Dog severely neglected, resulting in death
Columbus, OH (US)Incident Date: Friday, Dec 22, 2006
County: Franklin
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 8 files available
Abuser names unreleased
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
Muskingum County Humane Officer Beaulah Hague is waiting on a report from a veterinarian in Columbus to determine if a local dog owner will be prosecuted for animal neglect and cruelty.
According to Maureen Anderson of the Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio in Columbus, Winston, an Afghan hound, was euthanized Dec. 22 after what Anderson described as years of malnourishment and neglect.
"He was in bad shape, really bad. He weighed 41 pounds. A healthy male Afghan should weigh between 60 and 65 pounds. He was severely malnourished, his skin was basically stretched over his bones, and his foot was broken," Anderson said.
Officials at The Animal Shelter Society, Inc. contacted the Afghan Hound Rescue after the dog warden brought Winston in from the owner.
Hague requested the vet's report today. She says she'll have a Muskingum County vet review it and will then meet with Muskingum County Prosecutor Mike Haddox to determine if charges will be pressed.
"The (owners) called the dog warden and surrendered the dog themselves," Hague said. "I can't see that this family is mean and cruel to animals because I had horses down in that neighborhood and this woman's dad gave me hay and he took care of my horses until we could get them out of there, so they can't be all that bad of people."
Case UpdatesMembers of the Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio (AHRCO) organization are hoping a petition will help bring justice to their cause.
After the December death of Winston, an Afghan hound who was taken to the Columbus-based organization from the local Animal Shelter Society, members of AHRCO are hoping to gather 5,000 signatures to reopen Winston's case.
"Based on all of this runaround and information we've got, we've decided to do a petition since our individual requests to review his case are not getting us anywhere," said Susan Lutz, member of AHRCO and former civil law attorney.
After more than a month of investigation by Muskingum County Humane Officer Beulah Hague, it was decided that charges would not be filed against the dog's owners.
Winston was euthanized Dec. 22 after a worsening case of pneumonia left him with less than 25 percent of his lung capacity. AHRCO's Maureen Anderson described Winston's condition when he was brought in as a result of years of malnourishment and neglect.
Upon arrival to AHRCO, he weighed 41 pounds, whereas a healthy male Afghan hound should weigh between 60 and 65 pounds. He also had what looked like a broken leg that had never been treated and extremely matted hair, according to Anderson.
"You can't look at those pictures and say that dog was cared for," Anderson said. "There are a lot of lies and lots of inconsistencies, but the prosecutor never saw any documentation, any report, any photos. All he got was a call that a decision had been made not to prosecute based on their investigation."
According to Muskingum County Dog Warden Bryan Catlin, Winston was turned in to the dog warden by the owner before being turned over to The Animal Shelter Society, Inc., and then AHRCO, which specializes in the rescue of Afghan hounds.
Lutz said she would like to present the petition to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office within 30 days.
"We'd like charges filed, but the other thing we're hoping for is to educate the community and county officials as to what comprises animal abuse and the other thing is that studies have shown that there is a direct link from animal abuse to spousal and child abuse," she said. "So by ignoring animal abuse I firmly believe that county officials are also ignoring domestic violence in that community." | Source: Zanesville Times Recorder February 19, 2007
Update posted on Feb 19, 2007 - 7:30PM |
After more than a month of investigating, charges will not be filed against a Muskingum County dog owner.
Muskingum County Humane Officer Beulah Hague and Muskingum County Dog Warden Bryan Catlin made their decision to not request charges against the owner of Winston, an Afghan hound, after reviewing veterinarian's reports and neighbors' statements.
"The humane officer and dog warden are requesting charges not be filed," Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch said. "They explained to me that their investigation is complete and there was no criminal activity."
Winston was euthanized Dec. 22 after a worsening case of pneumonia left him with less than 25 percent of his lung capacity.
According to Catlin, Winston was turned in to the dog warden by the owner, whose name is not being released. After a short stay at The Animal Shelter Society Inc. in Zanesville, he was transferred to Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio, an independent rescue organization in Columbus.
Catlin said there was not enough evidence of neglect and/or abuse to press charges. He said the owners, who live in the Philo area, gathered eight to 10 signatures of neighbors who would be willing to testify in court that they took care of Winston.
"We really don't have enough to. We could file charges but it's a case we're not going to win, especially with people testifying on the owner's behalf. There's very little to pursue," he said.
Hague could not be reached for comment.
Catlin said the only issue he had in the beginning was the grooming, but charges can't be filed on grooming issues. Part of the evidence collected was statements from neighbors who said the owners took care of the animal. Maureen Anderson of Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio had described one of Winston's legs as a nub that may have been broken early in his life and never treated, but neighbors told Caitlin it was like that his whole life and it had never altered his physical abilities.
