Pit bulls neglected, severely emaciated
Gastonia, NC (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Feb 7, 2008
County: Gaston
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Rico Pagan
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Dog fighting is always a concern when Animal Control officers find several pit bulls chained up at a residence.
But investigators did not find enough evidence of organized dog fighting at a Gastonia residence where six pit bull mixes were rescued on Feb. 7, said Sgt. James Phil, with Gaston County Animal Control.
However, the dog's owner Rico Pagan, 36, of the 2100 block of West Sixth Avenue, was arrested Thursday and charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty and 24 other criminal charges for his alleged failure to properly care for his dogs.
"We look into that and check for scars to see if there is any evidence of dog fighting," James said. "There wasn't enough (evidence of dog fighting) to substantiate charges for that."
But, the dogs were severely emaciated, Phil said. When animal control officers arrived at the residence, they found four dogs chained up with no food or water nearby, he said.
"They were very thin, severely thin," Phil said. "It doesn't look like they were fed adequately or given adequate veterinary care to keep them from getting in that condition."
The dogs are friendly to people, Phil said. Pagan could lose the dogs if he is convicted of the charges. If the dogs are not dangerous, they might be adopted out, Phil said.
Pagan is charged with one count of felony animal cruelty and 10 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty for allegedly depriving his dogs of food and veterinary care. He was also charged with six counts of unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine, six counts of failure to vaccinate the dogs against rabies, six counts of failure to purchase a county license and six counts of failure to display a license tag on the dogs. The unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine charge involved possession of animal medication that only licensed veterinarians can have, Phil said.
He was being held Friday in the Gaston County Jail on a $13,000 bond. His dogs are now housed at the Gaston County Animal shelter.
Case UpdatesA dog owner charged with 34 counts of animal abuse and neglect said his dogs should not be euthanized before he has his day in court.
Gaston County Animal Control seized six pit bull mixes from Gastonia resident Rico Pagan in February. The dogs are scheduled for euthanasia in a gas chamber, if no animal rescue group comes forward to provide them with permanent shelter by 5 p.m. Friday.
Pagan has forfeited ownership of the dogs, according to Gaston County Animal Control. But, Pagan said he is innocent of the criminal charges and wants his dogs returned.
"That's part of my family," he said. "My dogs will be dead before I get to prove my innocence. I don't understand that."
Animal Control officers said Pagan's dogs were found chained in his backyard without food and water nearby and they were severely emaciated. The dogs are now healthy, but the county animal shelter cannot keep them indefinitely, according to Animal Control officers.
Pagan said the dogs were not neglected or abused and they were not deprived of food, water, veterinary care of vaccinations. He said he has given his lawyer, whom he would not name, copies of paperwork proving that his dogs received vaccinations.
The charges against him include one count of felony animal cruelty and nine counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty for allegedly depriving his dogs of food and veterinary care. He was also charged with six counts of unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine, six counts of failure to vaccinate the dogs against rabies, six counts of failure to purchase a county license and six counts of failure to display a license tag on the dogs.
The unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine charge involved possession of animal medication that only licensed veterinarians can have, according to Animal Control.
Pagan is scheduled to appear in court on the criminal charges May 29, but state law allows Animal Control to hold a preliminary hearing in an effort to recover the cost of boarding the animals. He forfeited the dogs when he failed to appear at a preliminary hearing April 21, said Animal Control Sgt. James Phil.
Phil said the boarding bill for care of Pagan's dogs since February is $10,200.
Following his arrest, Pagan said he moved to a new address and did not receive notification for the hearing.
But even if he had gotten notice, Pagan said he wouldn't be willing to pay the boarding cost. On Wednesday, Pagan said he doesn't know how much Animal Control would charge him for boarding, but regardless of the amount he won't pay, even if that means the dogs are killed Friday.
"I'm not paying no money because nothing was wrong with my dogs," Pagan said. "If they kill my dogs, I'm taking out a lawsuit." | Source: Gaston Gazette - April 30, 2008
Update posted on Apr 30, 2008 - 10:01PM |
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