Case Snapshot

Case ID: 13479

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: cat, dog (non pit-bull)

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Dog and cat abandoned after owner moves
Bessemer City, NC (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007
County: Gaston

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Acquitted
Case Images: 1 files available

Person of Interest: Jamie Melinda McGraw

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

With an inquisitive, slightly cocked head, the Rottweiler mix peered out sullenly from the back of his concrete and chain-link prison Monday [March 25, 2008].

The dog's hopeless expression suggested it might no longer warm to humans. But a visitor's voice and extended hand were enough to coax him to the door of the pen.

The walls in the Gaston County Animal Shelter's isolation room are all the Rottweiler has had to look at for the better part of six months. As an animal cruelty case against its owner has been continued, the dog has had to live out its days and nights in confinement.

"What breaks my heart is that this dog has been sitting there for months with no human interaction," said Cheryl Colley, an animal advocate in Gastonia.

Jamie Melinda McGraw, 53, of Chase Jordan Court, north of Bessemer City, is charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals. Already continued at least twice, the district criminal case is scheduled to be heard April 2.

The court delays are partially to blame for the dog's 188-day stay, said Gaston County Animal Control Administrator Reggie Horton. McGraw has refused to relinquish ownership of the pet, so the shelter must retain the animal until a judge resolves the issue.

Finding a temporary foster home for the dog would be ideal, Horton said, but no qualified individuals have volunteered to do that. It would need to be an area resident with ties to a reputable animal advocacy group, he said.

"We certainly recognize spending this amount of time at the shelter is not best for the animal," Horton said.

Animal control officers responded to McGraw's mobile home Sept. 12 after a neighbor reported McGraw had moved out and left her pets behind two weeks before.

Officers found the Rottweiler mix in a fenced-in yard behind the residence. The only food and water available was what the neighbor had been providing, Horton said.

Animal Control seized the dog, and a cat from inside the home, on Sept. 17 after McGraw could not be contacted, Horton said. The cat later died.

McGraw was not at home Monday afternoon. Her next-door neighbor John Speas said he called Animal Control in September after realizing McGraw wasn't coming back.

The dog was so hungry that Speas said he watched it attack and eat a stray cat that jumped into the pen one day. He began feeding the Rottweiler table scraps and giving it water.

"She basically just left for a month," Speas said of McGraw. "You could see the ribs on that dog.

"That's why we called. We didn't want to see it suffering."

McGraw had owned the Rottweiler for at least five years, Speas said. She also had another dog that died some time ago, he said.

"She never took care of it or anything," he said of the Rottweiler.

McGraw later moved back into the mobile home, he said.

The case against McGraw was continued once by the District Attorney's office, Horton said. It was continued a second time because the investigating Animal Control officer was not available on the rescheduled date, he said.

The dog could have been made eligible for adoption by now, but McGraw has not relinquished ownership, Horton said.

"She intends to get possession of her dog back," he said. "We're, in effect, in a holding pattern waiting for the case to be heard in court."

The Animal Shelter is charging McGraw its standard fee of $20 per day for the cost of boarding the animal. At 188 days and counting, that tab has already reached several thousand dollars.

If McGraw is found guilty, the dog would likely be turned over to Animal Control immediately. It could then be turned over to an interested rescue agency, such as the Animal League of Gaston County, immediately on a first-come, first-serve basis, Horton said.

"We'd certainly like to find a good home for the dog," he said.

Horton said several people have inquired about taking care of the dog while the case waits to be heard.

Colley, a current member of the Animal League of Gaston County, said she recently sent out e-mail alerts to fellow advocates about the situation after hearing about the case.

The problem is that no one has stepped forward to help.

Colley said she herself keeps two dogs and eight cats inside her home, but can't personally accommodate the Rottweiler. But she hopes someone out there can.

"It's a lack of communication. It's a lack of fosters," she said of the problem. "It's a lack of volunteers."

Anyone off the street wouldn't be allowed to keep the animal temporarily. It would need to be someone who lives in or near Gaston County, and is affiliated with a certified animal rescue group, Horton said.

But Horton said he hopes a qualified person will surface.

"It's a good dog. It seems to be friendly."

Case Updates

References

Gaston Gazette - March 25, 2008

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