Dogs abandoned in home, left to starve Dothan, AL (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007 County: Houston Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 12221 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in AL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Several dogs have been left abandoned in a home in Dothan. The dogs have been surviving on food that neighbors have been giving them. According to those neighbors their owner left their house several weeks ago and never returned.

"It upsets me to know that they were over here by themselves and that they didn't have anything to drink," said Malisa Hill Thomas, who lives near the abandoned dogs.

When Thomas first noticed several weeks ago that no one was caring for the dogs at a house on Edgewood Drive, she and other neighbors decided to take matters into their own hands and began feeding them.

"They just left the dogs and we've been feeding them; I think neighbors have been feeding them and trying to keep them alive here. I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it," said Danny Howell, another neighbor.

Neighbors eventually called Animal Control several times, including once when one of the dogs got hurt.

"We picked it up because it was injured and sick, and on the way into the animal shelter it died," said Animal Control Officer, David Williams.

But because there was still electricity and running water at the house, the other dogs could not be removed. That is until Mrs. Thomas filed an official report alleging animal cruelty, legally allowing Animal Control to be able to enter the premises and remove the dogs.

And, even though no one knows where the dogs� owners are, once they are found, they could be facing criminal charges.

In the meantime, the dogs that are rescued will be taken to the Dothan Animal Shelter to be treated; something Animal Control says should have happened a long time ago.

"I feel sorry for them. People who move out and leave them like that; they should call us first," said Williams.

Only one dog has been removed from the home; the others are said to have crawled under the home where they are still hiding and waiting to be rescued.

The dog that was rescued was taken to the animal shelter and once the others are removed, the owners will have to come forward within the next 30 days to claim them.

If that doesn�t happen the shelter will ask a judge to give them the dogs so that they can put them up for adoption. If the dogs are not adopted within 20 days, they will have to be euthanized.

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References

WTYV - Aug 31, 2007

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