Justice for Dunkin' Dog: Thoughts are faster than light

Monday, April 26, 2010

Thoughts are faster than light

Last night, I cried hard. I sat on my bed and I tried to not let it erupt, and like the volcanoes of ages, I exploded my sorrow onto my cheeks and chin, my new blue sheets, my frown burrowing in itself. Dunkin' is alive in my mind, his face, his ki8ses, his care and presence. Even now, typing this, my eyes sting, they water, they release this longing.

Some people do not know longing. They cannot concieve what this is. I feel those humans are truly lucky. Perhaps they cannot love like most human do, but, they also will never know what this pain feels like.

Is it worth the cost?

The opportunity to have felt Dunkin's love is worth everything to me only because I know what it meant to me. If I had a choice to not understand love and hence never experience pain, I guess I would be super human, or a realized buddhist.

I think it's all a bunch of good philosphizing. My truth are my tears, my buzzing left body, my salty trails.

I have pushed on, and I have my art in Manhattan being exhibited as we speak. Yes, there is a pet in the painting. No, it is not Dunkin. Not this time. Out of 300 artists who were chose, only 7 were chosed to be exhibited in a NoHo Starbucks. Mine is one of the 7.

Starbucks on Boradway at Bond. Bond... my favorited street in Manhattan. Dunkin' and I used to walk it all the time, just to see the art store. He once shopped on his own there. Oh, my little angel, I would have brought you to the starbucks for a pic under my painting, Dunkin. I would have brought you to the reception as well. I would have... if you were here.

4 comments:

AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 6:32 PM
Rosamaria, if you read this ...I want to say that I am very distraght that your beautiful friend was taken so soon and under those circumstances.. I am not sure why you were stopped in the first place, by law they have to tell you that, I would have demanded to know what they were doing with you to begin with. now lets talk about your recourse I would ask you to contact the AZ DPS @ 2102 W Encanto Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85009, you would ask to where you can file a complaint, and get more information on this if you havent done so already you also need to write a letter telling your story to the Director of the DSP, his name is Robert Halliday, also I would contact an Arizona Attorney who handles Police Abuse/Corruption, I went ahead and did the research for you and found http://www.horanlawoffices.com/Personal-Injury/Civil-Rights-Police-Misconduct.shtml his name is Attorney Horan and you can call his Phoenix office @ 1-888.HORAN.44, you really need to find out if there is any recourse you will have, also contact the State of AZ Attorney General Office, and I have also got that info for you ... you can call or write their Tuscon Office @ 877.491.5740 or 400 West Congress, Suite S215
Tucson, AZ 85701

I hope this helps ... I want you to get justice for Dunkin, and I pray these thugs end up Criminally Charged for this. please please write me if you want, my name is Chris Rosania, I am animal rights advocate in the State of Connecticut my email is lawisfiction@aol.com
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AnonymousAugust 28, 2011 at 1:22 PM
What could you say? All you have been through is disgusting and I feel deeply for you. I hope you will have success both in your artistic activities and in prosecution of these so called police.
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RyleeJuly 19, 2012 at 6:32 PM
Rosamaria, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about what happened to you - I have MS too, diagnosed in 2000, and I had a cat, who died just before Christmas last year. She died because I couldn't afford the vet bills to try to get her healed, to keep her alive. She had lived with me for five years. I suffered horribly, but no one was at fault for her death, really. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a dear sweet friend like Dunkin, and know that someone else had caused that, and had committed brutality and negligence against you both which caused his death. I know that must hurt terribly!!!
The one thing I wanted to tell you is that it's very important to let yourself grieve, even as you move forward in seeking justice - not just on your behalf but on behalf of any others in the future who hopefully, if you do bring justice against these "officers", will never have to undergo what you did. but your grieving process is important for healing for yourself. As my therapist told me, "You need to let your grief, with your tears, flow out, because it's grief that's bottled up that makes us get sick (or sicker). After seven months, I do still cry, but it helps me to do so. It has been proven, actually, that stress creates chemicals in our bodies that can damage us, damage our immune systems! It's been proven by chemical analysis that when we cry those destructive chemicals come out in our tears. So go ahead and cry,love: it may feel painful at the moment, but it's what your body - and your soul - need for healing. If you pray while you cry, you may find that may help you even more. Or cry with a friend or relative you trust, someone who can hold you and comfort you. People who tell you "Shhh, stop crying now", are well-meaning, but they're giving you bad advice, because crying is good for you! One other suggestion I have is one other my therapist had for me, which is to find a pet-loss support group, because then you can grieve with people who have gone through losing an animal friend as well.

Blessings to you, dear heart, and I will pray for your heart to have healing as time goes on.
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FootmanDecember 21, 2018 at 11:58 PM
Karma will reflect upon the unworthy. I really believe this miss! God bless you and keep you safe. The monsters cannot harm your puppy anymore.
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The Tragedy

On July 4th I was driving alone with my service dog of almost 8 years of age, Dunkin’, in the rear seat towards the middle. I was pulled over on I-17 after being tailed for about one mile. The cop was very close to the rental car I was driving which was a gray Toyota corolla. The vehicle was due back on Sunday and I had planned on returning it, then utilizing the airport shuttle to catch my early flight back to New York’s La Guardia airport with Dunkin as my travel companion.

I pulled over to a safe spot on the shoulder of the road and the cop opened the door and drew out a shot gun. He actually AIMED it at me. I could see his eye aiming and it made no sense. I was shouted at and told to keep my hands where he can see them. This seemed very strange and not at all common for being pulled over. I could hear shot gun cocked and I realized that something was not right. I obeyed his shouts to keep my hands up and I allowed Dunkin to continue sleeping in order to keep us both calm. I was ordered to get out of the car, walk backwards without looking, and was very confused… I was going further and further away from Dunkin’.

