From Jody's Journal

"Petland" Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Hundreds of Heartbroken Buyers

2009-06-29T17:32:00.018-05:00

A Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) follow-up investigation has found that Petland stores are still supporting puppy mills, including some of the largest and most notorious in the country.

The new intensive study analyzed thousands of pages of public interstate health documents in multiple states, revealing that almost every Petland store in the country is buying from puppy mills, either directly from commercial breeding facilities or indirectly through middleman brokers.

Two of the worst offenders included "Perfect Puppies" in Iowa and the Hunte Corporation in Missouri. More than 80 stores were linked directly to the Hunte Corporation alone, a massive Missouri broker that resells about 80,000 puppies a year and has documented Animal Welfare Act violations.

The new investigation of Petland's puppy sources also traced shipments of puppies from out of state brokers to more than 95 percent of Petland's domestic stores, revealing once again the chain supports puppy mills.

The HSUS also found that several Petland stores continued to buy from some of the facilities the HSUS clearly named and exposed as part of their initial Petland investigation in November, including MAM (Mike and Melanie Moore's) Kennels in Missouri and Charlene Koster's kennel in Kansas—puppy mills where more than 100 dogs were filmed running back and forth in small wire cages. Read one family's story: Heartbreak at Petland

Supporting Cruelty

As implausible as it might seem, the HSUS investigation found at least two Petland stores in Florida still buying puppies from the facility associated with Kathy Bauck in New York Mills, Minn. Bauck was convicted of three counts of animal torture and one count of animal abuse in March 2009, the same month the East Orlando Petland store purchased several puppies from her facility. Health certificate documents show that the Largo Florida Petland store also purchased at least one puppy from Bauck's kennel in February 2009. See where your local Petland gets its puppies

"Petland claims again and again that they deal only with a special selection of breeders," said Stephanie Shain, senior director for the HSUS puppy mills campaign. "Our new investigation proves that the vast majority of their stores are buying either directly or indirectly from puppy mills and brokers—large-scale commercial facilities where puppies are treated like nothing more than a cash crop."  

In addition, the investigation also found two Petland stores buying from a convicted animal abuser, others buying from individuals with long histories of Animal Welfare Act violations, and some who held no USDA license at all. (Even licensed and legal commercial kennels can still be puppy mills, where 100 or more breeding dogs have been found confined for life to small wire cages.)

Since the original Petland investigation was released in November, a consumer lawsuit has been filed against Petland and more than 600 former Petland customers have contacted the HSUS to tell their heartbreaking stories. HSUS has also led three nationwide demonstrations this year at Petland stores across the country to tell the chain to stop selling puppies and start supporting pet adoptions instead.

Please speak out against Petland's illegal and inhumane practices. Tell Your Story Here or Put Your Pet on the HSUS's "Pets Against Puppy Mills" page.

Your best friend will thank you.

National Outrage: Despite Witnesses, Inadequate Charges, Dog Killer Bobby Loggins pleads Not Guilty

2009-06-18T23:17:00.006-05:00

His name was "Sire."

The five-month-old American Bulldog's short life came to an abrupt end on June 9 when he urinated on a carpet while his owner, Bobby Loggins of Sioux City, Iowa, entertained friends.

Despite three witnesses who say otherwise, Loggins pleaded "not guilty" today to having inflicted 30 blows to Sire's head, causing the puppy's death. Even had Loggins pled guilty, Iowa's current animal cruelty/torture laws would have allowed no more than aggravated misdemeanor charges being filed in his case.

The horrific puppy-killing case has drawn both statewide and national attention to animal abuse and animal torture legislation, and websites and bloggers across the U.S. are demanding change. Several focus on one key plea: those outraged with Iowa's law should write Sioux City's County Attorney Patrick Jennings asking that charges against Loggins be amended to reflect a crime far more serious than a simple traffic violation.

For many, Loggins' "not guilty" plea to the misdemeanor charge only added insult to injury.

Sioux City's KMEG 14 -- who had the only crew inside the courtroom Thursday morning when Loggins pleaded not guilty -- said Loggins plans to hire his own attorney before the July 21 pre-trial hearing.

Regarding the aggravated misdemeanor charge -- which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison and a $6,000 fine -- Siouxland Humane Society Executive Director Jerry Dominicak said, "We're hoping for the maximum, but we would like to see the animal laws in Iowa be stronger."

Dominicak and his staff have given out thousands of flyers asking people to flood the Woodbury County Attorney's office with letters. "The citizens in Sioux City and the Siouxland area need their voices to be heard," he said.

Those voices are sounding off -- loud and clear.

At Monday night's Sioux City Council meeting, local animal lovers spoke about the dog's beating death, and the Iowa Voters for Companion Animals talked with the city council about changing city ordinance to keep convicted dog abusers from owning animals in the future.

Under "Education for Responsible Pet Ownership," Pit Bulls for Justice began an article with "One word for Bobby: MURDERER" before reporting the crime and offering the quote: "We can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats animals, children and the elderly."

In Lincoln, Neb., one concerned citizen called the Woodbury County Attorney's office only to be told they would not take phone calls expressing outrage over the incident but would accept "letters for their files." Undeterred, the Nebraska caller not only wrote and sent the letter, but posted a copy of it -- along with the Woodbury County Attorney's mailing address -- to Pet Enthusiast Magazine, imploring others to write letters, too.

The Daily Hobbit's "Beyond the Shire" also has noted the pup's merciless killing. The article invites reader comments and prominently displays the Woodbury County Attorney address.

RunningForaPaws posted what they called a "Simple but Very Important Request" asking readers to contact Jennings and ask their letter be added to the file.

KTIV-TV reported Wednesday on the Siouxland Humane Society's letter-writing campaign encouraging the Woodbury County Attorney to seek the toughest penalties possible.

The blog "For the Love of the Dog" -- which also listed the county attorney's address -- didn't bother mincing words. "Please, please, please…post and crosspost. Let’s get the word out and the letters and calls in!" the site reported, concluding with the final directive, "Don’t let this heartless bastard walk with just a little fine after brutally beating this defenesless little puppy!!"

Under the dogster.com forum "Dog Laws & Legislation," there are pleas to read about "Sire's" death and "do something!"

The Woodbury County Attorney's address -- along with, not surprisingly, more comments -- shows up on the care2 make a difference site as well.

KCAU-TV in Sioux City reported today that, if convicted, Loggins could spend 2-years in prison and pay a $6250 fine. His trial is set for August.

PiddleTails took time to weigh in on what Sioux City Police Chief Doug Young called "a heinous crime."

In addition, KPTH FOX News re-emphasized today the Humane Society's push for stronger animal laws in Iowa and, of course, director Dominicak's letter-writing campaign.

