Pit bull neglect - dog found chained, malnourished - Gainesville, FL

Friday, Mar 14, 2008

County: Alachua

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Blake Bernard Criswell

Investigators went to Blake Bernard Criswell's home at 830 NE 18th Terrace on March 14. In court records, officials noted that they found "a female chocolate pit bull tied outside with no shelter and non-potable water. The dog was thin, soaking wet and shivering. The pit bull was chained on a short chain that was tangled in the fence so that the pit bull could not move or lay down."

Investigators said that while they were impounding the dog and putting it in their truck, Criswell came out of the house and told investigators he had tied the dog to the fence the night before and forgotten about her. Court records show Criswell had received two previous warnings and a citation for the same offense.

At the shelter, a veterinarian determined the dog had body muscle loss, scars on her face, a rip in her upper lip, and a bloody tail tip.

The veterinarian used the Tufts Animal Care and Condition scale to evaluate the dog. The scale is based on scores in four areas - body condition, physical care, environmental health and weather safety - with a top score of one and a bottom score of five, which indicates a terrible condition. The dog seized from Criswell's home scored a four on the Tufts scale, which investigators noted was "clear evidence of serious neglect and/or inhumane treatment."

References

• « FL State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Alachua County, FL

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