# Heat Warning....A Sad Story



## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

ARNOLD, Mo. - Seven high-priced show dogs, including one of the top Akitas in the country, are dead after being left by their handler for several hours in a hot van in Jefferson County.

Police say Mary Wild, 24, left the dogs in a cargo van early Monday and went to bed after returning from a dog show in Iowa.

"I've never seen such a horrific act in my lifetime," said Dr. Laura Ivan, the veterinarian in House Springs whose office Wild brought the dogs to on Monday. Ivan is now caring for the lone surviving dog. "This was not intentional, but a horrible, tragic accident," Ivan added.

The dogs likely died of heat stroke, Ivan said, although autopsies are pending. The purebreds included three golden retrievers, a dalmation, a Siberian Husky, a Malamute and the top-ranked Akita named Jersey.

Wild, who is paid to handle the dogs at shows, did not return repeated phone and e-mail messages Wednesday from the Post-Dispatch requesting comment.

She told police that, after returning from her road trip about 1 a.m. Monday, she started to transfer the dogs into the garage of a home on Kroeck Drive in Arnold. But it was so hot she instead decided to leave them in their portable kennels in the van.

She told police she put six electric fans in the van to keep the dogs cool. She also left a door open to the van and the van's windows partly open, said Capt. Ralph Brown of the Jefferson County sheriff's office. The van was apparently parked in the driveway, Brown said.

She told police that, three hours later, she went outside to check on the dogs. They were fine, she said. Then, about 6:30 a.m., all eight dogs were in distress. She found five of the dogs breathing, but not responsive. The other three were clearly in distress, but could at least raise their heads.

She tried reviving the dogs, by hosing them down, then took them to Ivan's office.

The veterinarian, Ivan, said there is a discrepancy about the times Wild gave police. Ivan said Wild's first call to her cell phone was at 9:08 a.m., followed by a 9:20 a.m. call to Ivan's office. Wild arrived at the vet's office at 9:30 a.m., and Ivan got to the office fifteen minutes later. Rigor mortis had already set in on some of the dead dogs, Ivan said. Jersey and another dog were still alive. The Akita dies about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Ivan said the Akita died of brain damage. When the blood cells heat up, the body rejects them.

The National Weather Service said the outside temperature at about 1 a.m. Monday was 83 degrees. At 6 a.m., it was 80 degrees. Investigators are trying to determine how hot the inside of the van could have gotten.

"It can get to be 120 degrees inside a van," Ivan said. "With the humidity, it's certainly a suffocating effect. Dogs aren't able to sweat. They pant, but not enough to release the heat in the brain."

Their body temperature could have exceeded 108 degrees.

"It only takes five minutes for heat stroke to happen," Ivan said. "If the brain heats up to about 108 degrees, you only have a few minutes to lower the temperature and restore oxygen to the brain. The blood, essentially, is boiling."

James Taylor, the county's animal control manager, said his investigation should be completed this week. About Ivan's statement on the temperatures of the dogs' bodies and inside the van, Taylor said: "I agree with the vet on that assessment."

Taylor said he could not comment on his investigation beyond that point.

Ivan said the crates were stacked on top of each other inside the cargo van. The cages had water dishes, but the dishes were empty by the time the vet's staff saw them.

"There was not an intent, obviously, to kill," Ivan said. "There was an error in judgment, a lack of common sense. In hindsight, she should've brought the dogs out or left the van running."

Monica Colvin of Lebanon, Ill., owner of the Akita, was still shaken Wednesday when she recounted how she learned about the death of her dog, Jersey. She was traveling to California and got a phone call late Monday afternoon from Wild.

"She did not give me the full story," Colvin said. "She said she (Jersey) got hot and she'll be okay."

The next day, Jersey died. And only Wednesday did Colvin find out about the other dogs' deaths.

"She should've gotten those dogs into a cool location, in her kitchen, her own bedroom ... " Colvin said. "The dogs' safety should be paramount."

In the first six months of this year, Jersey had won enough points at dog shows sanctioned by the American Kennel Club to be considered the top-ranked female Akita and the fourth-ranked Akita in the country, her owner said. Such purebred dogs are worth thousands, possibly tens of thousands of dollars, Ivan said.

Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer's office and the county's animal control division are investigating. Their report will be turned over to the county prosecutor.