And, the Sioux City Journal's June 11 article on the dog-beating death now leads the site's "Most Commented" upon news story, with 104 angry comments -- and still counting.

There are more. In fact, far more accounts of outrage than I can possibly include in this post. But, my hope is that some of the above links will provide a glimpse into a nation's response to a particularly senseless, cruel and brutal act, and (in this case) a defendant who clearly has shown no remorse by pleading "not guilty" to a crime already defined well below the scope of its severity.

While I find the county attorney letter-writing campaign absolutely worthwhile and certainly worth pursuing, there's still another Iowa address conspicuously missing from these appeals; it's the one for your state legislator.

Sharpen your pencils. It's time for change in Iowa.

Why do so many states allow (i.e. tolerate) animal torture and killing?

2009-06-12T21:23:00.001-05:00

Don't let the map fool you.

While the Humane Society of the United States has made enormous strides state by state in animal cruelty legislation over the past several years (due largely, in my honest opinion, to current HSUS President & CEO Wayne Pacelle's tireless dedication and ongoing efforts), we as a civilized country still have a long way to go.

As of May 28, 2009, only four states remain without felony animal cruelty provisions, but don't let all the others lull you into believing they don't tolerate unspeakable crimes; many states hiding beneath the red-colored designation (meaning they have "felony legislation in place") won't bring about felony charges until a second or third offense. See where your state stands

Another crime? Seeing the word "misdemeanor" in the same news article that details how a defenseless dog was beaten to death by its master for urinating on the floor.

First, though, let's head to New York. There's someone there you need to know.

Meet Cheyenne Cherry -- sociopath-in-training

Cheyenne Cherry, a 17-year-old New York teen, was arrested June 3 after admitting she threw her former roommate's two-month-old female kitten, Tiger Lily, into an oven and roasted the animal to death. The reason she gave for torturing Tiger Lily to death: "I hate cats."

According to ASPCA officials, Cherry brushed the incident off as "a practical joke."

ASPCA official Joe Pentangelo says the animal suffered "an agonizing death.'' Cherry and an accomplice left the apartment as the kitten cried and scratched at the oven door, Pentangelo said.

The tragedy was discovered by neighbors who noticed smoke and a foul odor coming from the apartment. When firefighters arrived, they found Tiger Lily's smoldered remains. Investigators say the kitten was burned so badly, a necropsy had to be performed to determine the kitten's sex.

It wasn't the first time the kitty-killing Cherry had used the term "practical joke" when it came to abusing or killing other people's pets. Cherry was charged in the armed robbery dog-napping of a teacup Yorkie in a Bronx park last June, police said. And, Cherry said it was also "just a joke" after her arrest for robbing a man of his iPod at gunpoint. She'd pleaded guilty to robbery and got five years probation.

Despite Cherry's June 2008 arrest for larceny and extortion -- along with two other busts -- Cherry was released into her mother's custody without bail; this after she was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, burglary, arson, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief for burning alive her friend's kitten.

Cherry's community, outraged by her latest gruesome act and her dismissive attitude towards the crime, is asking that the 17-year-old be charged as an adult. An online petition has been set up requesting a modification of the charges, with petition signatures and comments being forwarded to the judge by month's end. Though the site's initial goal was 2,500 signatures, more than 13,000 incensed citizens already have signed -- a vast majority also taking time to comment on Cherry's barbaric crime. Sign the Petition Here

Fast forward to Sioux City, Iowa

Meet Bobby Loggins: Prefers Killing Own Dog vs. Someone else's Pet (also prefers house guests who will lie -- albeit conflicting stories -- about dog's death)

Bobby Loggins, 35 and intoxicated, was upset. His young American bulldog, whom he obviously hadn't taken the time to fully train, had just urinated on the carpet during Bobby's house party at 1611 23rd Street in Sioux City. Instead of leading the dog outside as any responsible pet owner would do, Loggins punched his own loyal dog in the face approximately 30 times -- in front of several witnesses, no less. Police reports confirmed the dog was bleeding from the facial area, and animal control officers said the dog died before help could arrive.

If that weren't bad enough, Loggins, as well as one of his "guests," lied about what happened.

Loggins told police he "accidentally" slammed the dog's head in the door. And, according to Sioux City Police Sgt. Mike Post, an unnamed witness told police the dog had been hit by a car.

One witness, however, had a conscience; Post said 34-year-old Chad Peterson was one of the witnesses and reported the incident to police.

On the other hand, the man-without-a-conscience-dog-killing Loggins has been charged with animal torture and filing a false police report, both of which (do-I-really-really-really-have-to-use-this-word?) are misdemeanors. Loggins will likely be ordered to get some psychological counseling. Perhaps even do some community service. Meanwhile, a young unschooled dog met a horrendous death at the very hands of the man he trusted most.

Loggins was released from jail on bond about two hours after being taken into custody.

Misdemeanors? But what about That Map?

Are you asking yourself the same question I've asked myself a thousand times? "How can this animal torture/cruelty crime be a misdemeanor when the map clearly shows Iowa has statutes in place to make this crime a felony?"

The answer, my friend, is in the fine print. You'll find it in Iowa Code 717B.3A under Animal Torture. What it means is that the Bobby Loggins of Iowa can relentlessly beat and kill a family pet with 30 hard punches to the face and still answer to no more than misdemeanor charges -- until their second offense, that is, when that animal's death matters and it becomes a Class D Felony.

It could be worse. In Alaska, one has three opportunities to torture or kill the family pet before being charged with a felony. Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota and North Dakota have no felony provisions at all.

Shame on those state legislators.

One need not be a dog lover or cat lover or animal lover of any kind to possess the simple knowledge that animals experience pain no differently than human beings. But does placing the value of a human life over that of an animal preclude legislators from understanding the parallels in violent behavior exhibited by those who would inflict such pain and/or death on either?

It isn't enough to just ask questions; we must demand answers, action and accountability. Our lives -- and the animals with whom we so lovingly share those lives -- depend on it.

"Special Agent" Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Honored by FBI

2009-06-09T16:26:00.005-05:00

I was just six years old when "The FBI" starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., first premiered on television in 1965, but I vividly remember watching nearly every episode over the next nine years because of the things I associate with the program; it was broadcast on Sunday nights and my family spent nearly every Sunday having dinner at my Grandma Ewing's home.

When I think of the show, the vision that springs to mind is my dad sitting upright in Grandma's recliner with a TV tray in front of him, spooning hot chili into his mouth (while never taking his eyes off the TV), Mom sitting on the corner of Aunt Mabel's old worn chair, and the five of us kids sitting cross-legged on the floor adding oyster crackers to our own bowls of chili and hanging on "Agent Lewis Erskine's" every word while Grandma kept poking her head into the living room long enough to ask if everyone was getting enough to eat.

