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She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
What's a straw man fallacy?— November 9, 2011 4:20 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
Eight months in jail! That's serious. Reads like the judge thinks Trina knows where the dog is?— November 9, 2011 4:19 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
In your judgement, would you have thrown this dog in the car with your kids?— November 8, 2011 10 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
I agree. I hope Elvis is alive and well.— November 8, 2011 9:56 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
Eva, Your article sure is thought provoking. I really like that you are following up with it and have a relationship with the defendant. There are so many unanswered questions that raise a lot of doubt on all the parties. Were you at the trial? If so, maybe you could answer some of them, like why the jury took so long and didn't want to convict her. I am confused at the owner's actions too. The article sounds like Vukov had Elvis for at least 4 days before it escaped. And it's vague about whether law enforcement was engaged to retrieve the dog. Did they get involved after Afghani discovered his dog had escaped to question Vukov about the missing dog? How long was that? 1. Why didn't the dog owner, or Belloni the trainer, call the cops as soon as they discovered the dog missing? This makes no sense to me. And really negligent on both his part and his trainer too, to not be chasing down a $6,000.00 dog. 2. Why did the owner take it upon himself to be a undercover detective, snoop around inside her house and put it under surveillance by driving around it morning, night and day? A sheriff could have been on the case immediately with a warrant to inspect her house or car for the dog? 3. What if she would have let the dog free instead of taking it? I think the trainer must have known right away that she took it or he would have been worried that the dog could get hit in traffic, lost for coyotes . . . If he called the cops, they could have been on the outlook for Elvis right away? It's suspicious to me that neither party called the authorities. The owner is an attorney. You'd think he would know that. And why did he take his sweet time about getting his dog back? Normally, there would be an immediate sense of urgency to find a missing dog before anything happened to it. I don't see that here. Maybe there was a conspiracy to get rid of Elvis, make up some fraudulent papers and resell him. That they didn't call the cops indicates that they must have something to hide too. And why would a mother throw a Belgian Malinois in the back seat with her kids? Especially an abused one! If she knows anything about dogs, she wouldn't endangering her kids with a dog that could be vicious, especially if its hungry, thirsty and beaten. I tried to rehabilitate a dog once that had been abused and it took a couple years before he had enough confidence not to lash out and try to bite. I'm starting to think this rescue was premeditated. This story has really had me thinking. Something smells wrong in Denmark. Is that why the jury took so long to deliberate? Eva, I hope you write a follow up story or share your insight in these comments. I am curious as to what happened here and if justice has been administered fairly. Sounds like you have a story within a story.— November 8, 2011 6:19 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
FYI: I can assure you that Elvis, as a protection dog, was or would have been trained to be off leash. Choke collars are controversial, but sometimes dog trainers feel they need to use them to reign in an especially hard dog. The collar alone would not idicate abuse.— November 8, 2011 1:19 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
Hi Surfpuppy, Yes, I was assuming you had a dog by your name. Also, because you are more vocal that she did something wrong. What I don't understand is why so many have sympathy for her and believe that she should appeal or was treated unfairly. Initially, I felt that way when I read the story. Especially when I saw Philippe Belloni's name associated in this story. His name was a blast from the past. He was a bad news troublemaker in Riverside County strutting around like he was a bad ass mafiosa. Can't brelieve he hasn't worn away his welcome from these parts or been deported. Sounds like you know him too from some of the posts you made. Creepy as he can be, I can't see him abusing a client's dog to the extent Vukov claimed. And a lot of her actions aren't consistent of somebody concerned with the dog's welfare. 1 Like why she wouldn't call the authorities right away to deal with Belloni if he is a dog abuser? 2. Or try to find the owner? 3. Or fail to put out a search when the dog went missing? 4. Or keep it with her when she can't afford it? Her actions were irresponsible and the results devastating. IMO a misdemeanor is an insult to the dog owner and would send a bad message to self rescuers. Some people think it's abusive to see a dog in a crate. What if they start dognapping those dogs because of their perception of abuse? That's why I ask what issues of appeal the other posters feel she should have? I keep an one mind so am curious to others opinions. As for inquiry on if they are dog owners, why they would sympathize with her?— November 7, 2011 10:09 a.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
Do any of you posters have dogs, or for that case, pets? Most pet owners I know treat and love their pets as family members. I do. I love my dogs so much that if somebody kidnapped one, it would be the same as if they took my child. if I discovered who stole my dog, or acted so irresponsibly to let it get loose or stolen again, I would be PISSED! I'd see her in civil court too and sue her for money damages, including undue stress and loss of companionship. I wouldn't feel justice is done if only a slap in the wrist and a misdemeanor was the exchange for my loss and heartache. I don't understand why you think Vukov is a victim here? How would you feel if it was a child she took home to care for but never called the authorities! What is that you possibly think she has to appeal? I agree that the article raises sympathy for her. For that reason, I think there is a lot we don't know about the facts of the case to be making judgement here. If you love your dog, you will search the world over to get them back. Look at Afghani, the owner and how desperate he was. He posed as a jewelry buyer and made over 300 CALLS to Vukov and drove around day and night looking for Elvis. He's the victim here and I think it shows disrespect to him that you have sympathy for somebody who could be so cruel not to even try and find the owner and be so irresponsible to lose the dog. I don't care if it was a $6,000.00 dog or a pound dog, the loss and companionship is devastating.— November 5, 2011 9:42 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
If the message of this article is that the judicial system was too hard in this case, but that it could be OK to take a dog that you believe you can keep and care for better in your home, then that's not right. People love their pets. Not everybody can be the judge of what is abuse. Let animal protection make that call. The authorities could punish the abuser too so justice really would be done.— November 2, 2011 6:04 p.m.
She didn't steal the Belgian Malinois in Escondido. She rescued It.
That sounds scary. Did you have to testify in court and tell the jury that? Do you have any idea what might have happened to Elvis? I hope you and your sister are in good hands and that this incident does not affect you badly.— November 2, 2011 5:54 p.m.