after his rescue.
The dog was malnourished and parasitized. Steketee sentenced Artois
to serve six months each in the animal abuse cases of Jedi, a wolf
dog mix found dead, and Shadow, a pregnant dog so parasitized half
her pups were born dead. In the remaining 26 counts, Steketee
sentenced Artois to serve 30 days each, for a total of four years
and one month. Steketee ordered Artois to pay $7,331 in restitution
to animal control and $1,297 to Dale City Animal Hospital.
Substitute Judge Douglas Bergere sentenced Artois to serve 30 days
for perjury. Artois faces a possible additional two years in Circuit
Court on Thursday, when a judge considers the allegation that Artois
violated his sex offender probation.
Artois remains under investigation for fraud.
anyway..........
taaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaaaa:
(we helped snag him by sending in an undercover person with a cell phone camera, a young lady possing to adopt a wolfdog)
Dog rescue owner gets jail time
By MARIA HEGSTAD
mhegstad@manassasjm.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
"I think about those pictures much too often," Prince William
General District Court Judge Peter W. Steketee told the founder of
Black Wolf Rescue of the pictures of his malnourished, parasite-
infested dogs. "If I could have those pasted in your cell … I would."
Steketee sentenced Robert Clifton Artois, 56, to serve more than
four years in jail for animal cruelty. Artois' animals were rescued
from the three-acre property he rented on Fuller Heights Road in
April. Artois was jailed in Alexandria on a civil matter, and called
an acquaintance to care for the animals. Upon discovering their
condition, she called animal control.
At Artois' June trial, animal control officers described a house
infested with fleas and mice and reeking of feces. Twenty-eight dogs
and wolf dogs were shut in cages of urine-soaked newspapers so small
they couldn't stand.
Tuesday, Animal Control Director Samson Newsome said Artois' house
was in similar condition when he executed a search warrant on the
house in 2002. Artois was under investigation for sexually abusing a
teenage boy. Artois was convicted of two counts of contributing to
the delinquency of a minor in 2003. Artois met the victim, a 15-year-
old boy, on the Internet.
"This man continues to abuse. First it was boys, but boys talk,"
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Sandra R. Sylvester said
Tuesday. "Then it was animals. And animals can't talk."
Artois told the court Tuesday that he did care for his animals, but
became overwhelmed with the number he tried to take in. Thirteen of
the dogs belonged to two friends who died and left their animals in
his care, Artois claimed.
"I was just so afraid some of them looked so close to wolves they'd
be put to sleep," Artois said of his decision not to seek help from
animal control. "No one wants these animals. I couldn't place the
adults."
After a court order removing Artois' animals from him in June, the
Prince William Animal Shelter put his dogs up for adoption. Newsome
said the shelter would not adopt the wolf mix dogs to individuals.
Instead, animal control officers tried to find placement at a
sanctuary for them. They were unable to do so, and the wolf dogs
were euthanized, Newsome said in a phone interview last week.
The wolf dogs' euthanasia has been contentious, with activists
arguing Prince William Animal Control didn't do all it could have
done to find placement for the Black Wolf Rescue animals, and set
standards too high for anyone to take them in. Newsome said his
officers were unable to find a sanctuary with space for the wolf
dogs, and the Prince William shelter was overcrowded. Tuesday,
Newsome explained that he didn't want to hand the animals over to a
rescue network; he wanted to know exactly where they would be placed
permanently. Newsome said he was particularly cautious because of
the treatment the animals received at Black Wolf Rescue.
Tuesday, Artois said he accepted that the wolf dogs' fate was his
responsibility, but he told the judge he had already spent enough
time in jail to learn his lesson. Nothing else would be served by
keeping him in jail longer, Artois said.
But Sylvester argued that Artois was a danger to society who lived
off the backs of his animals, using them to solicit donations for
his personal use.
Earlier Tuesday, a substitute General District Court judge convicted
Artois of perjury, for lying on forms to receive a court-appointed
attorney. In the paperwork, Artois claimed he was indigent. However,
Artois was receiving food stamps and soliciting donations on the
Internet for the Black Wolf Rescue. Despite protesting the breeding
of wolf dogs on his web site, Artois also sold three litters of wolf
dog puppies on the Internet, he admitted under Sylvester's
questioning.
Describing the wolf dog problem in a June phone interview, Wolf
Haven International animal curator Wendy Spencer-Armstear
said, "There's big money in it. It's the animal that pays the price."
Wolf Haven is a wolf rescue in Tenino, Wash. They advocate against
the breeding, selling or owning of wolf dogs. Like Newsome, Spencer-
Armstear described wolf dogs as a human-created phenomenon. Both
said there was no good reason for owning or breeding the animals.
Authorities estimate Artois made $50,000 on Black Wolf Rescue in the
past year, Sylvester said after the sentencing. Newsome said the
estimate was gained from records and cancelled checks seized from
Artois' house. On the stand, Artois claimed that all the checks
bounced. He was unable to properly care for his animals because he
didn't have the money to pay for veterinary care, Artois said.
"None of the money ever cleared. I wish I did have $50,000," Artois
said. "If I did, I wouldn't be here today."
Judge Steketee didn't accept that. After Artois was first charged
with one count of animal cruelty in 2004, Steketee ordered animal
control to visit Black Wolf Rescue weekly to monitor their care.
After his arrest in April for the 29 counts of animal abuse, Artois
admitted hiding animals from the officers to thwart their
surveillance.
Steketee sentenced Artois to serve 12 months in jail for animal
abuse of Rodney, a cocker spaniel who died shortly after his rescue.
The dog was malnourished and parasitized. Steketee sentenced Artois
to serve six months each in the animal abuse cases of Jedi, a wolf
dog mix found dead, and Shadow, a pregnant dog so parasitized half
her pups were born dead. In the remaining 26 counts, Steketee
sentenced Artois to serve 30 days each, for a total of four years
and one month. Steketee ordered Artois to pay $7,331 in restitution
to animal control and $1,297 to Dale City Animal Hospital.
Substitute Judge Douglas Bergere sentenced Artois to serve 30 days
for perjury. Artois faces a possible additional two years in Circuit
Court on Thursday, when a judge considers the allegation that Artois
violated his sex offender probation.
Artois remains under investigation for fraud.
the less, glad to hear he's been convicted.
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