Each week's episode closed with the same voice announcing, "This has been a Quinn Martin Production."

In the years following the series run, I never gave much thought to whatever happened to Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and certainly had no idea that once his "fictional" show ended he'd continued his relationship with the FBI, participating in charity events and helping raise money for families of agents killed in the line of duty.

Today's FBI Press Release showed me just how busy Mr. Zimbalist has been. During yesterday's ceremony at the Los Angeles Field Office, FBI Director Robert Mueller presented Zimbalist with an honorary special agent badge for embodying the qualities in the FBI's motto: fidelity, bravery, and integrity.

The FBI says Zimbalist inspired a generation of real-life FBI special agents, and I don't doubt it for a moment. That's not counting the number of other FBI-inspired television series over the past four decades.

I'm thinkin' J. Edgar Hoover would've been proud.

Abused, Sick Dogs Left At Bainbridge Island Animal Rescue

2009-06-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Stories like this just make my heart sink. Six dachshunds -- likely rejects from a puppy mill -- were dropped off at a Bainbridge Island rescue facility with all kinds of serious health issues.

Rescue manager Suzannah Sloan said the dogs had been "bred and bred and bred and bred." They had mammary tumors, ovarian tumors, and all showed signs of neglect. There's a short video featuring the dogs here:

Abused, Sick Dogs Left At Bainbridge Island Animal Rescue - Seattle News Story - KIRO Seattle

One thought provides a little comfort; the ones who may not make it will at least get to spend their final days in loving hands instead of dying alone in a small cramped cage.

A Man, His Dog, and a Neighborhood's Loss

2009-05-10T22:27:00.003-05:00

On a typical block in a small town neighborhood, houses form two rows, back to back, their front doors facing outward and in opposite directions from the homes behind them.

This doesn't mean one doesn't come to know his or her neighbors. Especially if the neighbor has a dog, and particularly if that neighbor walks his dog once, twice, and often three times a day down one sidewalk and across a block's end and up yet another narrow concrete path on the circular route toward back home, stopping to visit with whomever might happen to be outside at any given time, regardless of whether a warm sunny summer morning or frigid cold afternoon with snow flurries swirling overhead.

Jim Johnson was that kind of neighbor. Luther was his small terrier and constant companion.

Jim loved to stop and talk politics. Or tell us about our 100-year-old home's fascinating history and the people who'd once lived here. Or ask us if we'd read the latest book he'd just finished. He never stopped smiling. Everything in life, it seemed, always had a happy ending.

And while we'd chat and catch up on daily and neighborhood news, Luther always inched them both closer to our chain link fence's south gate, sniffing the grass while pretending not to notice our two big brown dogs on the fence's other side, or even that small brown feisty one everyone called "Oh Cocoa!" Luther would wait patiently for the walk to resume, knowing the instant his master rounded the corner that those three brown dogs would retreat inside. He'd show those brown dogs. Tomorrow. Today, though, he and Jim still had stops to make. Other neighbors to visit.

In the nearly five years I've lived on this block, I'm quite certain Jim and Luther circled my home thousands of time. A few short days ago, they made their last trip. Mid-morning. A beautiful day. A brief conversation..."See! Cocoa's not so tough after all!"

The next day the sidewalk lay quiet. Empty. One small rain cloud rumbled discontent, dropped down a bucket of tears in our yard, and then retreated just as quickly as it arrived. For the next two days, the sun fought hard to shine.

Today I learned the news. Jim will not walk our block again. He was 61. And we are less of a neighborhood because of his passing.

Then there's Luther.

I am saddened beyond words to learn of Jim's death, but can only imagine that small dog's sorrow. Jim wasn't just his neighbor or friend. He'd been his lifetime companion. They'd spent all those quiet nights together. Taken a thousand walks in the rain and snow and sunshine.

Surely, he must be waiting, even now, to walk with Jim again.

We'll keep walking. We have to. But we'll see you again, Jim. We'll pick up where we left off. We'll meet you near the fence, the south gate. You know the one. Cocoa won't even pretend to growl, so you may have to look close. But he'll be sitting there, right between the two big brown dogs and your Luther.

And on that tomorrow, we'll all go for a walk. You can show us around the new neighborhood.

Christian the Lion headed for the big screen

2009-04-06T21:13:00.004-05:00

Okay, I confess -- I'm one of those millions who just can't get enough of this almost 40-year-old true story about Christian the Lion and the

YouTube video

that helped bring about its resurrection.

My obsession, however, was further fed last night when the Animal Planet channel aired its hour-long television special

A Lion Called Christian

featuring clips and narrative (and oh-so-much-more) from the

original Christian the Lion documentary film

made by Bill Travers.

But, the Animal Planet channel didn't stop there.

Recognizing one hungry audience, they served up the best hors d'oeuvres fit for a king's pride:

Christian the Lion Videos

from the documentary;

Christian the Lion Pictures

Christian the Lion Puzzles

, the first chapter from the

Christian the Lion book

, and, in what I expect will draw even more interest, a

Christian the Lion Movie Site

where fans can cast votes on the upcoming feature film's preferred theme song, who's going to play Ace Bourke and John Rendall, who will direct, and even marketing campaigns for the film's trailer. (Sony Pictures has begun the process of acquiring rights to the book, and though negotiations are in the early stages, we all know

they

know a good thing when they see it.)

Sure, I'll admit I'd hoped for a feature film and had even given thought to who might portray Bourke and Rendall, but in this day of numerous Facebook quizzes where users cite top television series and films and recording artists, I still found the Animal Planet survey worthy of each and every click. After all, I'm already vested in this story; Christian has laid claim to a big part of my heart.

Of the five categories where visitors may vote (Theme Song, Casting John Rendall, Casting Ace Bourke, Director, and Marketing Campaign), I differed in the majority choice in all but one -- the

marketing campaign

for the film's trailer -- but then, that one is/was pretty much a given. Its most popular answer lies in those numbers on the YouTube videos...millions of universal hearts gathered there, indeed.

If you missed the not-to-miss

Animal Planet documentary on Christian and Ace and John

, take heed: it will air again on Thursday, April 9, at 6 pm CST and on April 10 at 1 a.m. CST. Be sure to check your own local listings -- this you don't want to miss.

The Christian the Lion Phenomena

2009-03-20T12:53:00.015-05:00

I'd just turned off my computer last night and sat down to watch a movie when my sister Lori called. "I just sent you a link to a YouTube video you absolutely have to watch," she said. I told her I'd just shut down my computer, but there was such urgency and excitement in her voice I agreed to boot up again.