I was shouted at to kneel, yelled at and then immediately cuffed and put in the back seat of a cop car. I immediately told him that my service animal is in the back of the car and to please be careful with him as he is license in NY state and is official for my Multiple Sclerosis. The car was overwhelmingly hot and my MS symptoms began as I tried breathing for fresh air. It was getting hotter and now he was drawing a weapon to the vehicle. I was very frightened that they would kill Dunkin’ as they looked like they would do so with the weapons drawn so intently.

The cop opened the rental car door which was nearest the I-17 traffic. Dunkin’ rested soundly on that side of the vehicle. When the door was opened, the cop let him get out of the car onto oncoming traffic. Dunkin’ got out of the vehicle confused. He ran into oncoming traffic, looking for me. His mission is to look for me, wherever I may be. As cars swerved and missed him… I screamed. I prayed and screamed at the top of my lungs for my companion’s safety. The cop S.D Soto (who was the one who aimed at me through his shotgun, also cuffed me) walked to the front of the car passenger area. He pulled out Dunkin’s fluorescent orange service vest and read the insert in his pocket which states that he is a service animal and he is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. S.D Soto Read the facts, read my rental agreement (which was located on the passenger seat area) and continued to ignore my pleas for help and air conditioning.

At this point a red headed cop was on the scene too, along with a thicker sized blonde-red headed cop. I will never forget their faces. One wore shades, the other had glasses and piercing blue eyes. They completely ignored my existence and did not check on me. Someone chased Dunkin’ and I told them that he would ONLY come to me. I begged and pleaded to allow them to let me call for him. S.D Soto told me to shut up and I was annoying him. He said that he would gag me next, if I said another word and did not cooperate.

I noticed my wrists were really in a lot of pain and my body temperature was rising in the back of the car. Dunkin was nowhere to be seen, he ran off into the area where desert grows. At this point, I hoped coyotes would not get him. I was screaming for them to listen to my pleas and my proof that it was a rental and I do indeed have MS and need my service animal for my well-being. Again, I was shouted at while they walked around calmly with no care for Dunkin or my safety. My safety was compromised the moment they ignored me and Dunkin’. They never read me any rights, and continued to walk around, ignoring how hot I was in that car. It felt like a fish out of water and I was gasping for air.

Dunkin’ came back through the desert area to about 10 yards north of the vehicle which obtained me. I screamed again, and begged them to keep him safe. They again chased him, frightened him, and he ran northbound. I never saw my Dunkin’ again.

At this point the sergeant… Robert Hardt, was called to the scene. I was let out of the vehicle, still cuffed very tightly. I am 5 feet tall and weigh 110 lb’s. I whistled in vain to call Dunkin’.. I was not allowed to walk towards the area he has run towards. I was not allowed to move. I was on the gravel on the side of the road waiting for the cops to do something. I begged the sergeant to lead me, with the cuffs, or however he seemed fit, in order for me to be able to get to Dunkin’ to whistle for him. He told me not to worry and “the dog will come back.”

A cop car came back with Dunkin’s destroyed body in it. I asked an officer… is there anything left… the red headed one with the glasses and blue eyes shook his nod, indicating that there was nothing left to see. At that point, I began to mourn. I screamed and I screamed in shock. My hands were still cuffed. I was thirsty, the srgt gave me water from a water bottle he had in his car. Around that point, I was uncuffed. I called my friends and family in NY and AZ and no one answered for what seemed an eternity. I finally reached a friend in NYC and I screamed in agony at the trauma I had just undergone.

The srgt called ambulance to see about my MS. They said to me, “you cannot scream and cry in my ambulance.” I refused treatment since I could not help my emotions of having lost my dearest best friend in this earth. They wanted to sedate me and start and IV on me. I refused this as I did not think I would wake up if I allowed them to stick a needle in me. Already they had violated me.

A sheriff’s chaplain was then called to the scene. My phone died, and I was able to speak to my brother, who was in Hawaii vacationing, through the srgt’s cell phone. My brother was extremely concerned about my MS as he understands the close bond that Dunkin and I have shared for almost 8 years. I was in no condition to drive, I do not know who drove the rental back to the rental location. My belongings were put in a bag, I was put in a car with the chaplain and I continued to document my bruising by photographing my wrists with the time on the dash board.

I grieved the entire way to the hospital asking the chaplain for words of consolation and he was speechless. The bruising on my legs from kneeling on the tar/gravel started to emerge when I got back to NYC. I have attached those pictures in a previous email. I was never cited for anything, I was never read any rights, I was not arrested. I ended up in the hospital and was given a sedative. I had x-rays taken of my wrists as the pain was excruciating to the slightest touch.

My friend Andrea Barker took Dunkin’s remains to the animal crematory where Dunkin’ was cremated. His remains arrive in New York in a few days.

I have already felt the symptoms of MS which has been in full remission for 4 years. My left hand buzzes and tingles, my capacity to concentrate has diminished and my job is in jeopardy. I am a Master’s degree student at NYU and begin a new class tomorrow. I have received 2 A’s and 3 B’s in the coursework I have achieved and I hold a position of Learning Specialist at the College of Dentistry. I am my sole provider and feel the stresses of this trauma impeding my rest, my work, my concentration, my spirit (which feels broken). I experience nightmares nightly and sever bouts of mourning. My life is not the same.

Justice for Dunkin' Dog

Monday, April 26, 2010

Thoughts are faster than light

4 comments:

The Tragedy

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