Three dogs starved, two dead
Lexington, NC (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Dec 31, 2011
County: Davidson

Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Anthony Dupree, Jr.

A 64-year-old man starved two Rottweilers to death and violated the city's new animal ordinance, according to the Lexington Police Department

Lexington Police responded to a call that was not animal related on Irma Avenue on Dec. 31, 2011. When responding to the home, officers noticed two Rottweilers were dead at a neighboring residence at 213 Irma Ave.

Anthony Dupree Jr. of 213 Irma Ave. was charged with two counts of felony killing an animal by starvation and misdemeanor cruelty to animals. He also faces two misdemeanor charges for violating the city's new animal ordinance.

Officers also allege Dupree did not have the proper setbacks and standards for animal enclosure and containment for housing the Rottweilers - a violation of the city's new animal laws.

Dupree was placed in the Davidson County Detention Center under a $5,000 secured bond Friday. He has a court date of Jan. 31.

Lt. Robby Rummage said Dupree initially was charged with two misdemeanor charges in connection to the deaths of the Rottweilers. However, the Lexington Police Department upgraded those charges to felonies after officers met with the Davidson County District Attorney's Office.

"We looked at the facts of the case," Rummage said. "We realized more charges were warranted and actually did have evidence to support further charges."

According to arrest warrants, Dupree killed the Rottweilers by not feeding or providing water for the dogs. It was unclear Friday how long the dogs had been dead at the residence.

Rummage said after officers found the Rottweilers deceased, they learned a third dog was inside of Dupree's residence. With nobody at home, the Lexington Police Department secured a search warrant to enter the house. Once they entered, officers found a pit bull mix that was neglected and malnourished, Rummage said.

"It's actually being housed and being taken care of," Rummage said of the pit bull mix. "I can't say where, but we actually seized the dog for its well-being."

The city's new animal ordinance, which went into effect Sept. 12, 2011, states dogs cannot be tethered in a location that would allow the animal to reach within 10 feet of any property line. The Lexington Police Department reports Dupree tethered the two Rottweilers to a structure within 10 feet of a property line.

"We are certainly being tough about it," Rummage said of the new animal ordinance. "There was enough concern about it previously that we needed to push for a new ordinance to govern those things. Now that we've got that on the books, we are in a position to enforce it."

The recent incident involving Dupree wasn't the first time the Lexington Police Department responded to the residence at 213 Irma Ave. in regard to an animal-related call.

According to the Davidson County Clerk of Court's Office, Dupree was convicted in February of 2011 with allowing a dog to run at large. He was ordered to abide by the City of Lexington's animal laws and keep his dogs up.

References

• « NC State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Davidson County, NC

  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.