"I didn't even get halfway through and just burst into tears," she said as my Mac whirred back to life. Her voice quivered a little, and I feared she'd burst again before the video even loaded. I doubted any YouTube clip could get me that choked up; it took all of 35 seconds to prove me wrong.

The video

-- one of

several with varying lengths of footage

and background music -- depicts the 1972 reunion between "Christian the Lion" and two Australians, John Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke, who'd purchased the young 35-pound cub in 1969 and raised him until 1971, at which time

George Adamson

helped them rehabilitate the then 185-pound lion into the wild African plains of Kenya. Christian had been in Africa for a year when Rendall and Bourke, who'd been informed of Christian's successful transition, decided to pay him a visit.

By then, Christian had become the head of the pride, and Adamson warned Rendall and Bourke that Christian may not remember them. The video -- an excerpt from the documentary

Christian: The Lion at World's End

-- tells what happened.

In July 2008, the Today show

caught up with Bourke and Rendall

, who spoke with host Meredith Vieira about their days with Christian and their ongoing commitment to

preserving wildlife

. It's a heartwarming article with links to slideshow photos of Christian's early life and a

link to Meredith's interview

with Bourke and Rendall.

The video Lori sent me -- shown below -- has been viewed more than 10 million times and has a solid five-star rating. No wonder; almost four decades after the documentary was shot, it's still a five-star story.

Watch the

last 6 minutes of the documentary

with original soundtrack and commentary by

Virginia McKenna

Where for art thou Nick Nolte?

2009-03-11T21:35:00.008-05:00

Okay. So I've been safeguarding this 1956 Benson High School (Omaha, NE) yearbook for some time for Bill Bowley, a close family friend. Bill attended Benson High with

Nick Nolte

, who (as most of you know) went on to become one helluva actor. (One of my favorites, in fact.) Bill, on the other hand, went on to own and manage a very successful roofing company -- until Parkinson's Disease forced him into early retirement several years ago.

In 1956, both Bill and Nick were high school sophomores. Nick was the kicker for Benson's football team (according to Bill, Nick was "the starring quarterback") and they also shared some good-ol'-boy times in gym class and on the basketball court.

Nick signed Bill's '56 Benson High School annual, and though they both graduated in 1959 and will celebrate their 50-year high school class reunion(s) this year, here is where the road gets muddy.

Bill swears both he and Nick graduated from Benson High in '59, and

Benson's Wikipedia page

indeed lists Nick under notable alumni. Further research, however, indicates Nolte was kicked out of Benson High for "digging a hole and hiding beer before practice and then getting caught drinking it during a practice session." After Nolte's expulsion from Benson High, according to the actor's

Wikipedia

page, he attended Westside High School in Omaha, and that

alumni roster

also

shows Nolte as one of

their

graduates.

Additional online research produced these same details, over and over again.

So why does it matter, 50 years after the fact, which of these two high schools is Nolte's true alma mater? Simple. Because his former friend and Benson High classmate, Bill Bowley -- who recently underwent a brain implant to help control some of his advanced Parkinson's disease symptoms -- wants to attend his 50th high school reunion this June 5-6, and he's got his heart set on linking up and visiting with his old friend Nick.

I've promised Bill I'll do my best to track down Nolte and ask if his summer plans include a Midwestern high school reunion, even though I suspect Westside High School (whose 50th class reunion is Aug. 28-30) most likely lays the bigger claim to one of Omaha's most popular and successful sons.

But, who knows. Despite the actor's current shooting schedule ("King Shot" in production) perhaps he'll work in a two-day break to catch up with friends who-knew-him-when. Based on the Nolte movie trivia questions Bill often poses to me, I suspect some of Nick's old friends may indeed include some of his greatest fans.

Nick wrote the words in the yearbook, but now it's time for Bill to say them. "Hope to see you in the summer."

Chimps Deserve Better - the HSUS Undercover

2009-03-10T15:22:00.005-05:00

I occasionally receive e-mails from the

U.S. Humane Society

, and whenever one shows up with a months-long undercover investigative report and accompanying video, I know I'm in for some serious heartbreak. Yes, there are those who say "then why watch it" and some who even say "I can't bear to watch those," but ignoring a problem or turning a blind eye -- particularly when it comes to any kind of abuse -- is to deny help or justice to those without a voice.

And, when it comes to animal rights, there's no professional organization working harder than the HSUS. Because of them, legislation has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of farm and domestic animals.

Their most recent

nine-month-long undercover investigation

exposed the mistreatment of nearly 300 chimpanzees and other primates at the New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana. Living lives of deprivation and misery, these chimps are among the more than 1,000 chimpanzees languishing in laboratories across the United States.

ABC News: Nightline

broke the story on March 4. Each animal's suffering detailed in the report was wrenching, but the story of 26 elder chimps currently warehoused at the facility was particularly poignant. These 26 chimps were taken from their mothers in the wild, and have since lived a life behind bars. The oldest, Karen, was captured in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still president.

Newly released images from the investigation reveal the psychological distress lab officials cited as "standard industry practice."

Read Jane Goodall's Response

I encourage you to watch the video and then contact your congressman as well as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. (The HSUS pages will provide the contact information.)

More about the Chimps and Monkey Use in Research

Thank you.

We Are as Great as...

2008-09-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

I greeted today with unexpected feelings. All kinds of tangled roots of hope.

We are as great as the dreams we dream.

It's been one year, you know. Already. A year ago today since Dad Earl succumbed to burns he received after copper thieves raided a rural country home and, in the explosion that followed, stole from an entire family a major force in all our futures.

As great as the love we bear.

Dad Earl may not have survived, but we did. He'd already taught us all how to do so.

As great as the values we redeem.

He taught us all about responsibility. Accountability.

Values

. We will not forget.

And the happiness we share.

We're still a family. No explosion can tear that apart.

We are as great as the truth we speak.

He taught us to speak only the truth. Hard truths -- no matter how difficult -- are always easier to bear.

As great as the help we give.

He gave it freely. One never even had to ask...he was just

there.

As great as the destiny we seek.

He sought none for himself, only recognizing that in others.

As great as the life we live.

He lived a life most of us could, and can, only hope to mirror.

Dad Earl, above all else, was a humble and giving man...quick to point out what he perceived as his own insignificant role in other's successes...while all those blessed to be in his life rose to all he'd told them they could be.

Dad Earl had big dreams.

Ours

. He redeemed

our

values. He shared

our

happiness. He spoke

our

truths. He helped us all, and he gave freely of himself. He helped us seek our destinies. And he lived a great life defined by making a difference in those lives fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him.

