Against Animal Cruelty
Donation protected
December 10th, 2017 started out like any other day...but it ended as the day I lost my best friend.
My best friend was a beautiful tri-colored beagle named Layla – and Layla was murdered in cold blood.
My dog was taken from me by someone I thought I trusted with my whole heart.
I went to work that day leaving Layla at home with my husband. She was always skittish around him...I could tell she neither liked nor trusted him. She was generally just afraid of him. Very out of character for a friendly, well-socialized dog. But because I trusted my husband I pushed this suspicion aside and out of my mind.
Always trust your dog people. They always know.
At 4pm that day I got a call from my husband telling me he had gotten into an “altercation” with my dog...ranting for 41 minutes about how Layla should be thrown in the pound that evening - and if I wanted her I could go pay the money to pick her up but that she was no longer welcome in our home. I had Layla for 7 years. We were a package deal. This was not up for discussion!! He actually had the nerve that day to tell me if I wanted to stay the dog had to go. And this, was a decision he sadly ended up taking into his own hands.
After his rant was over he sent me a picture - I will spare you the details - proving his guilt and told me Layla was non-responsive. The vet immediately confirmed her death was due to animal abuse. She had bruises on her belly and all along her back and spine. Her cause of death was internal bleeding. Time of death between 4pm and 440pm -- meaning that while he felt it was so necessary to call me and yell at me, he had already done the damage that would kill my angel. My sweet baby girl was 7 years old and 22.8 pounds at the time of her death. The vet thought it was very suspect that Layla recently had come in with an ear hematoma. That injury -- now also being investigated as animal cruelty.
My husband would often scream at me, berate me, taunt me and yell at me when I cried. All while Layla hid behind me shaking from fear. He was such a master manipulator I didn’t even know half the time he was manipulating me.
Layla meant the world to me. He took that from me. He took HER from me. We were inseparable, I would have done anything for her. Layla had a wonderful life in suburban New York, then escorted me to college where we have so many wonderful memories. Layla knew so many commands - sit, speak, lay down, paw, other paw, no paw, stop, go, car ride, window, cookie, and showed me her love by kissing me, spooning with me every evening, playing funny games of tug-of-war, running in circles, and talking lovely walks throughout the neighborhood and on the beach. She lived a wonderful life vacationing in Florida and Connecticut, later moving with me to Virginia where she passed on. Not one soul on this earth who knew my Layla had a bad thing to say about her. She was a perfect, loving, amazing dog and friend. The one who maliciously hurt her is the only one who ever spoke ill of Layla.
Animal Control has told me that NONE of my husband’s stories concerning the abuse make sense. Not one. Animal cruelty is a class 6 felony in Virginia (thank god) so I will be praying he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Upon getting the autopsy report back on Monday I immediately called my employer, quit my job and moved out of the home we shared together. The same one where my Layla crossed The Rainbow Bridge.
Now this is where you guys come into my story, I need your assistance with legal fees to separate this man from my life and make sure I never will have to be near him again.
Layla was innocent and she was my hero. She opened my eyes to the horrific abuse I had been living under that could have killed me as well.
Upon exceeding my financial goals (if reached) I will donate anything left over to the ASPCA and a Domestic Violence Program.
Thank you to all of you who are moved enough to help me, any kind word or support means the world to me. I cannot thank you all enough!
My best friend was a beautiful tri-colored beagle named Layla – and Layla was murdered in cold blood.
My dog was taken from me by someone I thought I trusted with my whole heart.
I went to work that day leaving Layla at home with my husband. She was always skittish around him...I could tell she neither liked nor trusted him. She was generally just afraid of him. Very out of character for a friendly, well-socialized dog. But because I trusted my husband I pushed this suspicion aside and out of my mind.
Always trust your dog people. They always know.
At 4pm that day I got a call from my husband telling me he had gotten into an “altercation” with my dog...ranting for 41 minutes about how Layla should be thrown in the pound that evening - and if I wanted her I could go pay the money to pick her up but that she was no longer welcome in our home. I had Layla for 7 years. We were a package deal. This was not up for discussion!! He actually had the nerve that day to tell me if I wanted to stay the dog had to go. And this, was a decision he sadly ended up taking into his own hands.
After his rant was over he sent me a picture - I will spare you the details - proving his guilt and told me Layla was non-responsive. The vet immediately confirmed her death was due to animal abuse. She had bruises on her belly and all along her back and spine. Her cause of death was internal bleeding. Time of death between 4pm and 440pm -- meaning that while he felt it was so necessary to call me and yell at me, he had already done the damage that would kill my angel. My sweet baby girl was 7 years old and 22.8 pounds at the time of her death. The vet thought it was very suspect that Layla recently had come in with an ear hematoma. That injury -- now also being investigated as animal cruelty.
My husband would often scream at me, berate me, taunt me and yell at me when I cried. All while Layla hid behind me shaking from fear. He was such a master manipulator I didn’t even know half the time he was manipulating me.
Layla meant the world to me. He took that from me. He took HER from me. We were inseparable, I would have done anything for her. Layla had a wonderful life in suburban New York, then escorted me to college where we have so many wonderful memories. Layla knew so many commands - sit, speak, lay down, paw, other paw, no paw, stop, go, car ride, window, cookie, and showed me her love by kissing me, spooning with me every evening, playing funny games of tug-of-war, running in circles, and talking lovely walks throughout the neighborhood and on the beach. She lived a wonderful life vacationing in Florida and Connecticut, later moving with me to Virginia where she passed on. Not one soul on this earth who knew my Layla had a bad thing to say about her. She was a perfect, loving, amazing dog and friend. The one who maliciously hurt her is the only one who ever spoke ill of Layla.
Animal Control has told me that NONE of my husband’s stories concerning the abuse make sense. Not one. Animal cruelty is a class 6 felony in Virginia (thank god) so I will be praying he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Upon getting the autopsy report back on Monday I immediately called my employer, quit my job and moved out of the home we shared together. The same one where my Layla crossed The Rainbow Bridge.
Now this is where you guys come into my story, I need your assistance with legal fees to separate this man from my life and make sure I never will have to be near him again.
Layla was innocent and she was my hero. She opened my eyes to the horrific abuse I had been living under that could have killed me as well.
Upon exceeding my financial goals (if reached) I will donate anything left over to the ASPCA and a Domestic Violence Program.
Thank you to all of you who are moved enough to help me, any kind word or support means the world to me. I cannot thank you all enough!
Organizer
Laura Jahn
Organizer
Norfolk, VA
