Three dogs neglected, starved
West Palm Beach, FL (US)Incident Date: Monday, Nov 26, 2007
County: Palm Beach
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Bienbenido Cancel
Bandit is the best looking of the three. He's two years old and still strong enough to stand.
Then there's Bullet, his ribs poking through his skin like knuckles in a glove, his body riddled with heartworms.
Nina is the weakest. She's a chow who investigators say would have likely have starved to death in days.
"When you talk about how bad a dog can look, she probably looks as bad bad as you can get," says Animal Care and Control Investigator Daisy Harsch.
All three dogs were pulled out of a trailer at 5920 Cartier Road in West Palm Beach.
The owner, Bienbenido Cancel, says he's been out of town for several weeks and left the animals with someone else.
He wouldn't tell us who.
"Where's this woman who let these dogs get this way?" asks Holmes.
"On TV, I can't tell you that," says Cancel.
"Well, you're taking the fall for her now, it will be your name on the news tonight."
"Yeah."
"So when you came back and saw your dogs like this?" asks Holmes.
"I was mad," says Cancel.
Animal Control officials say they warned Cancel several times over the last few days to get the animals medical treatment.
When he didn't they stepped in and seized the dogs.
Cancel says he loves his dogs and feeds them and it was this other mystery person who didn't take care of the animals.
Investigators didn't buy his story and it will be Cancel who's likely to face possible criminal charges for animal cruelty.
Cancel says he will fight to get his dogs back. Animal Control investigators say if this is his level of care...good luck.
"In our opinion," says Director Dianne Sauve, "There is no excuse for animal neglect, for allowing an animal to starve and become completely emaciated." References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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