We miss you, Dad, Earl. Dad. Earl. Honey. Grandpa. And even to some, Mr. Thelander. You were so much to so many.

Mom and Earl: They're Famous, You Know

2008-03-10T00:04:00.002-05:00

I swear I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping. In fact, I've wanted to tell this story for a long time. I'd been saving it for a chapter in my book, but feel now I've got to share at least part of it as it relates to "Dad Earl" and my mother, Hope.

The year is 1992. We'd just recently moved to Northern California, where my husband had been assigned as an ammo inspector with the Department of Defense. My 11-year-old daughter, Jennifer (who, being very shy, made friends no easier than I had at her age), had unexpectedly brought two friends home from school. After introducing them to me, she ushered them toward her bedroom door, where on the other side I assumed they'd talk privately about the most important matters of the day -- boys, teachers, moving to a new school and what-on-earth-ever-brought-you-Here?

But before they reached my daughter's bedroom door, I couldn't help but pick up on her words, and I had to stop and listen.

"Yeah, we're from Iowa," she said, "but you probably know my Grandma and Grandpa Thelander. They're famous, you know."

She said it so matter-of-factly. The tone languished somewhere between a child's innocent bragging and one already versed in that which makes other people proud.

"Really?" I heard one of the girls respond.

"Oh yeah!" Jennifer said. "My Grandpa Earl and Grandma Hope ... you know, the ones who rent out all those apartments?

Everybody

knows them and I thought for sure you'd have heard of them..."

And then her bedroom door closed and I heard only muffled voices.

I remember smiling, and thinking:

How could I have so underestimated the importance of what my parents do?

Even my own daughter, at such a young age, clearly understood the role my mother and stepfather played in our community.

How could I have known that 15 years later, my stepfather would in fact make

international headlines

for having been killed trying to make life better for others?

The article in

Australia's Scone Advocate

may have a couple minor details wrong (Earl was preparing the house for a new renter, not to sell), but the underlying truth rings loud and clear:

copper theft

isn't a problem limited just to Iowa, nor even to the United States. It's become an international problem, and is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars along with innocent lives.

Though Iowa legislators currently are working on

House Study Bill 660

in efforts to control illegal copper theft sales, thieves continue to find willing salvage buyers at recycling businesses throughout and state and the U.S. In Las Vegas, Nev., where salvage yards have gone from 60 visitors a day to over 250 visitors a day with salvage wire,

KVBC News Channel 3 Investigators

recently purchased nearly $200 worth of copper pipe at a local home improvement store. Then, along with a hidden camera, they took the copper out to sell for salvage. The station randomly picked three recycling businesses from the phone book to see if they'd be asked for photo identification, required for salvage sales in Las Vegas.

All three salvage yards -- the Silver Dollar yard on Lossee, Nevada Recycling, and a yard at Lakewood -- purchased the copper without any identification. The seller's ID as logged by Nevada Recycling?

Zippy McGee.

With copper content at

all-time highs between $3 and $4 a pound

, the stories of copper theft are growing almost as fast as the illegal sales. In Buttonwillow, Calif.,

$10,000 worth of alfalfa withered

and died after thieves stripped copper wires out of irrigation systems throughout California. Almost $38,000 in materials was stolen in June 2006 in 10 copper thefts in

Yelm, Olympia and Tenino in Washington state

, and in Tacoma, the frequency of copper theft in the Nalley Valley industrial area now has investigators helping businesses install camera surveillance.

Kentucky

has seen at least

three electrocution deaths

associated with the theft or removal of electric copper wire. And just last month,

Detroit Firehouse No. 42

experienced delayed response times due to a repeat copper theft.

It's also happening in

and

., the

University of Arizona

Southern California

Chicago

Las Cruces, New Mexico

and

Wyoming County, West Virginia

North Carolina

, and yes, even in

Honolulu, Hawaii

.

I dare anyone to find a single state where copper theft is not a major problem. Still, to date there has been but one single innocent man who lost his life amidst the $48,000 worth of stolen copper here and the $250,000 worth stolen there. He became famous, all right, but I suspect

my stepfather, Earl Thelander

, would have preferred to remain anonymous and live out the rest of his life doing what he loved most: spending time with my mother, fixing up and providing homes for those less fortunate who couldn't afford housing elsewhere, enjoying his family and grandchildren, and tending to

his tomato plants

Please Support IA House Study Bill 660 on Copper Theft

2008-02-24T16:25:00.003-06:00

This used to be a home

. That was before copper thieves came in the night and cut propane lines and let it fill with gas to later explode with a man inside. That man was my stepfather,

Earl Thelander

.

My grandparents used to live here. After my grandfather died, my folks purchased the rural country home from my grandmother (who'd come to live with them after Grandpa died) and fixed it up as a rental property. This is how my folks earned their living; they worked hard fixing up homes and apartments for those who needed housing in this small Western Iowa community where everyone knows everybody else. They'd recently installed new insulation and put permanent siding on the house. They cared for their tenants' homes the same way they cared for their own, making sure everything always worked properly and that families who lived in their rentals were comfortable and happy.

Now, it's nothing but a pile of rubble . . . a haphazard scattering of bricks, nails, metal pipes, a tumbled-down chimney and ashes laid out in layers like a melted accordion. (

View the Slideshow Video on All that Remains

)

Earl had gone to install a new water pump when he discovered the break-in and gas leak. Local law enforcement officials arrived and aired out the home, and several hours later Earl returned to get back to work. He plugged in a fan, and the home exploded. He died trying to make life better for others. Despite a

$5,000 reward

for information on those responsible for his death, there have been no arrests in the case.

The Iowa Legislature, however, now has

House Study Bill 660

assigned to a Judiciary Subcommittee. I pray this bill will become law. For Earl. And for the thousands of other lives affected financially and in countless ways by what has become a national epidemic.

Copper Thieves Steal Lives. Please join me in supporting Iowa House Study Bill 660.

*

Follow-up: While a number of other states have passed tough laws cracking down on copper theft, Iowa's HSB 660 failed to make the first funnel date and died. Iowa remains the only state where an innocent victim lost his life due to this crime.

Bush Budget Proposal Slashes Iowa Law Enforcement and Victim Service Programs

2008-02-08T20:13:00.000-06:00

He's doing it again.

Perhaps he

doesn't think

crime takes place in Iowa. Or, perhaps he

doesn't think

Iowans care about the crime taking place within our state. Then again, perhaps he

doesn't think

crime affects Iowans' lives.

He's wrong. It does. We do. And, yes,

it does.

Thank God, our U.S. Senator

Tom Harkin

(D-IA) realizes all the above.

