One German shepherd is dead and the other has a 50-50 chance of survival, after the dog's owner and veterinarians found objects such as an 8-inch metal pipe, a 6-inch carriage bolt and a cigarette lighter in their digestive tracts, police said.

  (Photo courtesy of Eagle Tribune)

The dog owner's girlfriend, Jamie Labbe, 33, of Sandown, was arrested on six felony animal cruelty charges, said Sandown police Sgt. Scott Wood.  "She allegedly forced them (the materials) down the dogs' throats," Wood said. He noted the dogs are full-sized German shepherds, and he does not know how such materials could be forced down a dog's throat.

  (Photo courtesy of Eagle Tribune)

The dogs' owner, Kurt Krohn of 223 North Road, discovered the items in one of the dogs and police made the arrests.  "I've never seen abuse or torture of an animal like this in the (15) years I've been a veterinarian," said Joseph C. Guischard of Brushwood Veterinary Clinic, who treated one dog and sent the other to a Boston veterinary hospital.

That dog, named Pebbles, died, Wood said. It had a curved, 8-inch long shower pipe in its esophagus, as well as a 2 to 3-inch clamp used to couple conduits, he said.

Guischard said he removed a cigarette lighter, carriage bolt and the top of a marker pen out of the stomach of Magic, the dog that survived.  He said the dog had to be in extreme gastric pain, and likely suffered pain in its esophagus.

Guischard said he is the veterinarian for the dogs, and said the owner is a good person who takes good care of his dogs. The dogs are about 8 years old, he said.

Wood said Labbe was living with Krohn, and they have a child. The child had no signs of abuse. Labbe was being held at Rockingham County jail on $30,000 cash bail.

Update 4/8/11:    Labbe was arraigned on six animal cruelty charges in Derry District Court.

The two dogs, Pebbles and Magic, first were taken to Brushwood Veterinary Clinic in Atkinson. But Pebbles was transferred to MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston for emergency surgery. Pebbles died.

Robin Serratore, Brushwood office manager and technician, said it's the worse case of abuse she has seen in her 10 years at the clinic and 5 years in animal control.  "It's the saddest and sickest thing you have ever seen in your life," Serratore said. "It's terrible."

A 6-inch pipe was lodged in Pebbles's trachea. A veterinarian told police it would have been impossible for the dog to swallow the object. Both the pipe and the clamp were forced down Pebbles's throat, according to court documents.

Magic remains at Brushwood, but only has a 50 percent chance of survival, police said. She needed stomach surgery after the bolt, showerhead, cigarette lighter and marker cap were pushed down her throat.

  (Photo of Magic recovering courtesy of Eagle Tribune)

Serratore said the 8-year-old German shepherds, who are sisters, had been coming to the clinic for checkups for years and never showed signs of abuse. She said she was shocked when she learned what happened.  "It's the most disgusting thing," she said. "They are really sweet dogs."

Labbe's mother, Glenna Rose, said she was stunned by her daughter's arrest.  "I can't believe she could do that," Rose said, "I really can't."  She said it would have been difficult for her daughter to force the items down the dogs' throats.  "I feel she was afraid of the dogs," Rose said. "She didn't want to have the dogs."

Rose, who is visiting from Florida, said she was disappointed she wasn't allowed to see her daughter until at least 72 hours after her arrest. Rose told police during the arrest that her daughter was involved in an abusive relationship, court documents said.

Labbe struggled with police as they led her from her home in handcuffs, according to court documents.  "Don't tell me he got a restraining order on me," she said, according to the police report.

Labbe is scheduled for a probable cause hearing in Derry District Court.

Sandown police are investigating the case. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assisted in the investigation.

Update 4/9/11:   Labbe's parents, Sterling and Glenna Rose, her brother and a friend were at her Sandown home at the time of the arrest.

When Labbe's father asked for the name of the person who complained, police told them that it was Krohn.

