Dog neglected, found emaciated and dehydrated
Middletown, CT (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 10, 2009
County: Middlesex
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Ernest Austin
» Pamela Austin
A city couple was charged with cruelty to an animal after a miniature doberman pinscher they cared for was found malnourished and dehydrated, police said.
A woman found the doberman pinscher on deKoven Drive and brought the animal to the Middletown Police Department on Dec. 10, Acting Deputy Chief Gregory Sneed said.
The approximately 7-year-old animal was taken to Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital, where a veterinarian found that the dog, which weighed five pounds, was malnourished, dehydrated and anemic and had other ailments, including mouth diseases and fleas, Sneed said.
“Obviously, it was not well taken care of,” he said.
Ernest Austin, 44, and Pamela Austin, 39, both of 77 Chestnut St., were arrested on warrants Dec. 23 and each charged with a single count of cruelty to an animal, a misdemeanor. They are due in court Jan. 6.
The couple, however, denied the charges, saying it’s a misunderstanding.
Ernest Austin, in a brief telephone interview Wednesday night, said the charges were not deserved.
“We (took in) a stray dog, it got loose, it hadn’t been tended to,” he said. “They thought we had the dog for years and years, and it was a misunderstanding.” References |