Once again,

Sen. Harkin

is fighting for Iowans and leading the effort to restore critical funds to this year's budget in response to Bush's latest proposal to

slash another 63%

from state and local law enforcement programs. This, while Iowans are still recovering from

last year's 67% cut

to the Byrne funded drug task forces across the state.

Harkin and his Senate colleagues announced on Jan. 30

that they seek to increase funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program to $660 million. This would increase Iowa’s estimated share of 2008 funding from $1.5 million to $6.1 million. Harkin -- in his announcement -- was joined by police officers and local sheriffs, including

Marshall County Sheriff Ted Kamatchus

and

Iowa’s Drug Czar Gary Kendall

"Iowa is already reeling from funding cuts to law enforcement programs, which I am currently fighting to restore in the current year’s budget," Harkin said in response to Bush's latest proposed cuts. "I will continue my work to ensure Iowans do not have to face these devastating cuts.”

Federal assistance allows local law enforcement to better coordinate drug fighting efforts, hire officers and purchase equipment, stop domestic violence and effectively deal with drug dealers. Unless funding is added to the budget, these important programs will be cut.

The Bush Budget Impact on Iowa

· The Bush budget would slash or eliminate many programs aimed at bolstering local law enforcement, including the

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program

, which helps local police departments put more officers out on Iowa’s streets. In Iowa, law enforcement agencies would have to absorb a loss of $6.5 million dollars if this was enacted.

· The President’s budget will eliminate

Byrne Grants

that fund many drug fighting programs across the state. Due to the President’s veto threats, last year’s appropriations bill underfunded the Byrne Grant program. Senator Harkin is already working to restore this money this fiscal year which would restore $3.5 million to Iowa so law enforcement will not need to cut staff and program resources. He will vigorously oppose any attempts to eliminate this program in next year's budget.

· The President’s budget also proposes to eliminate all

Department of Justice grant programs for victims of domestic violence

including legal assistance, grants for safe havens for children and victims of domestic violence with disabilities. Due to this loss of funding, most, if not all of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs around the state would have to close.

Fellow Iowans, is this acceptable to

you?

Bush never got the privilege of meeting

Dad Earl

. Perhaps

the death of Earl Thelander

meant nothing to Bush, nor the deaths of many more like Dad Earl whose fates were sealed by Iowa law enforcement entities doing the best they could in the face of numerous budget cuts under an administration whose mantra is and has been

Shoot-First-and-Ask-Questions-Later.

But,

the People

are quick studies.

Iowans

are quick studies. And, we're watching you, Mr. Bush, just like you've been watching us.

Thank you, Sen. Harkin, for keeping watch on issues that matter not just to Iowans, but to all Americans.

PETSMART CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: BUSINESS AS USUAL

2008-02-08T12:48:00.000-06:00

PetSmart may be smart about making money, but it's clueless when it comes to taking proper care of the animals it buys and sells by the millions.

The company's trade in live animals supports a mass-breeding industry just as cruel as—and less regulated than—the puppy mill industry. This results in abysmal treatment of tiny, vulnerable beings and ultimately leads to their overpopulation, homelessness, neglect, and suffering.

Take a closer look at PetSmart and please do not buy anything from PetSmart until it stops selling all animals.

Watch the Video Here

What You Can Do to Help

He Thinks He Got Away with Murder...He's Wrong

2008-02-01T00:05:00.000-06:00

We humans, by nature, are forgiving people.

We should be.

After all, we

all

make mistakes. None of us are perfect.

We all, at one time or another, have done or will do something so incredibly stupid we can only hope and pray our neighbors ... our friends ... and (

God forbid

) our families, never discover about our sinful souls.

These mistakes, however, do not by nature involve taking the life of another human being.

At one time, and despite the ordinary man's quest (and, often, need) for vengeance, I truly felt I could forgive those responsible for taking my stepfather's life. My mind enlisted every kind of reasoning.

The thief/thieves didn't deliberately mean to cause Earl's death.

When they broke into the farmhouse and cut and stole the copper propane lines to later sell for scrap metal worth perhaps $10 to $15, they probably didn't realize the basement's cut lines would continue to discharge propane gas into the house.

They probably didn't think about the smallest actions and reactions -- the plugging in of a fan hours after the burglary when the house had long since been aired out -- that would lead to an explosion and melt the skin from a man who, even at 80, still worked hard every day and was there to install a new water pump in one of the rental properties he and his wife depended upon for their livelihood.

The truth is, I envisioned the thief and/or his accomplice (yes, there

were

two of them present that night) coming forward, acknowledging the fact one had burglarized what used to be my grandparents' former country home while the other kept watch, with at least one of them asking for forgiveness and saying something like

"This didn't turn out like we thought it would,"

and last, but certainly not least,

"I am so very sorry for the painful death this caused for Earl Thelander and for what this has done to his wife and 11 children."

Yes, laugh if you will at my unusual (and perhaps unrealistic) expectations from a petty thief. But, given the number of individuals who know who did this (

make no mistake; there are many

), and given the leniency and understanding my family has extended in the first five months following our father's unnecessary and untimely death, we honestly expected a day would come when one good man (or woman) would step forward to do the right thing.

Thus far, they have not.

Even where pleas to one's conscience have failed, so have our family's attempts to rouse anonymous tipsters with a $5,000 Reward.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," said the British Statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke.

I only wish Mr. Burke were around today because I'd sit him down and tell him,

"Evil will not triumph this time."

Not with Earl Thelander. Not with

this

family. And, we're a

forgiving

family. But, our patience is running out.

So is

time

. Not just for those responsible for my stepfather's painful and needless death,

but those

who know who they are and what they did.

They, by God and under law, will be held just as accountable.

It's not too late for them to still do the right thing. But, the clock is ticking.

Make no mistake about it.

A Message from my mother ...

2007-11-07T00:04:00.000-06:00

A message from my mother, as only she could write . . .

November 1, 2007

Two months ago today, my husband of nearly 25 years passed away at Clarkson Burn Center in Omaha of burns he suffered from an explosion at my parents' old home in rural Onawa. Earl and I had purchased the home and had been finishing up work there after one of my daughters and her husband moved out.

Since the accident on August 28, and Earl's subsequent death four days later, my family and friends have taken all interviews in order to protect my feelings at such a terrible time. There have been several newspaper accounts of that day, and though I am extremely grateful for the media's help in keeping this investigation in the forefront, as Earl's wife I feel I need to address some misinformation as to what actually took place.

Earl had turned off the propane at the tank when he first arrived at about 8:30 a.m. He then had me call the sheriff's office to tell them of the break-in.