Brown said Wild is a reputable dog handler. "This is a very sad case," Brown said. "The lady probably thought, in her mind, heck it's hot in the garage, and some of the dogs were probably already asleep."

Brown cautioned others with dogs: "Take every precaution during this high heat and humidity. If at all possible, take them inside."By Kim Bell -

UPDATED, 6 a.m. Thursday, in final paragraphs, to include the latest condition on the lone surviving dog.

The lone surviving dog is a Siberian Husky named Cinder. Ivan, the veterinarian, said late Wednesday that Cinder's condition was "day-to-day."

"She's still disoriented, and she's in kidney failure," Ivan said. "Her brain seems to be okay."

Ivan is monitoring the Husky's blood, testing for values related to kidney function. Those values could determine, by the end of the week, if Cinder would have to be euthanized, Ivan said.

[email protected] 314-340-8115


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I've been following this story and it is very sad.


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## HavaBaloo (Mar 24, 2009)

This is just horrible, I am crying for these innocent lives, just so sad.


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## Alexa (Jun 17, 2007)

That is so sad. While I am sure the handler did not mean to hurt the dogs, the tone that sort of excuses her actions in the article really bothers me. If she is an experience handler that gets paid top $$ to do her job, she should absolutely know better. I do hope that this will be the end of her career, no second chances as far as I am concerned.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

How very sad. I honestly can't imagine her thought process in leaving them in the car and thinking they would be better off. 
If I were a breeder sending my dogs with a handler, I wouldn't choose one who kept the dogs in their garage between shows, no matter what the weather, unless said garage was air conditioned, heated, and was basically just like the inside of a home.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

I think she came in tired at 1:00 a.m., it probably was not that hot at that time of the morning. She went to sleep and woke up around 9:00. 

Her career is over as a dog handler.


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## AgilityHav (Aug 20, 2007)

As you guys have said, I would imagine her career is over.

I have worked for several handlers in the past, only one of whom I would ever think of putting a dog with(although I show all of my own). This just goes to show how important it is for breeders to go and visit the facilities the dogs are kept in, and see the way in which the dogs are transported. This was just compleatly unexcusable

On a side note, this does hit close to home for me. A good friend of mine(who is a junior handler, and shows in juniors) just recently started traveling with this handler. Her beloved juniors dog was one of the dogs that died in this incident.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

That's terrible Natasha.

Sandi, they were saying that it was still pretty hot when she got back at 1am, and the garage was too warm for them, so she opened the doors & windows in the van and left them in there. (Maybe even put a fan in there? I'm not sure on that.) She first came out to check on them at 4am and all was well. When she came out again at 6:30, they were in distress already. It was just too hot. She tried to revive them herself. I believe the 9am timeline was when she got to the vet's hospital. Not that it matters now.

The dog show world is too small. I think all of us have known handlers that have had a dog die in their care (or get lost), but as soon as they started saying which dogs died and were living, it was obvious who the handler was. All the newspaper articles were keeping her name out of it, but the dog show blogs are broadcasting it (dogshowpoop.blogspot.com). When the top Akita dies, there is no way to keep it quiet.

Edited to add: Dog Show Poop is even listing Mary's photo with the Akita.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm sorry, I cannot feel sorry for this "handler." She made an idiotic and deadly choice for those animals in her care. I don't care how tired she was. I'm sure this story is far from over as the poor owners of these animals get past their grief and go after her. Forgive me but this kind of story makes me so angry. Those poor souls relied on her to keep them safe. Instead she cost them their lives.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Geri, I don't know why you even bother to put those first two words in there "I'm sorry". I don't think I'd even go that far. Yes, she cost those dogs their lives. Her carelessness will impact a lot of people beyond her own career.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Havtahava said:


> That's terrible Natasha.
> 
> Sandi, they were saying that it was still pretty hot when she got back at 1am, and the garage was too warm for them, so she opened the doors & windows in the van and left them in there. (Maybe even put a fan in there? I'm not sure on that.) She first came out to check on them at 4am and all was well. When she came out again at 6:30, they were in distress already. It was just too hot. She tried to revive them herself. I believe the 9am timeline was when she got to the vet's hospital. Not that it matters now.
> 
> ...


