Severely malnourished dog abandoned Marion, OH (US) Incident Date: Sunday, Jan 9, 2005 County: Marion Local Map: available Disposition: Open Case Images: 1 files available Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case ID: 3651 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in OH (US) Login to Watch this Case

A severely malnourished dog was left next to the Marion County Dog Pound on Jan 9, 2005. Dog warden Jane Watts had left the pound, which is closed on Sundays, after completing some chores at 9 a.m. Jane Muncy, assistant manager of the Humane Society's animal shelter, stepped outside of the shelter four hours later when she glanced in the direction of the pound and saw some movement.

"The poor, pitiful dog stuck its head up," Muncy said. "It could barely stand. I just kept telling it that it's safe now."

The dog lacks body fat, the contours of its bones showing underneath its skin. Its toe-nails are ragged, and its mouth red. Amie Adams, a dog rescuer and former Delaware County Dog Pound employee who stopped by the shelter on Monday, said a dog doesn't get into that condition overnight.

She said it looks more like the dog suffered from months of neglect.

"I'm surprised she's still standing," Adams said. "By the time they get in this condition they're usually dead."

The animal shelter, like the pound next door, is closed on Sundays. Shelter manager Lynn Lynn said an animal abandoned after business hours last winter was found frozen to death the next day.

This time Muncy had been working on Sunday and stepped outside to take a break. She called Watts immediately after finding the dog.

"I want whoever did it to be found," said Muncy, who also acts as a humane agent for the shelter. She said she's seen abused and neglected animals before, but confided it's still a tough sight to see.

"Instantly my heart breaks," she said. "I want to wrap my arms around it and protect it."

Watts said there was no way to tell how the animal got into its present shape. Sometimes, she said, owners may not have the money to care for the animal but may not want to give it up.

Both Watts and Lynn encourage people to turn to the pound or animal shelter - during working hours - before abandoning an animal.

"We are here for a reason," said Lynn, who said she doesn't understand why someone would abandon an animal. "We find so many on the road run over and it breaks my heart."

Under state law, abandoning a dog, cat or another domestic animal is a minor misdemeanor punishable by up to $100 in fines. Cruelty against a dog, cat or other companion animal, which includes confining an animal without sufficient food or water, is a 1st-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Watts said the dog was found with no mud on its fur or other signs of living outside, leaving her to think the dog had been confined somewhere before being brought to the pound. She is asking anyone with information or who may have seen a vehicle parked at the pound on Sunday to call her.

As far as the dog, she said she is looking for a veterinarian to donate time and examine the animal. She said she wants to know about how much money it will take to nurse the animal back to health before searching for someone to adopt it.

Until someone is found, she said, she will hold onto the animal as long as the dog isn't visibly suffering.

"There's a lot of good people in Marion," she said, hopeful she'll find someone to adopt the dog. "There's a lot of dog lovers."

If you have information on this case, please contact:
Marion County Dog Pound
740-386-6619

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References

The Marion Star - Jan 11, 2005

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