Puppy starved to death Ukiah, CA (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005 County: Mendocino Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Steven Lance Berry Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 4180 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in CA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Felony animal cruelty charges will be filed on March 24, 2005 in open court against Steven Lance Berry, currently incarcerated on suspicion of felony marijuana cultivation and sales.

The Mendocino County Department of Animal Care and Control on March 17 filed a report with the District Attorney's Office, alleging that a dog belonging to Berry died of starvation and dehydration.

"On Feb. 22, we received a call to investigate a dog that had died on the end of its chain, apparently for lack of food and water," Animal Control Director Greg Foss said.

"We found one dog dead still shackled to its chain and tied to a tree" at Berry's Masonite Road residence, Foss said. "It was pretty decomposed," he said, noting a necropsy done by a veterinarian indicated starvation and dehydration caused the dog's death.

During the investigation, Berry made statements that indicated he did not care for his dog, a black and white pit bull mix named "Little Girl," Foss said.

Berry was not in jail during the time animal control alleges he didn't feed or care for his dog.

"We asked him when he was out there last, and he said on the 3rd and 4th of February. We were out there on Feb. 22," Foss said. In other words, he said, "We are suggesting he did not go out there for at least a couple of weeks to care for his dog."

Another dog, allegedly belonging to Berry, was running loose and is being cared for by a neighbor and relative of Berry, Foss said.

"We don't have a lot of felony animal cruelty cases that we investigate. We handle several misdemeanor cases annually, but in this instance, given his statement and the physical evidence, we have asked for it to be filed as a felony animal cruelty," Foss said.

Before the new charge of animal cruelty, Berry was charged with two counts of possession of marijuana for sale, one count of cultivation of marijuana, failure to file income tax returns in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Social Security fraud, being a felon in possession of a firearm and marijuana sales. He is also charged with a special allegation of being armed with a firearm during the commission of a felony in 2005.

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