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Case #10413 Rating: 2.9 out of 5
Pit bulls abandoned in garage, one found dead
York, PA (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 20, 2006
County: York
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Dorothy Rice
» Louis Rice
» Ami Charlton
Case Updates: 5 update(s) available
The owners of two pit bulls in York may face charges of animal cruelty for abandoning the dogs in a garage, according to the York County SPCA.
One of the dogs was dead Dec 20 afternoon when police responded to a call from someone who had seen the dogs through a window in the garage in the 100 block of Lafayette Street. The other dog, a male who was severely emaciated and dehydrated, was taken to the SPCA shelter in Manchester Township, where he is being nursed back to health, said SPCA executive director Melissa Smith.
Smith said if the dog recovers and is deemed to have a good temperament, it will be available for adoption at the shelter.
The dog is being given small amounts of food and water every couple of hours to help it regain its health. The dog was severely underweight and appeared to have to been neglected for some time, Smith said. He also bore some wounds on his face, perhaps, Smith said, from fighting with the dog who died. Smith said the dog did not appear to have been involved in dog fighting, which is illegal in Pennsylvania.
Smith said the dog's owners, who were not identified, face charges of animal cruelty, which carries a fine of up to $750. Smith also said the owner of the garage may face charges. She said she expected charges to be filed within a week.
Case Updates A $342.93 fine was the sentence handed down today by Judge Ronald J. Haskell, Jr., in York Municipal Court for a woman found guilty of starving a dog to death, and starving a second dog nearly to death. Noah, as the surviving dog has been renamed, is recovering at the SPCA, and is slowly learning to trust people again.
Noah, formerly known as Scrappy, was found abandoned on December 20, 2006, in a York garage, next to another dog who had already died of starvation. An autopsy performed on the deceased dog revealed that his last meal had consisted of wood shavings and a plastic comb. York police believe that the dogs had been inside the garage for weeks, if not months, according to a report.
Dorothy Rice was found guilty of failing to provide adequate care for the dogs today, and was fined $342.93. Louis Rice was convicted on January 8, 2007, and was fined $549.00. The third defendant, Ami Charlton was also convicted and fined $549.00. Since the charges are infractions, as opposed to felonies or misdemeanors, none of those convicted received jail time or probation, and none of the defendants are prohibited from owning animals.
To inquire about Noah, or to adopt another animal, please contact the SPCA at (717) 764-6109. | Source: Case #'s NT94006, NT94106, and NT93906
Update posted on Jan 18, 2007 - 11:58PM |
Three people have been charged with animal cruelty in connection with a case involving two pit bulls that were found last week in a locked garage without food and water.
One dog had already died of starvation. The results of an autopsy revealed its last meal was some wood shavings and a plastic comb. The second dog was emaciated and dehydrated and was taken to the county's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where he is recovering.
Police filed charges Thursday against Dorothy Rice, of the 100 block of Lafayette Street, and Louis Rice and Ami Charlton, both of the 500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Melissa Smith, the SPCA's executive director, said, "because of the severity of the case, they are asking for the maximum penalty."
If convicted, the Rices and Charlton each face fines of $550.
The citations identify all three as the owners or keepers of the animals and said they had "wantonly or cruelly" neglected the dogs.
Louis Rice said Friday that "it wasn't like that," but then said he had no further comment.
Meanwhile, at the Manchester Township shelter, the surviving dog is recovering. He has put on a significant amount of weight and is beginning to trust workers there, Smith said.
Staff has changed the 16-month-old tan and white pit bull's name from "Scrappy" to "Noah."
He has fresh scars on his muzzle, but Smith said she doesn't think Noah had been involved in organized dog fighting, which is illegal in Pennsylvania. | Source: The York Daily Record - Dec 30, 2006
Update posted on Jan 3, 2007 - 10:42PM |
No one knows how he got the scars on his pink nose, or how long he was locked in a garage without food or water.
But those at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals know that, in the week since Noah was found with another pit bull dead of starvation beside him, he is learning to trust them.
Melissa Smith, York County SPCA's executive director, said people can only guess exactly what happened.
But this much she knows: Animal cruelty citations, which carry a fine of up to $750, will be filed soon against the dogs' owners, whose names have not yet been released.
In the meantime, she and others at the Manchester Township shelter have been nursing the 16-month-old tan and white dog back to health. A sign over his cage says, "Merry Christmas, Noah. Get well soon." A red felt stocking hangs next to it.
The hip bones and ribs that stuck out so sharply a week ago are now softened by a tiny bit of padding, the result of small meals every couple hours.
He still trembles around new people, but, on Wednesday, he approached Smith, seeking affection and a good scratch.
