A Fulton County Sheriff�s deputy finds himself on the other side of the law. Sergeant Donnell Cockhren is charged with one count of animal cruelty. The charge was filed after one of his dogs was found dead in his backyard -- another survived.
Police say all happened Feb 3. That�s when police found two dogs in a Southwest Atlanta backyard. For one dog it was too late -- the other is getting a second chance.
At first glance, the shepherd-chow mix appears healthy, but upon closer examination it�s easy to tell she is severely malnourished.
Workers at Fulton County Animal Shelter are calling her �Chance.� She�s been at the shelter since February 3 when she was picked up at a Southwest Atlanta home.
Fulton County Police say an anonymous tip alleging neglect led them to the house.
�They did find a, what appeared to be a pit bull, that was dead at the scene, still on a chain,� said Dep. Chief Gary Stiles with the Fulton County Police Department.
Police have identified the owner at Sergeant Donnell Cockhren � a sergeant at the Fulton County Jail.
A spokesman at the jail says Cockhren has not been suspended and is continuing his work at the jail as the investigation continues.
�Being in law enforcement, it�s always disappointing when anybody in law enforcement is charged with any crime. But remember, this is a charge based on the evidence that animal control found and there will be a thorough investigation,� said Dep. Chief Stiles.
The pit bull's body was taken to UGA for the equivalent of an autopsy.
Police did tell us that when Sgt. Cockhren came to animal control to find out why they had taken his dogs, he was quite surprised that one of his dogs had died. Case UpdatesBy the time someone finally called animal control, one of the two dogs chained in Donnell Cockhern's Atlanta backyard was already dead -- his skeletal body still tethered among trash.
The other dog, a cheerful shepherd/collie mix, weighed about half what she should.
Maybe people were afraid to call sooner because Cockhern is a Fulton County Sheriff's deputy. But that didn't help him in court April 12.
Cockhern pleaded no contest to one count of animal cruelty and was sentenced to a weekend in jail and a $1,000 fine, and he is prohibited from owning a dog during a six-month probationary period. He also agreed to relinquish custody of the surviving dog.
"We took this case seriously," said Stratton Leedy, an assistant city solicitor with Atlanta Municipal Court. "I don't ever understand how these cases happen, but it does with regularity."
Six officials from Fulton County Animal Services, including shelter director Susan Feingold and the shelter's veterinarian, Chris Lea, attended the hearing. Lea said the body of the dead dog, a golden pit bull, was sent to the University of Georgia's pathology department. The exam showed that the dog had no illnesses that could have contributed to his death.
"He died of starvation," Lea said. "It took weeks for him to die."
While it seems awful, Melinda Merck, a local veterinarian specializing in animal cruelty cases and forensics, said starvation and neglect are common.
"It's the number one kind of cruelty that we see," said Merck, who does investigations for several metro counties and teaches forensics nationally. "To me, it reflects the ultimate cruelty. It's not a burst of anger, a loss of temper because the dog chewed up the couch, but a long, calculated act."
Although Georgia law does allow some animal abusers to be charged with a felony, neglect is still considered a misdemeanor in almost all cases. Last year, Fulton County issued about 300 citations for animal abuse, Feingold said, and had issued 77 by mid-April this year.
During Cockhern's hearing before Judge Howard Johnson, Cockhern never explained why he stopped feeding his dogs. His 15-year-old son also lived in the home, according to Cockhern's attorney, Randy Slater.
After the hearing, Slater declined comment, saying only, "It's a sad day." Cockhern, dressed in a white shirt, tan slacks and crocodile-embossed dress shoes, pursed his lips and shook his head when asked if he wanted to explain what happened.
Sgt. Nikita Adams-Hightower, spokeswoman for the sheriff's department, said the department is finishing up its investigation of the case and will present it to the sheriff to decide if disciplinary action is needed.
In the meantime, Feingold is hoping the surviving dog, a 2-year-old mix they've named Lynn, will find a good home. She said the dog, which she describes as "very, very sweet and pretty," weighed about 22 pounds when she came in and now is about 40 pounds, although she still needs to add a few more pounds. She will be spayed, then placed up for adoption.
"We'd love to get her the best home ever, because if anyone ever deserves it, she does," Feingold said. | Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution - April 22, 2007
Update posted on Apr 22, 2007 - 2:40PM |
A Fulton County Sheriff�s deputy accused of animal cruelty will return to court on April 12 at 10:00 a.m. in Atlanta Municipal Court. Sergeant Donnell Cockhren is facing animal cruelty charges stemming from February 3, when two malnourished dogs were reportedly found chained in his back yard. One was already dead.
�They did find a, what appeared to be a pit bull, that was dead at the scene, still on a chain,� said Dep. Chief Gary Stiles with the Fulton County Police Department.
The second dog was severely malnourished, but survived. Workers at Fulton County Animal Shelter are calling her �Chance.� | Source: Complaint # 07-035072-0001
Update posted on Mar 27, 2007 - 6:58PM |
Donnell Cockhern of Atlanta was cited Feb. 4 after he went to the Fulton County animal shelter demanding his dogs be returned to him, said Fulton Deputy Police Chief Gary Stiles.
Officers had removed the two chained dogs Feb. 3 and left him a notice they had taken them. Cockhern apparently wasn�t aware the brown pit bull had died. Stiles said a necropsy is being performed on the dead dog.
Sgt. Nikita Adams-Hightower, a spokesperson for the Fulton County Sheriff�s Department, said they have opened an internal affairs investigation into the case. �How we deal with it will depend somewhat on what happens at his court date,� Adams-Hightower said.
Cockhern has a hearing set for 10 a.m. March 15 at Atlanta Municipal Court. | Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution - Feb 10, 2007
Update posted on Feb 10, 2007 - 1:23PM |
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