75 Year-Old Ohio Woman Accused of Beating Fawn to Death

EUCLID, Ohio — An Ohio woman who found a fawn in her flower garden has been accused of beating it to death with a shovel. Dorothy Richardson, 75, was charged in a warrant with animal cruelty at her Euclid home near the Cleveland Metroparks Euclid Creek Reservation, a wooded park where deer, foxes and other wildlife roam.

Animal control officer Ann Mills requested the warrant. She said "everybody's very upset" about the fawn's June 15 death.

Richardson hasn't appeared in court. She told Cleveland's WKYC-TV she was afraid of the fawn and used a shovel to try to make it move. She said after it died she put it in a box and took it to the curb on trash day.

Euclid's cruelty to animals charge is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

Comments

[peacekitten]

if she was that scared of the poor animal, she should have gone inside and called the police, who could have come and taken him/her back to the woods where they would have been safe, and ms. richardson didn't need to "fear" the fawn.

it's questionable at best if she should still be living on her own. she should at least have to pay the fine.

[Vickster]

Do you really think the cops would have responded because an old lady called to report fawn in her flower bed? Chances are she would have been fined for making a frivolous call to 911.

Also, considering that this fawn was probably somewhere around three months old (most deer breed in October and birth in March), he should have been running with his mother. The fact that he was curled up in a flower bed (next to a house) suggest he may have been sick. The woman even said she nudged the fawn with a shovel. It was only after the fawn failed to react like a healthy animal that she claimed to be afraid, perhaps because she considered the possibility that the fawn might be rabid.

By the way, rabies is making a comeback and not just in rural communities. A few years ago, several people were attacked by rabid foxes while jogging in urban parks. And this was in a state that didn't have a reported case of rabies for fifty years.

[Ryan J R Crowe]

lol

[Mongoose king]

Yeah put her in Michael Vicks old cell or send her to gitmo for therapy..t­he fawn made a threatening move.

[Ryan J R Crowe]

ur a monster if you think its ok to lock up an old woman like that

[alguien]

even if there's a pretty strong possibility that this old woman is, herself, a monster?

[Mum]

I'm astonished by many of the comments here. They're stark evidence that as a whole the human species has a way to go on its evolutionary journey.

Of course, I'm horrified by the bludgeoning to death of a fawn. But I'm also horrified at several of the not-so-ton­gue-in-che­ek comments about Dorothy Richardson. She may have really felt threatened by the fawn, which could be due to Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. I have personally known two people who suffered from Alzheimer's and, as a result of the disease, became extremely paranoid and would lash out at things that posed absolutely no threat. I had to intervene on two occasions: one in which my grandfather tried to physically eject a nurse from his house (a nurse who had been there five days a week for months); and another in which my father-in-law went after my kids, probably because they were laughing hysterically at a television program. It is obvious that Richardson needs help of some kind. Where's your compassion? We can't bring the fawn back, but maybe we can help this elderly woman.

[psychmaj323]

I hope they give her the same amount of time they gave Michael Vick.

[Ryan J R Crowe]

lol get over it your idol vick was an animal

[psychmaj323]

he wasn't my idol. I'm just saying, animal cruelty is animal cruelty, there's no difference

[NoSillyName]

Oh FGS!!!! I won't read these stories and wish the headlines were on some separate page.

[liarsclub75]

When why are you here mo.r0n?

[rumblingspire]

a fawn in her garden, did not run when she approached. it trusted her? she was afraid of it? something evil in this woman.

[blueeyedbull]

I remember as a child my brother taking a bow and arrow to shoot at frogs that got in our pool. I ran into the house cursing at my mom because she would not stop him. He continued with his sadistic behavior as I cried. I also remember him throwing my cat off the roof into the pool. He was a mean person. He continued being a mean person until he was killed by a hit and run in San Francisco. His behavior was obvious early on, but unfortunately every intervention that was available did not help him. Goggle about serial killers and you will find that most started with torturing animals.

I don't believe this woman would be a serial killer, but her story stinks. Tapping an animal on the head is not going to kill them, she used blunt force.

Sad that our society has a disregard for life.

[Ryan J R Crowe]

sounds like you were a rotten child cursing at your mom like that. dont you understand the difference betwenn people and animals?

[HummusGringo]

lol you suck go away lol roflmao

Am I getting through?

[ratitouille]

Yeah, I know the difference. People kill animals for sport, cruel amusment and because we view them as merchandise. Animals kill each other as food or self defense. We humans are trashing the planet and taking animal habitat with our sprawl. The poor fawn's mother had probably been hit by a car or shot by a hunter. Sorry, but humans sort of suck.

[patianneb]

Yes, Ryan, and one of the most fundamental differences is that PEOPLE have CHOICE in how they behave ..... animals have the natures that God gave them.
That is what that apple was all about in the Garden of Eden: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

[2626Jump]

Maybe she should not have done it. I would not let my dog go in that area, but in the end.......­..........­..........­..........­..........­.......... big deal.

let her go and tell her not to kill baby deer any more.

Problem solved.

[peacekitten]

no jail, but definitely pay the fine.

and the problem is solved for everyone except the poor fawn, and a confused, unhappy doe looking for her baby.

[swampthing]

Being old never stopped anybody from being a piece of garbage.

[rocketdog56]

amen!

[patianneb]

A very senior friend of mine has said more than once that when old people do mean things, it has little to do with their being old and they were probably ALWAYS mean people.

[StellarNova]

I wonder if a fawn killed her husband..a­nd that's why she bludgeoned the poor fawn to death. A revenge of sorts. Or she is VERY protective of her garden. Either way, stay out of the lady's garden.

[jhanawalt]

If I were to use my powers of stereotyping, I would guess that the people who are trivializing the heartless beating death of a harmless animal are also the ones beating their chests in front of clinics over abortions performed by medical professionals. It's really amazing how short-sighted the pro-life agenda is.

[ThomasMc]

They should lock her up in the worst nursing home in the country, and let her rot there!

[RufusFender]

On second thought, the Police might want to check her husband's death. Could she have taken him out with a shovel? Pattern of behavior!!!

[RufusFender]

Six months in jail and maximum fine. No excuses.