Dog and puppy emaciated, resulting in death Bluffton, SC (US) Incident Date: Friday, Jun 1, 2007 County: Beaufort Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Charges: Misdemeanor Alleged: » woman » 17 year-old male

Case ID: 11506 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in SC (US) Login to Watch this Case

A Bluffton mother and son face animal cruelty charges for chaining up an adult pit bull and puppy outside their home and continually denying them food, water and shelter, authorities said.

The dogs' conditions were so grave they will have to be euthanized. It was unclear if that had already occurred Saturday.

Acting on a tip Friday evening, two Bluffton police officers arrived at the Fuller Court home to find the dogs -- described as "skin and bones" -- covered in mange and surrounded by rotting feces.

The adult dog attempted to stand up and wag her tail, but collapsed, said Lt. Katherine Sours of the Bluffton Police Department.

"The animals had no room to run," she said. "There was no food. There was no water. There was no shelter."

The 36-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son were charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty, which carries up to 60 days in jail or a fine of between $100 and $500.

They were released from the Beaufort County Detention Center on their own recognizance Saturday morning.

South Carolina also has a felony animal cruelty charge that carries a mandatory jail sentence between 180 days and five years with a $5,000 fine, but its definition seems to be more geared toward violent acts, precluding starving an animal to death, said Sours.

"It's pathetic," she said of the misdemeanor charge, noting that any animal cruelty is a felony in a number of other states including Florida.

In this case, both of the people charged claimed the dogs' care was the other's responsibility, said Sours.

"Regardless, neither one of them gave the dogs shelter, food or water," she said. "The poor things were suffering."

If someone had called earlier, the dogs could have been saved.

"If they didn't want the animal, someone will come to get them immediately," said Sours. "If the neighbors and other people knew this was going on, shame on them. Why did they let it go to this extent?

"It just takes one anonymous phone call and we would check it out immediately. No one would ever find out who called."

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References

The Beaufort Gazette - June 3, 2007

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