Man accused of drugging rival dog
The testimony came on the opening day of the trial in DuPage County for Ralph Ullum, 68, of Claysville, Pa., who is accused of misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, attempted animal cruelty and attempted criminal damage to property.
Authorities allege Ullum drugged a Husky named Pixie at a dog show in December at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, where Ullum’s girlfriend was showing a rival Husky.
“The state’s case doesn’t have four legs to stand on,” Ullum’s attorney, Edward Maloney, said after Monday’s testimony.
But Terri Meyers, a dog handler from Minnesota, testified she saw Ullum put something into Pixie’s cage, “and she ate it.”
Another man also said he saw Ullum approach the cage and give something to the dog. The incident took place in a holding area. After it was reported, a veterinarian was summoned and the dog was induced to vomit as a precaution. Dr. Patricia Meiser, the Westmont vet who examined Pixie, said that an undigested pill was recovered, and it turned out to be a prescription antacid.
The pill did not adversely affect the dog, Meiser said.
Pixie’s handler, Jessica Plourde, who was the trial’s first witness, said that earlier that day she had noticed a pink substance on the dog’s crate and on the floor in front of it. A later search turned up broken pieces of a pill that looked like an over-the-counter anti-histamine, she said. man drug rival dog show, slipping pills rival siberian husky, slipping pills rival dog, slipping pills rival dog,
Plourde, an upstate New York resident, said she knew Ullum as the boyfriend of a fellow dog handler.
Maloney said he plans to call about six witnesses, including his own veterinary expert, in a bid to derail the prosecution.
The bench trial before DuPage County Judge Ronald Sutter is expected to wrap up Wednesday.
Source:chicagotribune
