Pit bull repeatedly stabbed during adoption event at Georgia pet store

And more Chattanooga region news

photo Pit Bull

NEWNAN, Ga. - Police say a pit bull was repeatedly stabbed during a pet adoption event inside a PetSmart store in the west Georgia town of Newnan, horrifying adults and children.

A police report stated that a man stabbed the pit bull, Clara, after it slipped out of its collar and began tugging on the ear of his dog, a Westie terrier.

Teresa Reeves told WXIA-TV that the man pulled out a pocketknife and repeatedly stabbed Clara. Reeves said there was "blood everywhere" and it was the worst thing she'd ever seen.

The Newnan Times-Herald reported that the pit bull was euthanized due to the severity of the stab wounds.

No arrests have been made.

PetSmart said in a statement the safety of people and pets in its stores is its top priority.


Hunters picked for 2014 elk hunt

JACKSON, Tenn. - Six hunters have been selected to hunt elk this year in Tennessee.

According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, more than 9,500 people applied for this year's hunt. The four adult hunters selected through a computer drawing are Clay Oldham of Hartsville, Audie Lee Schrimsher of Maryville, Larry R. Dunn of Baxter and Jimmy Dean Rogers of Jefferson City.

A fifth permit was donated to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, which sold it at auction for $9,788. The winning bidder was Shane Alexander, a former Tennessee resident who now lives in Montana.

Fourteen-year-old Robert Goodner of Cleveland was selected to participate in a youth hunt that will take place after the adult hunt.

There have been a total of 22 elk harvested since the annual hunt began in 2009.


Grant to support plateau's trees

KNOXVILLE - A new initiative is seeking to improve forest health across the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama.

International Paper and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently announced $743,000 in funding to improve the region's forest health by restoring shortleaf pine forests and treating hemlock trees against an insect pest that is spreading rapidly through the Cumberlands.

The foundation, which was formed by Congress to distribute conservation grants, formed the initiative with International Paper in 2013, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported.

A major part of the effort is restoring short leaf pines, a species that has sharply declined due to modern wildfire control. Grant money will be used to conduct prescribed burns and selective harvesting in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky and the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area in Tennessee.

Alex Wyss, East Tennessee conservation coordinator for The Nature Conservancy, said the mixed oak-pine forests that once dominated the Cumberland Plateau were more open than the pure hardwood stands of today.

"Over the last few decades our oak-pine forests have declined by a little more than 50 percent," Wyss said. "Some of that is due to the Southern pine beetle, but it's also due to a lack of fire in these systems. We've almost done too good of a job with fire control."

The Tennessee Division of Natural Areas is also receiving funding to treat hemlock with herbicides on 120 acres at the Colditz Cove State Natural Area and on 60 acres at the Rugby State Natural Area.

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