Animal Cruelty

Cover Story: Federal Animal "Crush" Law Tested in Houston

In December 2012, two Houstonians became the first defendants charged under the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, which criminalizes the production and distribution of images of animal cruelty. Ashley Nicole Richards and Brent Wayne Justice were originally charged in Harris County Distric ... More >>

Put the Panic on Hold: The DA's Office Will Still Prosecute Animal Cruelty Cases

Houston animal advocates have notified Hair Balls about a recent post by animal law specialist Clarissa Kay Bauer that suggests new District Attorney Mike Anderson has all but relegated animal cruelty cases to the trash heap, but this does not appear to be the case. From what the office's spokeswom ... More >>

UTMB Pays Fine in Animal Welfare Act Allegations

Three University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston employees have been fired, and the university has agreed to pay $9,143 relating to allegations of Animal Welfare Act violations. Under the settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the university did not admit or deny any wrong ... More >>

Ever Wonder if Your Kid's Teacher Runs a Puppy Mill in Her Spare Time?

A former grade school teacher has been charged with animal cruelty after sheriff's deputies and SPCA workers seized 106 abused and neglected dog from her East Texas home Monday. The dogs were allegedly "forced to live in their own filth inside a feces-filled, urine-soaked home on the property" near ... More >>

Splendora Donkey-Dragger Gets Felony Indictment

In one of the more horrific animal cruelty cases in the area this year, in October, a Splendora man was accused of dragging a friend's pet donkey behind his truck so fast that the animal's hooves were in large part scraped from its feet. On Thursday, a Montgomery County grand jury returned a state- ... More >>

Galveston Cop Wins Humane Society Award for Busting Big Cockfighting Ring

Galveston Police Sgt. Joel Caldwell has won an award from the Humane Society of the United States for his role in organizing a December raid of a facility that had 350 roosters raised for cockfighting. Caldwell was the first officer in Texas to make an arrest under a 2011 law banning the raising o ... More >>

Ashley Nicole Richards: Videos Show "Ebony Crush Goddess" Going to Town on Crawfish, Crabs

Investigators with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals say they've discovered more videos of animal torture linked to two Houstonians already charged with mutilating and killing a puppy and kitten on video. Stephanie Bell, associate director of PETA's cruelty investigations department, ... More >>

Comment of the Day: PETA Sucks, But the Circus Does Too

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

The Circus is in Town, Can PETA Be Far Behind? (No)

At high noon today, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protesters will rally outside Reliant Stadium to speak out against what it says is bad treatment of elephants by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. "Houston residents would run screaming from the big top if they knew how ... More >>

PETA Asks Joel Osteen to Hang a "Go Vegan" Banner in His Church

We guess there's no harm in trying. PETA has written a letter asking Joel Osteen to hang a large "Go Vegan" banner in Lakewood Church, for which in return they will "prepare a delicious Easter Sunday faux-ham meal with all the trimmings for his parishioners." Why Osteen? PETA seems to think he's h ... More >>

Please Help Find Who's Killing, Mutilating Dogs in Crosby

There has been a rash of gut-wrenching animal cruelty stories in Houston lately, and we're sad to add yet one more, this time dealing with a dumping ground of mutilated dogs in Crosby. Rhonda Heffernan, who's been involved in the rescue community for several years, launched a website to spread awar ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Oh, NOW I Get It

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Agustin Figueroa Jr.'s Fetish Foursome: Bestiality, Child Porn, Incest and Bondage

The perv won't be around for a while.​Agustin G. Figueroa Jr. of Angleton is going to a federal prison for ten years, and that is most definitely a good thing. Figueroa was convicted in 1996 for raping a child, and more recently he was found guilty of child-porn possession. He had "20,825 ima ... More >>

BARC Handling String of Startingly Bad Animal Abuse Cases (With Graphic Photos)

Cesar, in recovery mode​The world has completely gone to hell in the last 36 hours, based on the shocking display of animal cruelty cases that Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care is dealing with. Authorities are investigating the following, according to BARC: -- A man shot a Yorks ... More >>

Kareem Jackson -- First Cockfighting and Now....

Kareem Jackson: Filling the empty hours.​While the NFL's work stoppage has fans (and several players needing a cash influx) a little bit nervous that we may not see football start on time this fall, there has been a silver lining in players' being banned from the teams' facilities. The work s ... More >>

Calf-Farm Animal Cruelty Video Results in Criminal Charges

DA files animal cruelty charges.​Last month we reported on a pretty shocking hidden-camera video that showed workers at a calf farm in the Panhandle town of Hart bashing animals on the head with hammers and pickaxes. The owner of E6 Cattle Company, Kirt Espenson, told us at the time that four ... More >>

UTMB Forced to Give PETA Documents on Animal Experiments

UTMB must hand over more than 1,000 pages, AG says.​Attorney General Greg Abbott has ruled that the UT Medical Branch in Galveston must turn over documents sought by PETA regarding experiments done on animals. A PETA whistleblower alleged in January that animals were used in painful and dead ... More >>

Pedro Mendez: Convicted Cockfighter Now Accused Child Molester

Pedro Mendez, a man of many interests​What's next in the criminal career of Pedro Mendez? The 56-year-old Nacogdoches man seems to be hell-bent on checking off every box in the "most odious crimes" category of human endeavor. Not ten months after pleading guilty to animal cruelty in a cockfi ... More >>

Texans' Kareem Jackson, Cockfighting Correspondent

You are looking LIVE....​The Houston Texans' Kareem Jackson struggled through his rookie season, having trouble covering receivers. One thing he can cover: Cockfighting. Jackson made his debut as a sideline reporter via Twitter, as reported by CBSHouston, which is the web outlet for KILT-AM. ... More >>

Kareem Jackson, Cockfighting and Perception

That's entertainment​"Look at all these people that be at these chicken fights, you would think its a college football game." -- Reemboi25 (Kareem Jackson's Twitter handle) Early March is the meaty part of the NFL's offseason relaxation calendar for players. The season has been over for a co ... More >>

Facebook v. Leaky Boob

Houston mom in a FB face-off.