Police said Labbe resisted arrest and yelled at officers to remove the handcuffs. Her mother told police that the cuffs needed to be taken off because her daughter had a "broken back." Labbe screamed that she had a broken tailbone, the affidavit said.

Police said she continued to resist arrest as she was brought down the stairs of the house. At one point, the affidavit said, Labbe yelled, "Don't tell me he got a restraining order on me. I will have you (expletive) charged."

In an affidavit, Patrolman Richard Buco Jr. said Labbe's mother told them she has "psychiatric issues" and to "be careful with her."

Officers were eventually able to get Labbe into the police cruiser as she struggled to free herself from the handcuffs.

A probable cause hearing is scheduled for April 13 in Derry District Court.

Update 4/12/11:  The 8-year-old dog named Magic has been released from Brushwood Veterinary Clinic in Atkinson and is being cared for by a family member of the dog's owner, Kurt Krohn of Sandown.

"I'm a lot more optimistic than when I first saw the dog. She is doing much better and we're hoping that everything is going to return to normal," said Joseph C. Guischard of Brushwood Veterinary Clinic, who performed surgery on Magic and has been her veterinarian since she was about 8 weeks old.

Magic is now staying with a family member of the owner who is a trained veterinary technician, Guischard said.

Guischard said there's been an outpouring of support, with some people asking about Magic's condition while others offered to adopt her.

Update 4/14/11:  Labbe waived a probable-cause hearing.  Labbe appeared briefly in Derry District Court, before being led out in handcuffs and returned to Rockingham County Jail where she will await a possible grand jury indictment.  The case will be sent to Rockingham Superior Court in Brentwood, where a grand jury will determine whether to indict Labbe on the charges.

  (Photo courtesy of Eagle Tribune)

Robin Serratore, Brushwood office manager and technician, said Magic is stable and improving, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed".

Krohn did not attend to the court hearing. Sandown police Chief Joseph Gordon said he notified Krohn of the hearing, but he did not want to attend.

Gordon said he had heard Magic was doing better, though still dealing with some gastrointestinal infections following surgery.

Boston-based Angell Animal Medical Center, the hospital that treated Pebbles before she died, is accepting donations to help her owner cover the cost of her treatment, according to hospital spokesman Brian Adams. Anyone interested in assisting is urged to call the hospital at (617) 522-7282 to speak with someone directly. Donors may also contribute to the hospital's pet care assistance fund, which helps other pet owners in similar situations.

Update 6/21/11:  Labbe is facing state prison time after being indicted by a grand jury.

Labbe now living in Plaistow was indicted on 5 felony counts of cruelty to animals and a single count of criminal mischief in Rockingham County Superior Court.

Authorities have yet to give a reason or motive behind the alleged abuse.

Labbe will be scheduled to appear for arraignment on the indictments in Rockingham County Superior Court. Each charge is a Class B felony.

Update 8/11/11:  Labbe is set to go on trial the week of Nov. 14 in Rockingham County Superior Court.

“Labbe told her boyfriend, Kurt Krohn she did it because he pays more attention to the dogs than her,” Sandown police Cpl. John J. Sable wrote in a sworn affidavit.

If convicted by a jury, Labbe could face a 3½-to-7 year prison sentence and a $4,000 fine for each of the charges.

Update 9/13/11:   Labbe, 33, heads to trial in Rockingham County Superior Court the week of Nov. 14 on five felony counts of animal cruelty.

  (Photo courtesy of Union Leader)  Labbe is asking a judge to throw out all statements she made to Sandown police so they cannot be used as evidence in her upcoming trial.

Defense lawyer Tom Gleason said in a court filing that his client made “repeated statements and requests” to stop speaking with police and consult with a lawyer.  Gleason suggested that police continued to press Labbe to speak about the injured dogs.

If convicted by a jury, Labbe could face a potential 3 ½-to-7 year prison sentence and a $4,000 fine for each of the charges.

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