"That could be a birth defect or could have been broken as a pup and was never fixed, but neighbors said it never stopped the dog from running or digging holes," Catlin said.
He also said the weight loss Winston experienced could be contributed to old age.
"I guess I'm just amazed. I'm not surprised because I know how difficult it is to prove these kinds of charges, but I'm very disappointed because obviously the dog suffered," said Anderson.
She described Winston's condition as resulting from years of malnourishment and neglect. When Winston was brought in to her, he weighed 41 pounds. A healthy male Afghan Hound should weigh between 60 and 65 pounds.
"It's just so disappointing because animal abuse is to me, one of the worst crimes because they can't defend themselves," Anderson said. "What a horrible life he must have had." | Source: Zanesville Times-Recorder - Jan 31, 2007
Update posted on Jan 31, 2007 - 1:11PM |
A case of possible animal neglect that is being investigated by the county humane officer is now under the watch of a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) animal cruelty case worker.
Stephanie Bell, animal cruelty case worker for the animal rights organization, said she is "very interested" in seeing the report on a dog being investigated by the county as a case of neglect.
Winston, an Afghan Hound, was turned into the county dog warden in December by the owner, Muskingum County Dog Warden Bryan Catlin said. After a brief stay at The Animal Shelter Society Inc. in Zanesville, the dog was transferred to Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio, an independent rescue organization in Columbus.
"If the veterinarian who would be deemed the qualified expert in a case like this indicates the animal's physical condition shows evidence of neglect or cruelty we'll certainly press for charges," Bell said.
Muskingum County Humane Officer Beulah Hague said she will collect several reports from local veterinarians who saw Winston before his euthanization, from the veterinarian who saw him at Green Meadows Veterinary Hospital in Columbus for review before submitting it to Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch.
"They're finalizing the reports and I expect them in the next couple of days," Welch said.
According to Maureen Anderson of the Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio, Winston was euthanized Dec. 22 after what Anderson described as years of malnourishment and neglect.
She said he weighed 41 pounds, was malnourished and a worsening case of pneumonia left Winston with less than 25 percent of his lung capacity and it led to the euthanization.
Bell said she has worked with Hague in the past, but had not spoke to her about Winston's case as of noon Thursday.
"An animal whose condition is so bad that euthanasia is determined to be the kindest option for the animal, that is certainly indicative of an animal who has suffered neglect," she said. "Unfortunately, it can be difficult. The photos are quite distressing, but a veterinarian's statement is so important in a case like this."
Because, she said, it's not always starvation that causes an animal to lose weight. Sometimes an animal may have a sickness that caused the weight loss.
According to Bell, a veterinarian's report will include the vet's statement of the animal in question's body condition to determine if it is consistent with neglect.
"You can look at an animal and look at photos of the animal who looks very poor, but that doesn't always mean the animal has been starved and that's why the vet's report is so critical. Based on the photos were seeing and what little I know, there's a very good chance neglect was present, but we need a vet to confirm that," she said.
She said since the animal is out of harm's way, if evidence supports that the dog was neglected, PETA will urge authorities to file charges, which can down the road turn into a felony charge or additional counts, based on the evidence.
Bell said she will be keeping in touch with Hague and the Muskingum County prosecutor's office. | Source: Central Ohio News - Jan 5, 2007
Update posted on Jan 19, 2007 - 2:29AM |
Reports are being finalized that will determine if Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor Ron Welch will prosecute a dog owner for animal neglect and cruelty.
According to Maureen Anderson of the Afghan Hound Rescue Central Ohio in Columbus, Winston, an Afghan hound who was transferred to the facility from The Animal Shelter Society, Inc., was euthanized after what Anderson described as years of malnourishment and neglect.
Muskingum County Dog Warden Bryan Catlin said Winston was turned into the dog pound by the owner, whose name is not being released because of the impending investigation.
Anderson said a worsening case of pneumonia, which left Winston with less than 25 percent of his lung capacity, led to the euthanization Dec. 22.
Welch said Wednesday he had been in contact with Muskingum County Humane Officer Beulah Hague, who is collecting the evidence and will submit it to him for review.
"We haven't received anything at this point. They're finalizing the reports and I expect them in the next couple of days," Welch said.
He said finalizing the reports includes the collection of the veterinarian reports and speaking with neighbors of the alleged owner and others involved with the dog.
"The information, after it's put in report form, will be sent to me and I'll review it," Welch said. | Source: Zanesville Times-Recorder - Jan 3, 2007
Update posted on Jan 4, 2007 - 1:52AM |
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