Many of the dogs at the shelter are pit bulls. While the breed is known for its loyalty and can be wonderful family dogs, Smith said, "a lot of people want them for the wrong reasons."
Because of that, the screening process to adopt a pit bull is more stringent than with other animals, she said.
Smith doesn't think Noah had been involved in organized dog fighting, which is illegal in Pennsylvania.
Police found Noah on Dec. 20 in the 100 block of Lafayette Street. An autopsy was done on the second dog, and investigators said its last meal consisted of wood shavings and a plastic comb.
Noah's old name had been 'Scrappy,' but shelter staff thought he deserved something better.
"We wanted to give him a new name and a new life," Smith said.
The SPCA has not yet received any phone calls about adopting Noah, a pit bull found starving in a locked garage last week. After the dog more fully recovers, Melissa Smith, York County SPCA's executive director, said he will be evaluated for temperament. If he is determined to be non-aggressive, he will be placed up for adoption. Smith said Noah is already responding affectionately to staff at the shelter, although he is still shy around strangers.
To inquire about Noah or to adopt another animal, contact the SPCA's at 764-6109. | Source: York Daily Record - Dec 28, 2006
Update posted on Dec 29, 2006 - 12:00AM |
His last meal was wood shavings and a plastic comb.
A necropsy revealed that the stomach of a pit bull found starved to death in a York garage contained just wood shavings and a plastic comb.
"I just want to cry ... what that dog tried to eat just to stay alive," said York County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals executive director Melissa Smith.
The owners of that dog and another dog who was rescued from the garage in the 100 block of Lafayette Street on Wednesday face charges of animal cruelty for abandoning the dogs in a garage, according to the SPCA. The animals were found after someone spotted the dogs through a window in the garage and called 911.
The other dog, a 16-month-old male pit bull named Noah who was severely emaciated and dehydrated, was taken to the SPCA shelter in Manchester Township, where he is being nursed back to health, Smith said.
York City Police believe the dogs had been inside the garage for several weeks, if not months, a report stated. Police referred the case to Mark McCartney, the city's animal enforcement officer.
Smith said that, if Noah recovers and is deemed to have a good temperament, he will be available for adoption at the shelter.
Noah is being given small amounts of food and water every couple of hours to help him regain his health. The dog was severely underweight and appeared to have to been neglected for some time, Smith said.
"He's doing pretty well," Smith said. "I can visibly see a weight gain with him already. That's pretty common with dogs who are extremely emaciated."
He also bore some wounds on his face, perhaps, Smith said, from fighting with the dog who died. Smith said the dog did not appear to have been involved in dog fighting, which is illegal in Pennsylvania.
Smith said the owners, who were not identified, face charges of animal cruelty, which carries a fine of up to $750.
Smith also said the owner of the garage might face charges. She said she expected charges to be filed within a week. | Source: York Daily Record - Dec 23, 2006
Update posted on Dec 27, 2006 - 11:19AM |
A starving pit bull found locked in a York City garage Wednesday is recovering, and authorities are preparing to file charges against the dog's owners.
York County SPCA Executive Director Melissa Smith said investigators located the two owners of the starved dog and another which was found dead in the same garage behind 164 Lafayette St. Wednesday.
Authorities believe the dogs had been locked in the garage for weeks without food or water. Smith said both owners will be cited for animal cruelty within the next week.
"Both owners did accept responsibility for what happened," Smith said. "Certainly, all involved knew it was happening and didn't do anything to stop it."
But Smith said the owners, whose names have not been released, seemed more "worried they were going to be fined" than they were about the dogs.
Fines possible: Under the animal cruelty charges the two could face, they could each be forced to pay up to $750 in fines.
Smith said the owner of the garage, who didn't own the dogs but knew they were inside, might also be charged.
"It's unacceptable for someone to know this is going on and not do something about it," Smith said.
The pit bull that was still alive when SPCA found the dogs in the garage Wednesday is slowly recovering at the SPCA's shelter.
The pit bull's ribs were visible through its skin when it was rescued, and Smith said it must have been starving for weeks.
Surviving dog responding well: Smith said the dog owners agreed to sign over ownership of the canine to the SPCA shelter. But the dog was so starved that the SPCA can't even feed it full-sized meals, yet.
"It's being fed very small amounts of (of food) several times a day, and is responding to that very well," Smith said. Within a few days, Smith said the pit bull should begin to gain some weight. Once it is healthy, it will probably be put up for adoption.
The larger pit bull that was found dead in the locked garage Wednesday has been sent to Harrisburg for an ecropsy to discover the cause of its death.
"I would speculate it was starvation," Smith said. | Source: York Dispatch - Dec 22, 2006
Update posted on Dec 22, 2006 - 4:03PM |
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