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Animal Control Finds Violators

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By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 13, 2007

Updated: 12/12/2007 11:56 pm

TAMPA - Howard Bethel didn't want to give up his dogs, but faced with hundreds of dollars in fines and perhaps thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, he loaded six of the pets into the white animal control van.
Bethel was in the yard, raking, when Hillsborough County Animal Control officers stopped Wednesday morning during a search for stray or unlicensed dogs. They found seven dogs in the yard at 37th Street and East Grove Avenue, all taken in by Bethel's son, all chained or in cages.

Officer Ken Vetzel told Bethel he could face fines because none of the dogs had current tags or rabies vaccinations. His son thought he was doing a good thing, taking the dogs off the streets or off the hands of friends. Bethel said he couldn't take care of the dogs, including one puppy recently adopted.

"We don't even have a name for him yet," he said.

He agreed to surrender six of the seven dogs. Hoss was the only one left at the end of the day. Vetzel issued a citation for no current tags or shots on the dog, but if Bethel gets tags and shots, he won't have to pay the $190 fine.
Bethel was reluctant to give up the animals. "But I've got no choice."

Three vans with two officers each cruised neighborhoods from Hillsborough to Hanna avenues and from 32nd to 50th streets. Officers were scheduled to talk with elementary school students at nearby Hope Preparatory School in the afternoon to explain how to keep from being bitten by a dog and to offer tips on how to take care of the family pet.

But for most of the morning, the big white vans crossed paths, each looking for animal code violations.

"We're going street by street, door by door," said investigations manager Pam Perry. "We have had numerous issues in most of this area."

Driving through the streets, Vetzel and Perry could recall houses they have visited before. In one lived an older man on oxygen. They told a caretaker to look after a dog in the backyard whose chain was wound tightly around a tree. No citation.

They checked on a pair of yapping dogs on Henry Avenue. The owner, Debra Torres, said she had lived there 37 years. All of their paperwork was in order, including proof of vaccination. Vetzel had cited her three years ago.

"I'm glad you're doing what you're doing," she told Vetzel and Perry. "You're doing a good job."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at or kmorelli@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7760.

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