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Case Snapshot
Case ID: 16693
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
More cases in Indian River County, FL
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Two dogs found emaciated
Vero Beach, FL (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 1, 2010
County: Indian River

Disposition: Open
Case Images: 5 files available

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A chocolate-colored hound mix and a cream-colored male were found Wednesday night, sitting along Old Dixie Highway in the southern part of Indian River County.

The dogs looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks.

"The veterinarian said that the cream colored dog probably wouldn't have made the morning," says Bruce Dangerfield, Animal Control Officer for the Vero Beach Police Department. "It was pretty bad. I mean it couldn't even lift its head up. It could wag its tail but couldn't lift his head up."

The pair has been fed since they arrived at the Humane Society of Indian River County and Vero Beach, but even a much-needed meal could be too taxing.

A veterinarian recommended not bathing the dirty dogs for a few days. Warming up after the bath could take too much energy and kill them.

Despite their weakness, the dogs wag their tags anytime someone gives them a scratch.

Ilka Daniel, Director of Outreach Services for the Humane Society, says it's one of the worst cases she's ever seen.

"To see animals in this kind of a condition that are still breathing is a first," says Daniel. "Generally when we see an animal that's this emaciated and has lost that much body condition, they're no longer alive."

Investigators hope someone will recognize the dogs and turn in their owner. That person could face serious charges, including animal cruelty.

Dangerfield believes the dogs were confined. If they had been strays, they would have been able to find some food.

The dogs are still in guarded condition and the female has heartworms.

Humane Society workers are hopeful that they can be nursed back to health and eventually put up for adoption.

If you have any information on the dogs, call the Humane Society at (772) 388-3331.

If you have information on this case, please contact:
Humane Society or Vero Beach Police Department
(772) 388-3331


Case Updates

One of the two emaciated dogs found wandering by good Samaritans in South Vero Beach in September is looking for a new home.

The male, a 2- to 3-year-old dog known as Tramp, has made great strides at the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, according to Janet Winikoff, education director. He is now 55 pounds, up from 29 pounds when he was first brought to the shelter.

His female companion, called Lady by shelter officials, suffered from heartworm and a prolapsed uterus, and never recovered from her emaciated state. She was euthanized at the shelter several weeks ago after veterinarians said that recovery would be impossible.

Shelter officials estimated that the dogs had been without food for about 50 days when they were first discovered. Efforts to find the person responsible for the case of animal cruelty have not been successful, even though all tips to Animal Control and the Humane Society were investigated.

"We had so many people contact us with leads but they didn't pan out," Winikoff said. "We're very grateful that so many people took the time to offer information." Since Tramp has almost doubled his weight and tested negative for heartworm twice, shelter veterinarian Elizabeth Bybee has reason to hope for a full recovery.

"He's done beautifully," said Bybee. "He's had some skin issues and an ear infection that were caused by the malnutrition, but he has a great chance of having a long, healthy life."

Pet behavior coordinator Connie Ellis said that Tramp appears to get along well with other dogs at the shelter.

"He's a work in progress," said Ellis. "The important thing is that he needs to be treated like any other dog because he's going to pull his confidence from people and other dogs."

Joy Szaz, who works with Ellis on pet behavior at the shelter, said that shelter staff and volunteers spend as much time as possible with Tramp to acclimate him to different people and situations. "So far, he's very good with people and other dogs," said Szaz.

Ilka Daniel, the shelter's director of animal protective services, said that it make take years for the dog to overcome the cruelty it suffered at the hands of humans.

"It's just going to take time and patience," she said.

WANT TO ADOPT?

If you're interested in adopting Tramp or one of the other animals at the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, please call 772-388-3331
Source: wptv.com - Dec 21. 2010
Update posted on Dec 21, 2010 - 1:39PM 
Two emaciated dogs found by good Samaritans wandering in South Vero Beach last week are making some progress at the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County.

"Lady" and "Tramp," who are each between 2 and 3 years old, have gained several pounds each under intensive care by shelter veterinarians and staff, education director Janet Winikoff said.

"They'll be here at least four to six months," said Winikoff, adding that both dogs are being fed canned food, as well as a high-calorie, high-protein supplement to jump-start their weight gain.

"But they'll need a lot of veterinarian care as well, such as de-worming, vaccinations, heartworm treatment and eventually, sterilization, before they can be adopted." She estimates it will cost several thousand dollars to restore the animals to health.

Disturbing to Winikoff is that only three callers to the Humane Society have offered potential information about the dogs, and none of the tips have panned out.

"We need to find out who would do this to an animal," Winikoff said. "These dogs are several years old and someone must know something about them."

Vero Beach police Animal Control Officer Bruce Dangerfield, who responded to the call, called it one of the worst cases of animal abuse he had seen.

"They had to be kept somewhere where they couldn't get any food or water," Dangerfield said. "Even a stray dog can find water somewhere."

Dangerfield speculates that the animals were confined and either escaped or were let free.

"They had no fleas or ticks on them and their nails were very long," Dangerfield said. "They also had calluses on their legs, which indicate they were lying down on concrete for long periods of time."

Dangerfield said that the animals had been without food or water for at least 50 days to get to the condition in which they were found.

"This type of thing doesn't just happen overnight," he said.

Chalmers Morse, executive director of the Humane Society, said that he's concerned that more and more pets are being abandoned by their owners because of the poor economy.

"We're seeing a lot of animals that are being left behind," Morse said. "People are losing their jobs and their home, leaving the area and just abandoning their pets. Fortunately, someone usually finds out and reports it, but how many are dying that we don't know about?"

Winikoff said that all information provided to the Humane Society in animal cruelty cases is confidential, and that an investigation will be conducted by the Indian River County Sheriff's Department.

"If anyone suspects animal cruelty, they should call us," said Winikoff. "There's no shame in calling; we can go out and see what's going on."
Source: tcpalm.com - Sept 11, 2010
Update posted on Oct 23, 2010 - 11:24PM 

References

« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Indian River County, FL

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



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