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He might be nearing 80, but Richard McDonald of Walnut doesn't mind having a criminal record.
McDonald and his wife have been "charged with 279 code violations" since late 2005, for which he's been convicted of 33, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
The legal battles began when McDonald was cited for having his dog off-leash. He describes the authorities' ensuing actions: "Once they squealed and ratted on me, the city got all over me like a cheap suit."
By this McDonald means they took legal action regarding code violations on his 2-acre property, which include "public nuisances, having too many cars and having overgrown vegetation." At one time the McDonalds housed 20 dogs, 15 cars and 200 pigeons on the land, however now there remains just 2 dogs, and the couple prefer to spend most of their time in another home they own in Southern California, thanks in part to their beef with the city of Walnut. McDonald has even served a total of three month's time in jail because of dog-related infractions.
Last year, city officials put a lien on the McDonald property, and in January the McDonalds filed suit against the city to obtain an injunction against the lien. As the case drags on, Richard McDonald seem unruffled: "I look at this as an adventure."
