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Case ID: 14632

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

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Animal was offleash or loose

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Case #14632 Rating: 1.7 out of 5

Sick, starving dog abandoned
Aiken, SC (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Sep 27, 2008
County: Aiken

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Joseph Howard

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

An Aiken County man was jailed this weekend after the City of Aiken's animal control officer came across what he called "one of the worst cases" of animal cruelty he has seen in more than 10 years with Public Safety.

Joseph Howard, 28, of Redds Branch Road, is charged with one count of animal cruelty.

About 3 p.m. Saturday, a caller phoned police saying he believed the owner of a puppy had abandoned the animal at a Male Drive address.

The dog had a skin condition for several days, and the caller told police the owner told him he was going to take care of the animal but never did.

An Aiken Public Safety officer wrote a description of the animal's condition, reporting that its skin was red and most of its hair was gone. The animal was lying in a cage and could not move when police found it.

"Its breathing was very slow, and it appeared to be dead," police reported, adding that fluid was oozing from different areas of its skin.

Flies were covering more than half of the dog's body, the officer reported.

He went on to say the dog's ribs were "bulging," and it didn't appear that the animal had eaten in a period of time.

There was no food or water in the animal's cage, police said.

Aiken Animal Control was called and took the subject into custody at a Redds Branch Road location.

The 28-year-old told police he rubbed cream and sprayed an anti-itch spray on the dog Thursday to fix the animal's skin.

The officer picked up the bottle of skin cream the man said he had used.

It was labeled for use only on horses.

Howard was arrested.

Police Lt. David Turno, a spokesman for Aiken Public Safety, said the case will be heard in criminal court, not the City's livability court where many cases are heard.

"This was too serious a case," he explained.

Working from the recommendations of local veterinarians, Public Safety said the animal was euthanized.

Case Updates

An Aiken County man was found guilty and sentenced Thursday to 30 days in jail for what an animal control officer described as "one of the worst cases" of animal cruelty he has ever seen.

Joseph Howard, 28, of Redds Branch Road, will also be fined $1,092.50.

He was found guilty at a bench trial in criminal court.

Around 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, a caller phoned police saying he was concerned about a puppy he believed the owner had abandoned.

The dog had a skin condition for several days, and the caller told police the owner said he was going to take care of the animal but never did. An Aiken Public Safety officer wrote a description of the animal's condition, reporting that its skin was red and most of its hair was gone. The animal was lying in a cage and could not move when police found it.

"Its breathing was very slow, and it appeared to be dead," police reported, adding that fluid was oozing from different areas of its skin.

Flies were covering more than half of the dog's body, the officer reported.

Police went on to say the dog's ribs were "bulging," and it didn't appear that the animal had eaten in a long time. There was no food or water in the animal's cage, police said.

Aiken Animal Control was called and learned where Howard was staying. He was taken in to police custody at his Redds Branch Road home, officials said.

The 28-year-old told police he rubbed cream on the dog and sprayed an anti-itch spray him to fix the animal's skin.

The officer picked up the bottle of skin cream the man said he had used. It was labeled for use only on horses, police said.

When Howard was arrested, police said he would be tried in criminal court, rather than the City's livability court, because the severity of the case.

Working from the recommendations of local veterinarians, Public Safety said the animal was euthanized.

Source: Aiken Standard - Oct 30, 2008
Update posted on Nov 2, 2008 - 8:22PM

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Sick, starving dog abandonedAiken, SC (US)

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Sick, starving dog abandoned
Aiken, SC (US)