Over 25 diseased dogs abandoned at roadside
Siouxland, IA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jul 28, 2008
County: Monona
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Denise Withee
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Siouxland law enforcement is asking for your help in locating a pickup that might be involved with the abandoning of more than 25 diseased dogs.
Sioux City Animal Control received a call early Monday morning from the Monona County Sheriff's Office, saying more than 2 dozen neglected dogs were left along Highway L-20.
Authorities have found 11 of the dogs, ranging from puppies to medium size breeds, all of which had to be euthanized.
The rest of the dogs are still at large.
Authorities say they're concerned the dogs could spread their diseases to wildlife and livestock.
Authorities have alerted officials across the state about the possibility of the dogs being from a puppy mill.
Authorities are looking for a silver and blue extended- back pickup, that they believe is connected with the drop-off.
You can call the Monona County Sheriff's Office in Onawa if you have any information.
Case UpdatesA woman accused of dumping dogs agreed Monday to pay Monona County for dealing with her canines. Denise Withee did not appear in court because she's still in the Hall County, Nebraska jail.
However, she sent a letter, agreeing to pay $7,000 to the Monona County Sheriff's Department for boarding and disposing of the dogs. Deputies found 31 dogs at her home. Four were put down; the rest have been sent to various animal shelters and foster homes.
No word, yet, on any possible criminal charges. The County Attorney says she will most likely face abandonment charges--that's a misdemeanor in Iowa.
Right now, Withee faces five felonies in Grand Island. Authorities there found at least 20 dogs left for dead in a cornfield. | Source: Action 3 News - Aug 18, 2008
Update posted on Aug 18, 2008 - 11:49PM |
45 year-old Denise Withee of Mapleton, Iowa will face charges as soon as Thursday for animal abuse and abandonment after being accused of breeding dogs and then dumping them on the side of the road.
She's looking at more than 20 counts of animal abuse and abandonment, which in Iowa are not felonies, but rather misdemeanors.
On July 27th, Monona County, IA, investigators rounded up nearly 40 dogs that were wandering around the area. The dogs were later linked to Withee through microchip technology. Authorities say some of the dogs had to be put down because of bad health. Five of the abandoned dogs are now being cared for at the Animal Control in South Sioux City, NE. An additional five are at the Siouxland Humane Society and 12 are at Sioux City's Animal Control. The director at Sioux City's Animal Control, Cindy Rarrat, says they received small and large dogs including Cockapoos and Wheaton Terriers. They've been cleaned up and vaccinated but Rarrat says when she got them they were infested with fleas and lice, dirty with matted fur and had soars all over their bodies.
"They're lovely dogs. None of them have given us any problems. Their temperaments are wonderful. They're so thankful to have something, so they've been absolutely wonderful for us," says Cindy Rarrat.
Withee also faces felony animal abuse charges in Hall County, Nebraska where she's accused of dumping nearly 30 more dogs, 23 of which were found dead. | Source: KPTH - Aug 6, 2008
Update posted on Aug 6, 2008 - 10:03PM |
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