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Case ID: 17719
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Case #17719 Rating: 2.4 out of 5



Failure to provide vet care
Dothan, AL (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 14, 2011
County: Houston

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available

Defendant/Suspect: Joe Nathan Cummings

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Dothan police arrested Joe Nathan Cummings, 46, of Moorehouse Drive, on Thursday, and charged him with Cruelty to Animals, a class B Misdemeanor and Violation of the Sterilization law, a class C Misdemeanor.

Dothan Police Cpl. Rachel David said police charged Cummings with the animal cruelty crime because Cummings allegedly failed to get his terrier mix dog medical care after it was struck by a car.

According to a Dothan police statement, the animal cruelty charge stemmed from a police response to an injured dog in the 700 block of Moorehouse Drive on April 8. Animal control officers found an injured female adult dog and instructed the owner to take it to a veterinarian.

The police statement said four days later, Dothan animal control officers went to check on the dog and found it in the resident's front yard with a serious leg injury.

Police said the dog was then collected by animal control and taken to the city's animal shelter where it later received surgery to amputate some badly damaged toes.

Cummings told the Dothan Eagle on Friday that he and his family got the dog from the city animal shelter about 45 days ago. He said he and his daughter had even named the terrier Spot.

"The dog got hit by a car in a hit and run," Cummings said. "We didn't have the money to get her taken care of at a vet. So we tried to take it to the pound. But they said they were going euthanize it so I asked them to wait a few days."

Cummings said a few days later animal control came to his home and took the injured dog. He said his family thought the dog was going to be euthanized.

"I don't appreciate going to jail over this," Cummings said. "Now I got to go to court, and the judge is the one who's got to tell me whether I'm a criminal or not."

On April 14, 2011 the first time in the Dothan Police Department history, Animal Control Officers made an arrest under the State's Sterilization law. Under the law, any person who adopts through an animal welfare agency, whether the agency is private or public, has 30 days to provide proof of spay or neuter. A contract for sterilization is signed at the shelter upon adoption of any shelter animals. The law was enacted to help control and reduce the number of unwanted pets in the state.


Case Updates

A Dothan man recently pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge involving the failure to provide medical treatment to his dog after it was struck by a car.

Dothan police Officer Renee Skipper, who serves as an officer at the Dothan Animal Shelter, said Joe Nathan Cummings, 46, of Moorehouse Drive, pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor animal cruelty and a misdemeanor violation of the sterilization law.

Cummings pleaded guilty to the failure to get his terrier mix dog medical care after it was struck by a car.

Skipper said Cummings was ordered to pay a $200 fine per criminal charge as part of his plea agreement, along with court costs.

The animal cruelty charge stemmed from a police response to an injured dog in the 700 block of Moorehouse Drive on April 8. Animal control officers found an injured female adult dog and instructed the owner to take it to a veterinarian. Four days later animal control officers went to check on the dog and found it in the resident's front yard with a serious leg injury.

Police said the dog was then collected by animal control and taken to the city's animal shelter where it later received surgery to amputate some badly damaged toes.

Annie, the injured dog, later found a new home with Dothan animal control officer Wayne Tretchell.

Skipper said Cummings also pleaded guilty to the failure to get his dog, who he'd adopted from the Dothan animal shelter, spayed or neutered. She said Cummings became the first city resident to be charged and plead guilty to the sterilization violation.

"When someone abuses an animal, it's not acceptable and we will prosecute," Skipper said. "Our first goal is to educate people, and make sure the animals are safe before we press charges."
Source: dothaneagle.com - Aug 25, 2011
Update posted on Aug 25, 2011 - 7:21PM 
A two year old dog is now in the hands of Dothan City Animal Control with two amputated toes.

Her previous owner, 46 year old Joe Nathan Cummings is charged with animal cruelty and violation of the sterilization law.

But he says he's being treated unfairly.

"I told her that we were going to try and get it taken care of. We called some people and they said that we needed to have some cash money to get the dog taken care of and we didn't have the cash money at the time," said Cummings.

Cummings says the dog was hit by a vehicle Thursday.

His daughter called police and animal control for help.

"We told him he needed to take it to the vet," said Sgt. Adrianne Woodruff with Dothan City Animal Shelter.

"They gave us a two day extension and we still couldn't get nothing done but she came out to get the dog and get the dog euthanized, is exactly what she told me and so I said we really don't want the dog dead and she said well we can't do nothing about it you know," said Cummings.

"Since we got the dog we actually got a local veterinarian to supply free pet care and surgery was done to the dog, which a few toes were removed and the dog was spayed," said Woodruff.

"All they had to do was do that from the get go and we could have kept the dog and I wouldn't have had to spend any time downtown and what she could have did was investigated on who hit the dog," said Cummings.

"The responsibility for the injured pet falls on the pet owner, certainly the city of Dothan does not offer veterinarian services," said Public Information Officer, Rachel David.

Cummings says he plans to fight the charges and try to get the dog back.

The dog will be available for adoption in about 3-weeks.
Source: wtvy.com - Apr 15, 2011
Update posted on Apr 16, 2011 - 7:00PM 

References

« AL State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Houston County, AL

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