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| Judge(s): | Leslie DeVooght |
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CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #15038 Rating: 2.3 out of 5
Dog abandoned in home after tenant moves out
Brunswick, GA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Dec 2, 2008
County: Glynn
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendant/Suspect: Yoshi Jones
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Resplendent in a festive Christmas sweater with bells jingling on her collar, Gucci scampered around, greeting everyone with tail-wagging good cheer Friday at Glynn County Animal Services.
The black Chihuahua mix that bounced with joy and squirmed with delight when petted was barely recognizable from the scared, emaciated dog rescued by county animal control officers.
Gucci had been left on a second-floor apartment balcony for 11 days, abandoned by her owner who had moved.
"She had to fend for herself," Animal Services director Beverly Morris said.
After getting a tip, animal control officers found Gucci in bad condition at the apartment on Dec. 2.
"She was way underweight, only about 3 pounds," Morris said. "On the day we got her, it was going to be the coldest night of the year. If we hadn't gotten Gucci when we did, she would have died."
Gucci's owners have been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty.
About a year old, the spunky little dog is among an increasing number of dogs and cats abandoned, Southeast Georgia animal welfare officials said. Many pets are paying the price of the poor economy, while others are simply unwanted. The number of surrendered and unwanted animals has jumped at least a third in Glynn and neighboring Camden County from last year, they estimated.
The Glynn animal officers saved Doobie-Doo, an affectionate fox terrier mix, from an agonizing fate Dec. 19. Doobie-Doo was abandoned, tied to a backyard fence with no food or water by an owner who just up and left, Morris said.
"We've had more people surrendering their pets to us. The reasons vary ... but one of the biggest reasons is they can't afford to take care of them," said Debra Clark, co-manager and clinical director of the Humane Society of Camden County.
The Humane Society also is seeing an increase in pets surrendered after their elderly or ill owners have died.
"The children either can't or don't want to care for the pets," Clark said, "so they have been bringing them to us."
Glynn County Animal Services has experienced a similar increase.
At least a dozen dogs and cats at the Glynn shelter this week had been previously rescued after being abandoned, Morris said.
"If you don't want or can't keep your animal, bring it here to us," Morris said. "You don't have to toss that animal out of a vehicle, dump it out on the road or just leave it. We will take it, and try to find it a good home."
No local or nationwide data have been collected about the reasons people abandon their pets. Animal Services officials suspect it's a big problem.
"It's really hard to say how many are abandoned because so many we get come in as strays," kennel manager Barbara Sancomb said.
Abandoning a pet isn't just cruel; it's also a crime in Georgia. By law, abandoning or neglecting an animal is animal cruelty. Depending on the severity, it can be a misdemeanor or felony, according to Georgia law.
Officers have charged Gucci's owners with misdemeanor animal cruelty, which is punishable by up to 12 months in jail or up to a $1,000 fine. A judge also may award the animal to the county or a humane organization, according to the law.
Gucci's owners will have an opportunity to explain what happened when the case goes to court Jan. 21, Morris said.
Now up to 6 pounds, Gucci is not available for adoption because her case is ongoing. If a judge awards her to Animal Services, she will be placed for adoption. Several people visiting the shelter already have asked about adopting Gucci, Morris said.
Morris and Clark said their agencies can offer advice and assistance to people who can't, or don't want to care for their pets.
"We're here to help. ... Rather than risk them getting hit by a car or starving to death, give us a chance to help them," Morris said.
Case UpdatesA Glynn County judge found a Brunswick woman guilty of animal cruelty Wednesday for abandoning her family's small dog without food, water or shelter for 11 days on a second-floor apartment balcony.
Gucci, a black Chihuahua mix, was emaciated, shivering and scared when rescued Dec. 2 by county Animal Control Officer Karen Nesbitt, who scrambled 20 feet up a ladder to reach the desperate dog.
Magistrate Leslie DeVooght found Yoshi Jones guilty of the misdemeanor cruelty to animals. DeVooght fined Jones $737 to cover Gucci's care and impoundment at Glynn County Animal Services, where the staff has nursed her back to health.
DeVooght also awarded Gucci to Animal Services. Gucci will be put up for adoption immediately, Animal Services director Beverly Morris told the Times-Union.
"We are really going to miss her," Morris said.
Gucci has assumed the unofficial role of canine office manager at the county-operated animal shelter, she said.
"She is the queen of the palace. Gucci is so sweet, but she thinks she runs the place," Morris said.
DeVooght decided Gucci's fate after listening to testimony from Jones and Nesbitt during a 30-minute hearing.
Under Georgia law, Jones, who denied abandoning Gucci, could have been sentenced up to 12 months in jail and fined up to $1,000 in the case. Abandoning an animal on public or private property is animal cruelty, the law states.
Nesbitt, lead investigator, testified she went to Jones' vacant trash-strewn apartment on that cold, rainy day after officers received an anonymous tip about an abandoned dog. Gucci was outside on the balcony, peering through the railing and barking. The dog had "no food, no water and was left with an open top crate for shelter," she said.
Nesbitt climbed up a borrowed ladder to Gucci and discovered she was in bad condition.
"She was eating a plastic bag � That was all she had. Her ribs and hip bones were sticking out and her stomach was sunk in," Nesbitt testified.
Gucci weighed 3-pounds, 8-ounces when rescued. The shelter's veterinarian said 6 to 8 pounds would be the normal, healthy weight for the dog, Nesbitt said.
Nesbitt testified Jones never responded to an Animal Services notice left on the apartment door stating officers had the dog and providing instructions for her to contact them. Nor did Jones call to check on Gucci after Nesbitt tracked down the family and issued her a citation to animal cruelty, she said.
"It was obvious they knew the dog was out there in the rain and the cold. They just left her there," Nesbitt testified.
Jones testified Gucci was left behind accidentally, and only for a short time, as the family moved in stages to a new home. Gucci got stranded on the balcony when Jones' teenage daughter unwittingly locked their keys inside the apartment. The family had no way to get back inside for Gucci, Jones testified.
"She was only there a day and a half, and she already had eaten that day, " Jones testified.
Jones testified Gucci belonged to her teenage daughter. They paid $400 for the dog in California, where a veterinarian told them 3 pounds was a normal weight for the dog, Jones said.
"We weren't trying to neglect her � Sometimes she wouldn't eat," she testified.
Although they returned after officers left with Gucci, they never saw the notice left on the apartment door because they tried to enter from the back. Nor did they ask the landlord to let them inside to get Gucci when after they were locked out, Jones testified.
"We couldn't ask the landlord for a key because all our stuff was already gone," Jones testified.
Nesbitt testified the property owner "was in the process of evicting Ms. Jones."
DeVooght sentenced Jones after a short recess to consider the facts of the case.
Gucci may not have long to wait for a loving home. Several people who have seen her while visiting the shelter have asked about adopting her. The staff will screen Gucci's prospective new family to try to ensure it's a good match, Morris said.
"Gucci needs to go to a home where she will be an only child. She likes to have all the attention, and likes to be the star," said Morris, who noted Gucci doesn't get along with other dogs.
In addition to Gucci, the shelter has about 100 other dogs and cats available for adoption, she said. | Source: Jacksonville.Com - Jan 21, 2009
Update posted on Jan 21, 2009 - 8:36PM |
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