Asshat of the Day: Abby Toll

When it comes to people I would like to see impaled through the anus with stakes and left to die in the desert, people who abuse animals are at the top of the list. And before you get all "but what about people who abuse children?" on me, I don't like them either. But frankly, children often (not always) have other people around to notice what's happening and do something. Animals, for the most part, suffer alone. Anyway, I can hate who I want to. If you want to hate the child abusers more than the animal abusers, go for it. This is my thing.

Which brings us to the Asshat of the Day, 20-year-old University of Colorado student Abby Toll. The Smoking Gun has a good article about Ms. Toll, as well as the full police report of the incident, so I won't go into detail here. You can read it for yourself.

The condensed version is that this idiot was mad at her boyfriend because he wouldn't get rid of his Shiba Inu puppy, Rex, who nipped her when she allegedly tried to apply cream to a spot on the puppy where he had been "accidentally scalded" earlier in the week. The boyfriend, a real charmer by the name of Bryan Beck, apparently got up in her face, making Toll even more irate. To get back at him, she tied the Rex's paws together and muzzled him using hair bands. Then she encased the puppy in clear packing tape and affixed him--upside down--to the side of Beck's refrigerator.

The police went to Beck's apartment not because someone knew about the dog, but because Toll and Beck were having a domestic dispute. It was only when they got there and heard whimpering that they noticed Rex. According to Toll, he had been taped to the refrigerator for "20 or 30 minutes."

As some of you know, I am lucky enough to live with a Shiba Inu. Not that the breed of dog matters, but in my case I visualize Teddy as a puppy (that's his puppy pic on the right)and imagine someone doing this to him. Shibas are notoriously headstrong and mischievous pups, and I'm sure that the puppy in this case was just doing what puppies do. Toll, on the other hand, did what people without a conscience do.

Toll has been charged with felony animal cruelty, and Beck has apparently been slapped with some charges for pushing Toll around during the argument. Both of them are garbage, and I really hope they end up doing time. Rex has been removed from the home and placed with the Humane Society, as has Toll's Chihuahua, Peanut. Both are now physically fine. Who knows what this horrible couple did to them emotionally.

Far be it from me to suggest that anyone set out to harm Ms. Toll or Mr. Beck. (Although personally I would rejoice if I heard that they'd both been, say, lit on fire or crushed by falling rocks.) However, there is nothing wrong with letting people know what you think. (As long as you don't threaten them, of course, because that would be wrong. Also, illegal.)

Should you wish to let Ms. Toll know what you think of her behavior, you can do so by sending her mail through Facebook. Her profile is the second one down in this list; she is the girl with the description "Colorado '11."

You may also want to write to her at:

Abby Toll and Bryan Beck
2900 E Aurora Avenue
#211
Boulder CO 80303