var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime() Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Sick dog abandoned, euthanized - Belchertown, MA (US)
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Case ID: 16428
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Sick dog abandoned, euthanized
Belchertown, MA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jun 25, 2010
County: Hampshire

Disposition: Open
Case Images: 1 files available

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

In the worst case of animal neglect she has ever seen, the town animal control officer is asking for the public's help to identify the owner of an abandoned, sickly Brittany spaniel that had to be euthanized because of its poor condition.

Animal Control Officer Anna M. Fenton said she thinks the dog belonged to a "backyard breeder" who dumped her off after she became too sick to produce puppies.

"She was not spayed, and I think she was being continuously bred ... She was something to make money on. There aren't any AKC-licensed Brittany Spaniel breeders around here," Fenton said Thursday.

Fenton is looking for people who bought Brittany Spaniel puppies and wants them to call her at (413) 519-1754. She hopes to find the dog's owners and charge them with animal cruelty.

The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is five years in prison or a $2,500 fine, or both. She said the breeder knew the dog couldn't be taken to a veterinarian or they would get in trouble for neglect.

Fenton said anyone buying a puppy from a breeder should ask to see the animal's parents.

She said the dog was brought to her last month by someone who found her near the dog pound on Jackson Street.

"They ended up taking her home, and then they called us because of the condition she was in. She was very, very skinny with large patches of fur missing from her body. Her nails were super-long, like talons. Where her teeth should have been there was pus coming out," she said.

"It was just so, so awful," Fenton said.

Despite her condition, Fenton said the dog was "an absolute sweetheart" and it was heartbreaking to have to euthanize her four days after she was rescued. Because the dog also had a heart murmur, the skin condition could not be treated, she said.

The dog was constantly scratching, making her skin raw and bloody. She had almost no fur around her face and legs.

She said the dog also had "huge tumors on her mammary glands" and smooth paws.

Most dogs, she said, have rough paws from walking on pavement and grass. She thinks the dog spent all its time in a cage, breeding.

Usually a dog's teeth reveal the animal's age, but because this dog had so few of them it was hard to determine, Fenton said. A Granby veterinarian estimated the dog was 10.

They weren't sure what caused the skin problem, and whether it was mange, a flea allergy or from constant outdoor exposure, she said.

Fenton said she was so disturbed by the dog's condition that she could not talk about her for a week without choking up. She said they made the dog's final days bearable, giving her attention and a McDonald's hamburger every day for a treat.

She said they've had dogs dropped off near the pound before, some even a little scruffy, but none ever in this condition.

"No animal should live like this one did," she said.


Case Updates

A $1,000 increase in a reward should help bring in information needed to find the person who abused a Brittany spaniel being used as a "backyard breeder," Animal Control Officer Anna P. Fenton said Tuesday.

Gregory Dubrueil and his wife, Nadine, of South Hadley, are contributing $1,000 toward a fund started by the Animal Rescue League of Boston for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever abused the spaniel.

Fenton said her department is still accepting tips in this case and will check out all leads.

She has asked anyone with information about the case to call her at (413) 519-1754.

The abandoned dog was found malnourished last month and was brought to the Belchertown Animal Control Department.

The animal had to be euthanized because of the terrible physical shape, including tumors and a heart murmur diagnosed when it was brought to Fenton. The veterinarian treating the animal said chances for a recovery were unlikely.

Fenton thinks the dog belonged to a "backyard breeder" who dumped the dog off after she became too sick to produce puppies and make any more money for him or her. She described the animal as being sweet despite its condition.

The dog was nicknamed "Brit" by those in the Animal Control Department.

Those wishing to contribute toward the reward fund can send a check to the Animal Rescue League of Boston at 10 Chandler St., Boston, MA 02116, with Brit Reward on the memo.
Source: The Republican - July 28, 2010
Update posted on Jul 29, 2010 - 1:04AM 

References

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