Two emaciated pit bulls locked in outbuilding
Rock Hill, SC (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 28, 2011
County: York
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Tommy Stratford
Police charged a Rock Hill man in an animal abuse case after a caller said she saw someone shoot a dog.
Tommy Stratford, 24, was cited for ill treatment of animals after malnourished dogs were found in a shed behind his residence Wednesday afternoon, according to a Rock Hill police report.
A tipster told police she saw a man shoot a dog several times and then place it in a black trash bag, according to the report.
That's not what police found, but they did discover malnourished dogs, said Rock Hill Police Lt. Brad Redfearn. They didn't find evidence of a gun or a deceased dog, he said.
Police caught up with Stratford who said he and a man he met while playing Xbox found a dog who was injured in his back yard. Stratford told police the other man used a pellet gun to shoot the dog to put it out of its misery.
He left when he knew the police were coming.
While investigating, officers found two pit bulls locked inside an outbuilding without food or water. They appeared to be emaciated, the report states.
Stratford was cited for cruelty to animals and told to provide better living conditions for the dogs.
Police were unable to identify or locate the person who supposedly shot the dog. References |
