Post by Bill on Aug 20, 2004 5:16:41 GMT -5
www.clearnet.net/users/spca/martha1.htm
The Account of Martha's Death....... by Melanie Eng
As a lifelong resident of Centre County, Pennsylvania, I have come to know, appreciate and treasure the natural resources we have in the way of recreation. Growing up in this area, it was not hard to be exposed to the many outdoor sports involving our woodlands and waterways. Although it has been years since I have actively hunted or fished, I have found a more satisfying and totally peaceful way of relaxation--boating on Colyer Lake. Peaceful, that is, until August 9, 1996. On a perfectly sunny afternoon, I was enjoying the company of my nine canine companions in a ritual I have done literally hundreds of times. On any weekday late afternoon, it was my habit to paddle around the lake with my dogs swimming with me, a great way to exercise myself and my furry friends in the heat of summer. Because I was careful to choose days and times when I would be least likely to disturb other people, it was rare that I had any human encounters. So it was to my great surprise when at one of the more remote corners of the lake, I was confronted by a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer who summoned me into shore. I immediately complied, knowing he probably was interested in seeing if my watercraft was properly registered (which it was). The sequence of events that followed, including the last 15 months, is my personal account of what happened and what I have learned about the PFBC.
As I made my way to shore, some of my dogs were still in the water and some were already running along the bank to say "Hi" to the officer. Having told him that he was going to get wet from shaking dogs, I next saw to my horror that he had drawn his gun, assumed a crouched position with arms fully extended, and was taking aim IN MY DIRECTION. Screaming hysterically for him not to shoot, I continued into shore, but the volley of six shots echoed into the air. When I got there, I found my thirty-five-pound Border Collie Martha bobbing in the water about ten feet from Deputy Waterways Conservation Officer Jacob Wishard. She died in my arms seconds later from gunshot wounds.
I asked him why he had shot her. "I felt threatened," he said. He was not bitten or injured in any way.
In the hours following, I learned he was only a deputy--an unpaid volunteer of the PFBC armed with a .357 Magnum revolver. Supervising officers arrived much later and began their investigation. Trying to put trust and faith in them at the time, I did my best to keep it together and stay composed. After interviews and promises from the officers that the PFBC would be contacting me soon, I left after confirming one last time that DWCO Wishard WAS NOT HURT IN ANY WAY.
The following week, nothing came from the PFBC. Instead, I received a citation from the Dog Law officer charging me for having my dog out of control--a ticket that originated from reports made by the PFBC. Two weeks later, I made the headlines unintentionally with the story of my murdered dog. Wishard was now claiming he had been bitten by Martha and that all my dogs were acting "unruly and aggressive." He was afraid he would be knocked down and mauled to death by a pack of dogs, and he was in mortal fear for his life.
Having sought legal counsel in this matter, I obviously was going to fight the citation, a charge which was later dismissed by District Justice Ronald J. Horner, not the least because DWCO Wishard failed to appear at the hearing. My lawyer and I began to check into this man's background to try to understand why the shooting occurred. How could this person be so afraid of friendly Golden Retrievers and an equally, if not more so, friendly Border Collie as to think he needed to resort to deadly force in the few seconds that he had contact with them?
The Account of Martha's Death....... by Melanie Eng
As a lifelong resident of Centre County, Pennsylvania, I have come to know, appreciate and treasure the natural resources we have in the way of recreation. Growing up in this area, it was not hard to be exposed to the many outdoor sports involving our woodlands and waterways. Although it has been years since I have actively hunted or fished, I have found a more satisfying and totally peaceful way of relaxation--boating on Colyer Lake. Peaceful, that is, until August 9, 1996. On a perfectly sunny afternoon, I was enjoying the company of my nine canine companions in a ritual I have done literally hundreds of times. On any weekday late afternoon, it was my habit to paddle around the lake with my dogs swimming with me, a great way to exercise myself and my furry friends in the heat of summer. Because I was careful to choose days and times when I would be least likely to disturb other people, it was rare that I had any human encounters. So it was to my great surprise when at one of the more remote corners of the lake, I was confronted by a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer who summoned me into shore. I immediately complied, knowing he probably was interested in seeing if my watercraft was properly registered (which it was). The sequence of events that followed, including the last 15 months, is my personal account of what happened and what I have learned about the PFBC.
As I made my way to shore, some of my dogs were still in the water and some were already running along the bank to say "Hi" to the officer. Having told him that he was going to get wet from shaking dogs, I next saw to my horror that he had drawn his gun, assumed a crouched position with arms fully extended, and was taking aim IN MY DIRECTION. Screaming hysterically for him not to shoot, I continued into shore, but the volley of six shots echoed into the air. When I got there, I found my thirty-five-pound Border Collie Martha bobbing in the water about ten feet from Deputy Waterways Conservation Officer Jacob Wishard. She died in my arms seconds later from gunshot wounds.
I asked him why he had shot her. "I felt threatened," he said. He was not bitten or injured in any way.
In the hours following, I learned he was only a deputy--an unpaid volunteer of the PFBC armed with a .357 Magnum revolver. Supervising officers arrived much later and began their investigation. Trying to put trust and faith in them at the time, I did my best to keep it together and stay composed. After interviews and promises from the officers that the PFBC would be contacting me soon, I left after confirming one last time that DWCO Wishard WAS NOT HURT IN ANY WAY.
The following week, nothing came from the PFBC. Instead, I received a citation from the Dog Law officer charging me for having my dog out of control--a ticket that originated from reports made by the PFBC. Two weeks later, I made the headlines unintentionally with the story of my murdered dog. Wishard was now claiming he had been bitten by Martha and that all my dogs were acting "unruly and aggressive." He was afraid he would be knocked down and mauled to death by a pack of dogs, and he was in mortal fear for his life.
Having sought legal counsel in this matter, I obviously was going to fight the citation, a charge which was later dismissed by District Justice Ronald J. Horner, not the least because DWCO Wishard failed to appear at the hearing. My lawyer and I began to check into this man's background to try to understand why the shooting occurred. How could this person be so afraid of friendly Golden Retrievers and an equally, if not more so, friendly Border Collie as to think he needed to resort to deadly force in the few seconds that he had contact with them?