My post was a copy of the Newspaper article, I think the vets time line is closer to the truth, if she had come out at 6:30 she would have been at the vets by 7 AM

*The veterinarian, Ivan, said there is a discrepancy about the times Wild gave police. Ivan said Wild's first call to her cell phone was at 9:08 a.m., followed by a 9:20 a.m. call to Ivan's office. Wild arrived at the vet's office at 9:30 a.m., and Ivan got to the office fifteen minutes later. Rigor mortis had already set in on some of the dead dogs, Ivan said. Jersey and another dog were still alive. The Akita dies about 10 a.m. Tuesday. 
*

Any breeder or handler should be able to get to their vet in less than 2 hours that was my point.


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

This is so sad. I feel terrible for the dogs and their families.
Gina


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

I can't imagine leaving *any* dog in a van overnight -- especially one that you are being paid to care for. That is not bad judgement to me ~ it is....(unspeakable)!!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

It sounds to me like the dogs lead a sad life with that handler at the best of times, if she was willing to leave them in the van in the first place. How could she not have them in the house with her?! Maybe that is the norm for paid handlers...but I can't imagine loving my dog and sending him/her off with a person that has that attitude. And, then, to have them die an awful death that way...that is the stuff of nightmares.


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

Sheri, I so agree with you - why weren't the dogs in the (no doubt air-conditioned) house with her??

How very sad; it unfortunately confirms all my worst fears about leaving our precious dogs in anyone else's care. . .


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

my mouth is open wide with what i am reading....how very very sad.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Well, dogs definitely have the best world when they live in a loving pet home. A good breeder home is a little less likely than ideal due to the divided attention and work involved. Living with a handler is a whole lot less than ideal, but still - all owners (breeders & non-breeders) expect that their dogs will be cared for (emphasis on "care") while in their charge. This was care_less_, not care.


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## Lunastar (Feb 9, 2009)

I agree those dogs should have been in the home with her.


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## irishnproud2b (Jan 13, 2009)

How horrible for those poor dogs! Sounds like a lazy handler who got tired so she only thought of herself! I just read of a woman who left her little 2 year old in the car because she forgot she was there. Witnesses who called 911 (too late) said foam was coming from her mouth and her skin was falling off. The little girl "boiled" to death. You have to live in a vacuum not to have heard story after story about what can happen to children and pets if left in the heat. Make's me sick. Not only will that handler have to face lawsuits and the wrath of many people, while also losing her career; she will have to live with herself knowing what she did.


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## hvapuppy2 (Jan 25, 2008)

It's a lot of work to manage all those dogs. The crates alone are very heavy, not to mention how to juggle all those dogs. Dogs that are not socialized together can get in a scrap in a second, costing $$$ in vet bills or even death to a dog. 

Entrusting a dog with a pro-handler should be viewed as a risk, and a breeder ( or show dog owner) should ask themselves is it a risk they are willing to take. My friend's pet/show Havanese Hyacinth was killed by a Sharpei while under the care of a professional handler. She learned the horrific risk involved the hard way.

Pro handlers probably need to have that many dogs to make a living, but it's too many dogs for one person to safely manage.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

hvapuppy2 said:


> It's a lot of work to manage all those dogs. The crates alone are very heavy, not to mention how to juggle all those dogs. Dogs that are not socialized together can get in a scrap in a second, costing $$$ in vet bills or even death to a dog.
> 
> Entrusting a dog with a pro-handler should be viewed as a risk, and a breeder ( or show dog owner) should ask themselves is it a risk they are willing to take. My friend's pet/show Havanese Hyacinth was killed by a Sharpei while under the care of a professional handler. She learned the horrific risk involved the hard way.
> 
> Pro handlers probably need to have that many dogs to make a living, but it's too many dogs for one person to safely manage.


That is so tragic about your friend's dog.

Are you suggesting this handler did not have additional crates in her "garage" or home? Most handlers don't break down their vans or traveling vehicles except to clean a few times a year. I would have thought the most she had to do was make 7 trips from the van to the house with the dogs. Even if she didn't have additional crates, 14 trips would not have killed her

There is no excuse and Mary Wild will know this for the rest of her life.


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## CinnCinn (Mar 30, 2007)

Stupid, just stupid! Other than that, I'm speachless.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I agree with Sandi, there's no excuse for this. If it was too many dogs to handle by herself then she shouldn't have had that many. She was irresponsible and this is her fault.


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## hvapuppy2 (Jan 25, 2008)

SMARTY said:


> That is so tragic about your friend's dog.
> 
> Are you suggesting this handler did not have additional crates in her "garage" or home? Most handlers don't break down their vans or traveling vehicles except to clean a few times a year. I would have thought the most she had to do was make 7 trips from the van to the house with the dogs. Even if she didn't have additional crates, 14 trips would not have killed her
> 
> There is no excuse and Mary Wild will know this for the rest of her life.


