Mom forced kids to abuse animals
Mom ran pet ‘concentration camp,’ son says:
I originally posted about this over at News of Doom. That was before I knew there were children involved but I’m getting ahead of myself.
43-year-old Sharon McDonough of Selden, New York on Long Island was arrested this past week for allegedly swiping her neighbors’ pets, torturing them and burying them in her yard. The abuse of the animals was so bad that the National Geographic show Rescue Ink was called in to rescue the surviving animals.
I thought the story was done there. Until I received an e-mail from reader Caitlin.
The new wrinkle in the story is that she had some of her six daughters help in the abuse.
Let’s hear from her oldest child, 21-year-old Douglas McDonough. He’s also the person who turned her in…
“She would have the oldest kids hold down the dog while we duct-taped his mouth and she would hit him,” he said, adding that he and his sisters were all forced to take part in the abuse.
The six girls, ages 1 1/2-13, were taken from the house.
It’s not bad enough that she committed these atrocities but she just had to get her kids involved. Can you imagine what kind of people they may grow up to be?
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November 15th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Trench, glad you decided to print this tip I sent. That’s what got to me MORE than the sickness of the tortured dogs etc., albiet that’s bad enough. WHAT will this do to this kids??? I saw a new clip about this where they interview the eldest child and he said “well, it’s because the neighbors were always throwing their pets out of their cars window as they were driving down the street” (What?) Oh, yeah I OFTEN see people throwing their beloved pets out of moving car windows…..they are messed up, the woman is totally insane, and what will the charges be? Animal cruelty? I hope the Long Island P.D. will slam her….and put the kids in therapy. This is one sick woman….
November 15th, 2009 at 3:08 am
the son did turn her in, but then he defended her? See? right there show he is REALLY screwed up!
November 16th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I don’t think anyone is in any doubt that these kids will all be pretty screwed up but they have a pretty damn good excuse!
Hopefully they all get some good therapy & maybe they can become normal members of society…hopefully they go to GOOD foster homes to assist with the healing process!!!!!
November 15th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Kathy, I read the article but could not see where the son defended her. But if he did, I would say it’s because most people have a natural instinct to defend someone they love, to a certain degree. Thankfully his conscience took over and he reported her. Hopefully the 6 little girls will get into some good therapy.
November 15th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Oops, just re-read your comment. I missed the part of seeing a TV interview. Yeah, I agree. Who sees people throwing their pets out the car windows? Possible to have witnessed an incident like that once, but seriously doubt it was something the neighbors did often. That really makes no sense.
November 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Even if for some bizarre reason the people that live in that neighborhood were repeatedly tossing pets out of moving cars in front of his house (probably just some bullshit his mom told him for so long he doesn’t realize it’s bullshit yet), why would you take such an animal and instead of taking it to a vet or a shelter TORTURE it? WTF? The man, like his sisters, could also use some counseling. Poor bastard.
November 15th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Ug… I had been meaning to read about this on Trench’s other blog, but hadn’t gotten to it yet.
I’m glad that they realized that this was endangering the children, as well, and decided to remove them from the home. With any luck, whatever damage has been done can be reversed.
What a disgusting, horrible woman. She looks so “normal”, too.
November 15th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Hi Folks, in response to your questions about the son’s comment about “throwing pets out of car windows”, Yes, he did tip police, BUT on the other hand, he also stated the above, the link or which I sent in with the tip;
http://news.aol.com/article/sharon-mcdonough-accused-of-killing/758109
In this clip, you will hear he 21 year old’s son saying the afore-mentioned.
November 15th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
..link OF which…. (geez, I must proofread better)
November 16th, 2009 at 11:09 am
“Sharon McDonough pleaded not guilty last week to six counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty”
http://tinyurl.com/yzx6s6h
‘misdemeanor’ sounds like a faux pas. Oh she missed her demeanor on that one. Etiquette fail. Ooopsie.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
No, what it means is that they ‘missed’ the fact that this waste of oxygen is ‘meaner’ than a rabid raccoon.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I hope that the abuse to the animals was disclosed to any foster parents that might have the children. They should not be placed in a home that has pets. But, if they are, the foster parents need to know that the children could possibly act out on the pets and either harm or kill them. It is not unusual for children to continue behaviors that they learned from birth parents. I hope that with appropriate counseling, the children can learn to appreciate life, not destroy it.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
They should also not be placed in homes with smaller children.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
quoting “the sallow thing says”: (probably just some bullshit his mom told him for so long he doesn’t realize it’s bullshit yet),
i couldn’t agree more. wahck job there had to have given the kids some kind of reason for torturing the animals….she would have to justify it. i wouldn’t be too quick to blame the son. after years of living with mommy dearest, i’m sure he as well as the other kids were not only brainwashed by this woman but also terrified. if she was doing this to animals, what was she doing to them?
November 16th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
according to the article, “six counts of animal cruelty can get her 6 months, at most in jail”
I’m hoping the judge will impose things like “cannot have/adopt animals in her lifetime”, getting herself serious therapy, do some community service after jail time, like cleaning up after elephants at zoo’s and circus’s, and making financial amends to the former pet owners, stuff like that, I don’t know what the judges’ limits are, but I would be thinking real hard of how to extend this way beyond the jail time so she pays, pays, pays, pays,…………….
November 16th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Karen, yes, I agree totally with Sallow thing and you, that was my first impression when I saw him speaking, looks totally brainwashed….bless his heart
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:29 am
To the person who said she looks normal, yeah, sort of. Two things dont add up- I red somewhere she was adopting from shelters (again like a normal person) yet she told the son the animals were abandoned (tossed out of cars) -So, Which one is it? .. To the person who said the foster homes should not have pets, you’re so right. That didn’t cross my mind. She also has a myspace page (sexysharoninselden) and it says “Mood: Devious”