Dogs neglected, 5 seized
Houston, TX (US)Incident Date: Monday, Dec 11, 2006
County: Harris
Disposition: Not Charged
Person of Interest: Harvey LaShawn Harris
Animal control officers removed several pit bulls from a north Houston home Dec 29 afternoon after neighbors complained they were being neglected.
Harvey LaShawn Harris said what may be his final goodbye to his beloved pit bull. She is one of five dogs seized by the Houston SPCA. Animal cruelty investigators were called to the home a few weeks ago to investigate a claim that the animals had been abandoned.
"We came out from a call from neighbors that there were some animals in the back yard without shelter," said Heidi Brasher with the Houston SPCA.
Investigators say they were first notified on December 11 and visited the property twice since then. They say Harris was never home and failed to contact the SPCA after two notices after they were left behind. He had this to say.
"I responded to the last letter, but the other letter, I didn't have time because me and my wife, we're hardly ever here," he said. "She tried to call for the last one, but it was the wrong number."
Harris says a white pit bull, a Chihuahua mix, and a pit bull puppy, which investigators found in the garage, belong to him.
"You see some flea dirt on him, so he looks like he has some little conditions here and there," said Brasher. "But we'll get the vets to check him out and make sure he's OK."
Harris told the SPCA the other two pit bulls seized from his back yard belong to a friend and insists he was doing someone a favor by caring for them.
"I'm hurt," said Harris. "I want my dogs back. I won't baby-sit anybody else's dog."
For the time being, Harris isn't facing any charges and hasn't been slapped with any fines. Meanwhile, the dogs are being cared for at the Houston SPCA. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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