Animal Abuse: Dogs abandoned, padlocked in home - East Bonne Terre, MO

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Case ID: 16701

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (pit-bull), dog (non pit-bull)

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Dogs abandoned, padlocked in home
East Bonne Terre, MO (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 1, 2010
County: Saint Francois

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Abuser names unreleased

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A pit bull and her puppies are trapped in a padlocked home in East Bonne Terre. Neighbors say they've been locked in there for nearly a month and they can't get anyone to help them. When the owner of the house was arrested and sent to jail, the house was abandoned and the dogs left. . Behind the boarded up windows and a pad-locked door, a female pit bull is trapped inside without anyone to get her food or water.

Five outdoor dogs also remain, but at least they can run free and find food outside. But the dog caught inside doesn't have that luxury. The house is locked up tight.

"I've called the Humane Society in St. Louis," neighbor Gary Manser says. "I've called the Humane Society in Farmington. I've called the Sheriff's department to try and get some help to see if somebody could come over here and take this dog out of that house, and nobody has done nothing. And I'm just at my wit's end about it."

The dog inside was visible Wednesday evening through a side window where neighbors have been checking. She was alive, but not well. Her ribs are showing and she's clearly hungry. It's been nearly four weeks since her owner was taken away.

"Come and rescue this dog," Manser pleas. "Take it out of that house and give it to somebody that can give it a good home, because that dog is going to die over there."

Case Updates

A pit bull and her puppies trapped inside an abandoned St. Francois County home for weeks are rescued. Authorities responded after FOX 2 first reported on the situation. "It's kind of disturbing," said Brian Thomas, an investigator with the Humane Society of Missouri.

Thomas picked up the pit bull and her three puppies from the Bonne Terre animal shelter Thursday afternoon. Thomas says the puppies appear to be in pretty good shape, but the mother dog is definitely thin.

"The mother dog is malnourished. She's probably, she needs her food and water. I mean she's been nursing these puppies for the time frame that she's been in there trapped," explained Thomas.

Investigators suspect the dogs were trapped inside an abandoned East Bonne Terre home for some three weeks. The front door had a padlock on it. Authorities responded to the home Wednesday night after we aired the story on the News Edge at Ten. Investigators forced their way inside and got the dogs out.

St. Francois County Sheriff Dan Bullock says the woman who lives at the home and owns the dogs has been locked up since September fourth in a separate case. Investigator Thomas with the Humane Society says the woman told him the dogs had been inside the house since her arrest. But Thomas says the woman told him someone else was supposed to be taking care of the animals. Bullock described the conditions in the house, saying, "The officer was telling me that the house was a mess and roach infested and not really a livable residence there."

We asked the sheriff if there was any food or water in the home. He responded, "There was no water or food other than the water that had been sent through the broken window."

Gary Manser lives next door. He says he called the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and the Humane Society of Missouri warning that there were trapped dogs inside but nobody responded. Manser is just glad the dogs have been rescued. "I'm very happy about it. I'm glad to see that dog and I'm hoping it goes to a good home with the puppies," explained Manser.

Officials with both the sheriff's department and the humane society say they responded recently to the home for calls about dogs running loose outside. But the first they learned about dogs trapped inside was after our newscast.

The owner could face animal abuse and neglect charges.

Source: fox2now.com - Sept 24, 2010
Update posted on Oct 25, 2010 - 2:44PM

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Dogs abandoned, padlocked in homeEast Bonne Terre, MO (US)

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Dogs abandoned, padlocked in home
East Bonne Terre, MO (US)