Between approximately 10-10:15 a.m., Sheriff Pratt and Officer Joe Farrens arrived to take a statement. At that time Sheriff Pratt, Joe Farrens, Earl and myself, my brother-in-law, Dave Anderson, and my daughter, Kysa Ewing, went through the house opening windows. (We later were told we didn't have the explosion then because the oxygen level was too low.)

We all came back home to Onawa, having left open all windows and doors to ventilate the house.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Earl went back to the farm to hook up a new water pump and tank in the basement. Ordinarily, I accompanied him when he was working at the farm, but he insisted it wouldn't take long and that he would not be too late for lunch.

My nephew, Norman Johnson, arrived at our Onawa home shortly after that, bringing Earl and me some lunch.

Shortly after 12:00, Earl came in the door with his burned shirt hanging around him in shreds. He was badly burned and said the house "exploded" when he plugged in a squirrel cage blower to dry the water on the floor that had leaked after the water lines on the water heater had been cut. (

Not

to air any remaining propane fumes as has been mistakenly reported in the media.)

Norman and I – not the ambulance – took Earl to the hospital where Dr. John Garred Jr. called for life flight to take Earl to the Clarkson Burn Center in Omaha. Dr. Garred explained to us the prognosis of someone Earl's age surviving the vast scope of the third-degree burns was not good -- despite Earl being otherwise quite healthy.

Four days later, after being kept in an induced coma to prevent pain, Earl passed away. At his side to say last goodbyes were his children, stepchildren, grandchildren, and myself. We have been through anger, frustration, grief, loneliness and disbelief that he is gone, particularly because he was taken away so suddenly and there was so much more he wanted to do with his life.

I miss him so much.

I miss the coffee breaks (every 15 minutes).

I miss him watching Bill O'Reilly's "No Spin Zone" at 7 p.m.

I miss seeing him fill the bird feeders and calling me to see a cardinal whenever they would fly in.

I wanted so badly to have him see that his three

puny

tomato plants produced literally hundreds of tomatoes.

If there is anything to be thankful about over this, it is that he didn't have to endure months of painful treatments for his burns. In addition:

I'm thankful he didn't know I was diagnosed with breast cancer six days after his funeral.

I'm thankful he was able to get out of the basement and drive home to me.

I'm thankful that he woke me up at 4 a.m. August 28 to look at the eclipse of the moon with him in what we didn't know then had just become our last morning together.

I'm thankful that instead of five children, I have 11 to help me with the things he'd always insisted on doing himself.

Yes, he was a good man, a good friend, and a wonderful husband and father.

We will all miss him, but we will work together to solve this senseless and needless crime.

In Earl's memory

Respectfully yours,

Hope Thelander

The Tangled Roots of Hope

2007-10-30T22:34:00.001-05:00

In the film

To Kill a Mockingbird

, there's a scene where young Jem goes back to the Radley's collard patch late at night to retrieve the britches he'd abandoned earlier after snagging them in a fence. Some days later, when his sister Scout catches him admiring the trinkets he found in a tree near the Radley home, Jem confesses to her the truth about the night he went back after his pants.

When I'd left 'em, they were all in a tangle and I couldn't get 'em loose

, he says.

But when I went back for 'em, they were folded across the fence... sort of like they was expectin' me.

For the past two months, every time I pulled into my mother's driveway and saw Earl's tomato plants spread out further and thicker than they were the day before, I could hear echoes of those words ...

sort of like they was expectin' him

...

Like a loyal dog sitting faithfully by the door -- an ear tilted sideways, awaiting familiar footsteps and sounds of the master's return -- the tomato vines kept listening, leaning, yawning, spreading out their arms to sleep and curling themselves around the empty lawn chair's legs where he once sat and then waking to another day to nudge against the bright yellow Tonka truck toy he'd parked in their bed ... almost as if

they still were expecting him

to come back home and play and pluck an annoying weed from their loom like an unsightly burr from a retriever's golden coat.

He had waited for them first, using his index finger and one good eye to sight the one he'd chosen as his favorite.

"Right there. It's already turning red. See it?" he'd said, hunching over and pointing into the sparse vines. And I'd followed his gaze to where the small but plump orb blushed amidst its less developed sister fruit. "That's the one I'm waiting for," he'd said proudly. "That one's mine."

On his knees, he'd planted these seeds and gently blanketed them with soil and cared for and tended to them with the same kind of commitment he bestowed upon all things he molded and created with his own two hands. But some time in the night's dark hours, the Boo Radley of Jem and Scout's deepest fears came to rob this man of his life and loves and the pleasures he derived from taking simple moments like these and turning them into something spectacular.

Still, his tomato plants waited.

They waited while

... six days after his funeral ... my mother passed by them on her way to the hospital for the breast lumpectomy and returned with her breast cancer diagnosis.

They waited

and spread out toward the east while ... one week later ... Mom's doctor told her she needed to make a decision.

They waited

and spread toward the west and wrapped around the heart-shaped sign reading "Grandpa and Grandma - Kids Spoiled Here While You Wait," while ... two and one-half weeks later ... another car took her away for the mastectomy and returned with all these other vehicles and so many lively children.

They waited

while ... amidst all the muffled voices and words like metastasized and chemo and numerous close calls with small running feet and shrill laughter and surprising phrases like

bad-year-for-tomatoes-everywhere

and questions like

he-did-what-with-his

... new buds spurted forth and heavier vines swept down and around them like mother hens pulling rowdy chicks back and away from the busy traffic in Earl's driveway.

They waited

and snaked around the legs of his white chair and climbed up higher for breathing room and a view of dozens more green offspring below while ... careening near the chair's arm where he used to lay his elbow ... they sucked in the late October sun as new words like

collapsed lung

and

it'll be freezing soon

drifted over the rail near the door and filtered down between the effervescent green foliage.

And so, as the month drew to a close and I returned my mother to her home after the morning's hospital visit where they made her blood radioactive to prepare for chemo treatments and she said we need to get the tomatoes out by nightfall lest they freeze, I looked down at the tangling vines and thought about how their roots of hope had somehow spawned hundreds of tomatoes, and, against all odds, continued to multiply and produce as if their very life -- or, perhaps, ours -- depended upon it.

"But some of them are still so...small," I said. "They haven't even had a chance to ripen." Yet, I knew.

Like Jem and Scout and Dill mourning summer's end, Earl's tomato plants hadn't yet realized their season had come and gone. Their vines, like Earl's, had so much left to give. They hadn't completed their life cycle.

Still, I could not bring myself to pick them. Perhaps I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye to summer. Perhaps I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye to the interlocking green stems that still drew energy from the sun and soil. Perhaps I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye to Dad Earl. Cutting down his tomato plants -- even in the face of a freeze that surely threatened to kill them all -- was too much like severing all hope he'd return once again to gather his offspring in his arms...if only for one final moment.

