This is a case of horrific animal cruelty involving children. While it may be difficult to read, it’s an important case because it shows just how depraved animal abusers are.
An Oregon man named Theodore Alberta Dodenhoff, 49, of Salem was charged back on July 24 of one count of first-degree aggravated animal abuse, first-degree animal abuse, first-degree aggravated animal neglect and first-degree theft. He is accused of trapping a 9-year-old cat named Titan, then torturing and killing Titan in front of his young son.
He would likely have gotten away with his crime if the son hadn’t shown a few of his young friends what “they” do to cats. Dodenhoff apparently thought this was a good father-son activity. Children learn from their parents, especially a father figure. It’s disturbing to think what this child will grow up to become if he doesn’t have therapy to deal with what happened.
At first it was thought Titan, who had been the family cat since kitten-hood, had been trapped and left to die of heat exposure from not having food or water. Chilling details found on the Facebook: Justice for TITAN, the cat trapped in Salem OR and left to die community page stated Titan’s death was much worse, and other cats in the Robbins Lane neighborhood may still be in danger.
“We now know that several (5-7) cats have mysteriously gone missing from this neighborhood recently. We know that TITAN wasn’t just trapped and left to die, he was put in a cage and tortured and dissected. He didn’t die quickly. TITAN was found in a garbage can. He was turned in because a child in the household decided to show some friends what “they” do to cats.”
There is a glimmer of hope that Dodenhoff will be convicted on all charges. That hope comes in the form of special prosecutor Jake Kamins, an Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) lawyer. Kamins is the only ALDF prosecutor in the United States who specializes in animal abuse cases.
In 2014, ALDF was awarded a three-year grant to hire Deputy District Attorney Kamins, who is based in the Benton County District Attorney’s office in Corvallis. He serves any of Oregon’s 36 district attorneys and understands the value of a pet, and is devoted to convicting animal abusers. Kamins stated the goal of his job as
“Focusing one prosecutor’s resources entirely on the issues of animal neglect and abuse ensures that these defendants are held fully accountable.”
Please keep Titan and the animal advocates who are fighting hard to see Dodenhoff convicted. This has to be a difficult week for all involved. Your comments are welcome on this case.
For more information on Titan, as well as updates, click here.. A good article on Jake Kamins can be found here.
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P.S. Unless something comes up, and it often does in cases like this, the hearing (which is closed to the public) is set for Thursday October 22. I’ll update when I hear the outcome.
Terence, what the hell are you talking about? Your comment is so totally barmy as to be hardly worth publishing but I have allowed it because indirectly you are supporting the cat torturer. That probably does not bother you. I bet you support US gun laws and say it is not the gun that kills the victim but the person who holds the gun. In which case you are being hypocritical because letting a cat outside is not killing the cat. It is the cat killer who kills the cat.
This case too will probably be thrown out of court. Just more raving and ranting with zero proof of any crimes being committed. Hearsay evidence is not allowed in a court of law. A dead cat in a garbage can could have just as easily been scooped-up off the road near any TNR colony.
A child bragging to their friends to gain street-cred points is just that.
Do note, that according to Oregon state statute 167.330; any TNR cat of theirs that dies outdoors means that the TNR practitioner is facing punishment and fines for animal neglect in the first degree, for each occurrence.
I wonder if the alleged owners of that cat will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Or will this just be yet another of many examples of blatant cat-owner hypocrisy and feigning innocence to why they killed their own cat through criminal negligence.
Oregon Cruelty to Animals Statutes
167.325. Animal neglect in the second degree.
(1) A person commits the crime of animal neglect in the second degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence fails to provide minimum care for an animal in such person’s custody or control.
(2) Animal neglect in the second degree is a Class B misdemeanor.
167.330. Animal neglect in the first degree.
(1) A person commits the crime of animal neglect in the first degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence:
(a) Fails to provide minimum care for an animal in such person’s custody or control; and
(b) Such failure to provide care results in serious physical injury or death to the animal.
(2) Animal neglect in the first degree is a Class A misdemeanor.
167.340. Animal abandonment.
(1) A person commits the crime of animal abandonment if the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence leaves a domesticated animal at a location without providing for the animal’s continued care.
(2) It is no defense to the crime defined in subsection (1) of this section that the defendant abandoned the animal at or near an animal shelter, veterinary clinic or other place of shelter if the defendant did not make reasonable arrangements for the care of the animal.
(3) Animal abandonment is a Class C misdemeanor.
Thanks Connie for commenting. I too believe that society is getting worse because of population expansion.
I totally understand your thinking on this. It is worrying what can happen outside. Thanks for sharing.