Comment of the Day: Animal Experiments Aren't All Bad

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

PETA's New Target: UT-Medical Branch in Galveston

UTMB gets hit by PETA complaints about experiments​PETA, fresh off claiming a victory over NASA about monkey experiments, has a new target in its sights: The University of Texas medical branch in Galveston. PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging "abuse and ... More >>

Animal Abuse: The Five Worst Houston Examples In 2010

Humans: Will you ever learn?​We like to think that animal abusers will not only get a lump of coal from Santa this time of year, but a pitchfork-in-the-ass from the Other Guy in Red as well. For those of you who like to keep tabs on just how low the human race can sink, here's a roundup of some of ... More >>

PETA Says NASA Ending Monkey Experiments (UPDATED with NASA response)

Photo courtesy April EvansApril Evans quit NASA over the experiments​PETA is proclaiming victory in their ongoing battle to stop radiation experiments on monkeys that had been planned by NASA. Well, folks, you did it. After scores of protests and more than 100,000 letters, phone calls, and e- ... More >>

Flying Fur: PETA Members to Protest on Black Friday

Don't expect hot, naked protesters on Friday. Think about it if you like, but don't expect it.​When you are out picking up some toys for the tikes at the Galleria this Friday, you might see something besides chubby Santas and frustrated holiday shoppers. You might catch anti-fur protesters. A ... More >>

Intelligent Life

When NASA employee April Evans questioned animal experiments, her career fell apart.

PETA Comes To Houston To Take On NASA

Time for my radiation, guys​Commuters on the Gulf Freeway will get a new billboard to ponder sometime soon: "NASA: Takea Giant Leap for Mankind. Stop Torturing Monkeys," it will say.It comes courtesy of animal-rights group PETA, who we guess should get points for avoiding the "Houston, We Have A P ... More >>

Minute Maid Park's Veggie Menu Gets PETA Love -- With A Side Order Of Carlos Lee Smack

Put an Astros cap on this dude​The Astros have been dismally unexciting this year -- except when they're playing the equally inept Washington Nationals, it seems -- but they've got PETA on their side.The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a group whose Venn diagram intersection wit ... More >>

PETA Searches for Sexy Vegetarians, Finds Two Living in Houston

Photos courtesy of PETA​Now that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is over, those fun-filled folks at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have turned their attention to promoting sex, vitality and good muscle fiber among humans who do not eat meat. As part of PETA's national ... More >>

PETA Searches for Sexy Vegetarians, Finds Two Living in Houston

Photos courtesy of PETA​Now that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is over, those fun-filled folks at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have turned their attention to promoting sex, vitality and good muscle fiber among humans who do not eat meat. As part of PETA's national ... More >>

Dogfighting Bust Whimpers Out

Plus: Big new park for Montrose?

The Mystery of the 14 Dead Dogs Dumped in North Houston

​The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering to help Houston investigators in the search for whoever dumped 14 dead dogs under a sheet in northeast Houston. KTRK reported Wednesday that the bodies of the dogs, mostly adult shepherd mixes, were found that day near ... More >>

Complain About BARC, Find Yourself Charged With A Crime

Photo by bf_photos The Harris County District Attorney's Office has charged a BARC volunteer for filing a false police report regarding animal abuse he said he heard while at the city's animal control facility. Shelby Kibodeaux was charged July 1 with the class B misdemeanor, which ca ... More >>

Behind The Scenes At The Circus Whether PETA Likes It Or Not

Photo by Katharine ShilcuttIt's  circus time in Houston! A joyous time of annoying protests from PETA and magic for boys and girls of all ages!!Take a look behind the scenes as they set up the ring at Reliant Stadium in this slideshow. And then: Kids, get your cotton candy!! PETA people, get yo ... More >>

The Houston Zoo's Got More Herpes Than A Motley Crue Groupies' Convention, PETA Says

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested at the Houston Zoo Saturday, demanding that the zoo stop breeding elephants after the death of two-year-old Mac from the elephant herpesvirus.Hair Balls caught up with PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt at the protest. "PETA is appalled that yet anoth ... More >>

Allison Amend Author of Things That Pass for Love

Allison Amend tells us what she did for love

Two Houston Athletes Donate Their Brains To Science

Two Sworn, Gun-Toting Peace Officers Protect the County's Animals

Brutality Police

Dog Abuse Bad. Cow Abuse Awesome.

Alicia Silverstone Naked! Now That We've Got Your Attention...

Dog Day Afternoon. Evening and Morning, Too.

Today in Public Semi-Nudity

Nekkid Bunny

You Better Watch Out

These Saint Nicks can be real pricks

Best Pet Store

Houston SPCA

(East) Indian Summer

A local community celebrates its heritage

In the Doghouse

An animal typically has three days before he leaves the city pound, dead or alive. What happens during that time continues to cause concern.

Ad-verse Reaction

Is an animal rights billboard too explicit - or merely odious to the rodeo?

The Compassionate Consumer