I am NOT trying to excuse anyone and I am not judging either, I am just trying to focus a light on the risks. That handler may have always left the dogs in the van overnight, how would anyone know unless they are there? This time it went bad.

I personally won't even leave my Bella with my parents for a day, if I can help it, and my parents love Bella...too many things could go wrong.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

hvapuppy2 said:


> I am NOT trying to excuse anyone and I am not judging either, I am just trying to focus a light on the risks. That handler may have always left the dogs in the van overnight, how would anyone know unless they are there? This time it went bad.
> 
> I personally won't even leave my Bella with my parents for a day, if I can help it, and my parents love Bella...too many things could go wrong.


I totally agree with you on the risk, that is why I showed my own.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

*UPDATE * 
There is a new news article with some updates: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...1C5D47F56367C151862575E800461D76?OpenDocument

The good news is that Cinder seems to be recovering well. I'm troubled about the mention of the junior handler that was assisting her. I can't tell what information will be revealed, but I sure hope no one places blame on her. She's only a child. What a mess.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I can't even imagine what that poor junior handler has gone through, replaying this in her mind. I hope she can get over it. As for the "handler," aside from never being allowed to have any unsuspecting owner's dog(s) in her care again, there should be a price to pay for the lives of those poor souls.

I'm so happy to hear about Cinder and I do hope there are no devastating long term affects.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

SMARTY said:


> I totally agree with you on the risk, that is why I showed my own.


I'm brand new to the "dog world", so I was wondering... In the horse world, many, if not most people are actively involved in showing their own horse. They may have a trainer who works with them, or even goes to shows with them, but MOST of the time, the owner is at least involved, if not actively showing the horse themselves. I've seen you post that you showed Smarty yourself, and did very well with her. Is it really uncommon for an owner (as opposed to a breeder/owner) to do that?

Karen


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

This junior handler is a friend of Natasha. What did they mean by this in the article “Ivan has since talked with Wild's mother, who has been a long time client of Ivan, and learned that there was a frantic attempt to revive the dogs. The mother claims they yelled at the junior handler to wake up, and she was rushing to get her shoes on. "Open the **** doors, there's no ventilation," they yelled.”?

Was the junior sleeping in the van? Closed the doors? What happened to the 6 fans? 

Yes. Karen, most horses are shown by there owners at the local and regional levels. They train with a profession trainer or just figure it out. Horses do not show just to get a Championship. Many different venues with the horses require a professional to be completive such as the high powered hunter jumpers, Olympic hopefuls just to name a couple. We also showed horses for many years. We showed the same horses for many years, our DD won 2 scholarships riding her Appaloosa. Many dog breeders and serious dog owners who show use a professional handler.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Sandi, that part of the article was very disturbing to me too - no matter who the junior handler is (meaning, without her connections to a member here). _For legal reasons, I actually hope Natasha does NOT post on this thread if she has any inside information_.

By the way, no matter what the junior handler did or did not do, she should be absolved. Mary Wild was being paid to care for those dogs. *The [adult/paid] handler can delegate tasks, but she cannot delegate responsibility.*


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Kimberly, I agree 100 %, I just cannot get a grip on where this paragraph (her mother)was coming from. The junior lost her dog in that van. There is one person to blame her and that is Mary Wild.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

And, I'm with you 100% on that. That's why I wrote that I was troubled by the part about the junior being mentioned. I sure hope no one tries to pin anything on her - no matter what her part in the situation was... or wasn't.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

I've not been on any other blog or forum so I have no idea how anyone can place the blame on anyone but the actual person of responsibility.


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## boo's mom (Oct 13, 2009)

mckennasedona said:


> How very sad. I honestly can't imagine her thought process in leaving them in the car and thinking they would be better off.
> If I were a breeder sending my dogs with a handler, I wouldn't choose one who kept the dogs in their garage between shows, no matter what the weather, unless said garage was air conditioned, heated, and was basically just like the inside of a home.


well said:tea:


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## psvzum (Jun 11, 2009)

What is WRONG WITH PEOPLE! That's stupidity. They should be prosecuted. Awful....


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## Xtina88 (Oct 5, 2009)

uke:


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