As if the story about Stacey Champion, the Minneapolis woman who tried to airmail a puppy to Georgia wasn’t strange enough, a new twist of Thursday has most people scratching their heads in disbelief. Earlier this week Ms. Champion took a package to the Loring Park Post Office, attempting to ship it by air to a relative who was about to celebrate his 11th birthday. The box had holes punched in it and a note written on the outside saying that inside was something you’ve been wanting. She was asked if the box contained anything hazardous, liquid or fragile to which she responded negatively to all. When the box began to move when set on the post office counter, the clerk asked what was in it more specifically. She advised that the box contained a toy robot and it wasn’t a problem to be shipped.
The clerk, not buying into her story, had another employee who was responsible for security issues take a look at the box. He requested and received permission to look inside the box and discovered a 4-month-old mutt named Guess inside. The poodle-schnauzer mix most certainly would have died in the cargo hold of an aircraft as temperatures at cruise altitude can drop to 40 below zero. The very alive dog also had no food or water in the box. The air holes that had been made by Ms. Champion were also sealed at the post office by tape to hold the box together better.
Minneapolis police were summoned and Champion was cited for animal cruelty and Guess was impounded pending a 10-day period that she has to appeal the charge. Being caught red-handed, no one thought that Champion would ask for the pooch back. Well, they were doggone wrong, as she has done just that. There have also been dozens of phone calls and emails offering to adopt the dog. A hearing has been set for Monday to hear her appeal. She had to pay a $250 fee for the appeal and is also responsible for $15 per day for care of the animal. The animal cruelty charge will be handled by the courts.
While no one with the exception of Ms. Champion believes that she will get the dog back, if somehow she does the judge can also place restrictions on her ownership of animals. Hopefully she is barking up the wrong tree.
To be continued…..
Comments
Oh, c'mon, this lady is nuts (and dangerous).
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/02/stacey_champion_puppy_mail_vi...
She needs to die.
As if attempting to ship a live animal by airmail wasn't boneheaded enough, now she thinks the dog should be returned to her? Do we really need any more proof this woman isn't playing with a full deck?
They should really order a psychological evaluation- this woman is clearly nuts. Love the dog puns- you've apparently adapted to the mid-west.
Damn schnauzers deserve whatever's coming to them...
I would really love to hear her side of the story...that alone would be worth HOURS of entertainment.
She figured that since everyone hates adorable puppies no one would be mad at her.
i bet she has voting rights.
Proving Bill Maher correct once again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fys3MsKMpms
As always in this country, you're guilty til proven innocent! While I do not condone animal cruelity her intentions to make an 11 year old very happy, don't seen to me to be that of the common criminal!
Her judgement may have been questionable but it certainly doesn't sound to me like a "lock her up and throw away the key" typical criminal case!
I think we need to HEAR ALL THE FACTS first, like the Constitution guarantees EVERYONE, and then make our decisions as to what transpired here! She may very well have "medical" issues such as that from a stroke or something that distorts her ability to dissern the issues at hand.
Try being a little compassionate with people and not so viscious! There are many reasons here that have to be sorted out to answer the question "WHY"!!!
People are so judgemental it's really sickening!!!!! Some people need to pick up a bible and read what it has to say about judging others------there's only one who has that authority!!!!
She did a stupid thing. No need for her to "die" or terrible things be said about her by others here doing stupid things like making "stupid" comments. Amazing that I'm paying attention to this at all. The media is for "stupid" things to be put in our brains. Worry yourself about anything but reality or your own "stupid" mistakes.
Good luck.
Oh what a great gift: "Surprise, Billy, a dead puppy! Isn't your Aunt Stacey thoughtful?"
Clearly she didn't want the puppy for herself because she was shipping it as a gift. So there is no reason to give it back.
Next, she has demonstrated not having enough cranial resources to be responsible enough to care for another living creature.
Is there a way to stop her from having children so we don't have to read about that potential tragedy in the future?
I just read a comment on another site that proves the point. When asked about the contents of the package, she deliberately lied to a Federal Postal inspector. So she was conscious that what she was doing was wrong, or at minimum, unacceptable. No puppies or kittens for you, Lady. Not even a goldfish.
"Happy 11th birthday, kiddo. Here's a dead puppy!"
Typical black behavior. Lying in court to the judge, chewing gum, not wearing nice clothes. Complete lack of disrespect for the justice system. Plus, no obvious remorse for her behavior. She told a postal inspector it was a toy robot.
That is typical you're right
@ the individual who made the comment "Typical black behavior". Black behavior? What is typical black behavior? Racist much? People are rude and obnoxious regardless of ethnicity. You just proved that.
@ Open-minded - her actions clearly shows that she is guilty and lacks the capacity of remorse or compassion for the dog. Her request to have the dog returned to her leads me to believe she is only thinking for herself and not for the welfare of the dog.
if half of the above people would realize that the cargo hold is pressurized and heated. puppies are shipped every day and they certainly don't fly first class. Think about it! if it was fourty below in the cargo hold your luggage would be frozen like ice. maybe she did'nt realize pets need to be checked in as pets or did'nt have the $150 the air lines charge to ship the puppy to her niese some times people should show compassion and offer her help to get the puppy to her niese !!
This idiot woman needs to be punished for her callous actions. She didn't care about this poor innocent puppy who would have died from asphyxia and/or hypothermia.
"if half of the above people would realize that the cargo hold is pressurized and heated. puppies are shipped every day and they certainly don't fly first class"
Is that why bag fees are so high? The cargo holds of passenger airlines would normally be used for post office mail and so we have to pay more to put our bags there? You've got to be joking, right?
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