Flannery O'Connor wrote

A Good Man is Hard to Find

, and, like Harper Lee, recognized that which separates good and evil and redemption from sin.

In Earl, we found a good man. In Earl, we found our own Atticus Finch. His spirit will be there with us when we go to sleep at night and it will be there when we wake up in the morning.

The Faces Behind Those Who Loved Dad Earl Thelander

2007-10-28T04:42:00.002-05:00

Yeah. It’s us. And then some.

Watch the Slideshow

(It may take a few seconds to load. If it doesn't appear after several seconds, please hit refresh.)

The "H" Word

2007-10-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

We weren't supposed to say the word out loud, let alone put it in print. The surreptitious nature of the secrecy confused me at first, but others were quick to provide reasons why: anyone seeing

that word

would be less inclined to come forward with new information. And, even the guilty party's so-called friends or associates might also be reluctant to

get involved

and come forward, lest they, too, somehow be held accountable for the information they'd possessed but had chosen to suppress.

So, when I stood in my mother's kitchen the same day she found out her breast cancer had metastasized and I saw the spiral-bound book lying right there on the table with the H-word written as big as the hole it left in all our hearts, I felt relieved there was someone -- albeit the

Iowa Department of Justice

-- willing to call what happened by its real name:

Homicide.

"A Guide to Survival: Information for the Family and Friends of Homicide Victims," it was called.

Homicide.

Yes. Exactly.

Finally.

Did it mean we now could utter the "m" word, too?

How Can People Be So Cruel?

2007-10-16T02:07:00.000-05:00

From the

Omaha World Herald

Published Tuesday | October 16, 2007
Reward offered in dog poisonings

Eight dogs have been fatally poisoned in the past 18 months in Neola (IA), and Pottawattamie County authorities are offering a $750 reward to find the person or people involved.

The latest poisoning killed a 13-month-old chocolate Labrador retriever that was in its kennel at its owner's residence, said Stacey Robertson, Pottawattamie County animal control supervisor.

"Somebody's baiting the animals," Robertson said. In the latest death, "the poison was put on the meat and tossed into the kennel."

Robertson said the poisonings could harm children.

"We've been working on this for a long time, and our investigation has reached a dead end," Robertson said. "I really hope somebody will point a finger."

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incidents.

Anyone with information can contact Robertson at 712-366-1143 or the Sheriff's Office at 712-890-2200.
- Abe Winter

Sounds of Silence

2007-10-09T00:24:00.000-05:00

It's a strange sort of silence that's settled over all our lives.

It's not just the absence of "Dad" Earl. Or the soft tone of his voice. Or even the echo of Mom and Earl's combined laughter that reverberated through a room in such a finely tuned harmony it sounded more like a symphony.

It's something akin to a world sitting slightly off its axis, frozen in time, waiting to move once again but wary of doing so lest one squeaky turn unleash a thousand vociferous cries and the chokehold they've had around our hearts.

It's a strange sort of silence that's settled in tonight, despite today's laughter as my siblings and I gathered 'round our mother at the hospital as nurses inserted IV lines for Mom's 9 o'clock mastectomy and others arrived to wish her the very best and said the front desk told them just-follow-the-noise-and-you'll-find-her-room and Mom kept telling us to hush because after all, this

was

a hospital and you

know

how your voices carry and we laughed and told more stories while carefully steering clear of one of the last jokes Earl had made in the very same hospital only one month earlier when Mom brought him in with those third-degree burns and he'd joked about everyone thinking he was "trying to steal the attention away from Mom" since her breast surgery for the biopsy was scheduled for the very next day.

It's a strange sort of silence that follows fear but has deep roots in hope.

Tonight, I'm listening close to Andy DuFresne ... trying to remember, perhaps not perfectly, the words he spoke to 'Red' in "The Shawshank Redemption" ....

Remember ... hope is a good thing.

And no good thing ever dies.

I'll Remember You

2007-09-04T12:53:00.000-05:00

I’ll Remember You, "Dad" Earl Thelander, with more love than you’ll ever know.

Click Here for my video tribute to Earl.

Jody

I Can't Believe "Dad Earl" is Really Gone

2007-09-02T15:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, with his 11 kids and my mother surrounding him, my 2nd father, Earl Thelander -- who's been a part of my life for more than 25 years -- died as the result of a cowardly thief who burglarized my grandparent's former country home (which was mostly empty and now belongs to my folks), for a $10 piece of copper piping. The burglar didn't bother to shut off the gas before cutting the copper gas line, and let the home fill will gas for the inevitable explosion.

"Dad Earl" -- as my four siblings and I always called him -- wanted to live. And, he had everything to live for. He was healthy, happy, and couldn't wait until his tomatoes finished ripening on the vines. He'd planned to give each of us some, and looked forward to the BLT sandwiches my mom always made for him.

Yes, he wanted to live. Even after the explosion, he somehow managed to crawl through the fire, climb into his pick-up, and drive the two miles back home in town, where my mother then immediately took him to the hospital. With both his knees burned clear through to the bone, he'd managed to make it back to her.

Yes, how Earl wanted to live.

Yesterday, we each took turns holding the tips of his fingers ... one of the few parts on his body without the full-thickness, third-degree burns, and we told him again and again how much we loved him, how much he'd taught us about life and respect and hard work and looking out for one another and reaching out to help a neighbor in need.

I shared 28 years with my first father and 28 years with "Dad Earl." Both my fathers died on Labor Day weekend. Both died the Saturday before Labor Day. Both died unexpected and extremely tragic deaths.

Who was this person who exchanged $10 worth of copper piping for a good man's life? What right did he have to make such a gentle and loving man suffer so?

We will find him. I tell you this with certainty; we will find the one who did this to our father and he will be brought to justice. God, the pain this has brought to my family.

Earl, you will always be with us, in all ways. The heavens opened and the angels wept down upon us the day they gently carried you through the clouds and then lay you down to rest here while we prayed and held your hand and they prepared your place in heaven. And when they came back to take you home, they opened your eyes one last time to hold with those of the woman you so loved ~ so that as you ascended to meet your God you knew you were ever safe and wrapped within an everlasting love that would never die.

A Site Worth Seeing

2006-07-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

Many kudos go to CNN Correspondent Gary Tuchman for his wonderful article on Sam Bailey on Anderson Cooper's 360º Blog. Mr. Bailey is responsible for founding The Pontchartrain Humane Society in Pearlington, Mississippi, a town hit by the full force of Hurricane Katrina.

You might want to grab a tissue or a hankie. Sam is truly a modern-day hero.

Thank you Sam, and thank you Gary for telling Sam's story.