A Litchfield Park man is out on bail after Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested him this morning in connection with suspected animal cruelty that might involve 16 dogs in incidents dating back to 2001.
Donald Bachand, 46, reportedly was stunned by his arrest, but did admit to investigators that he had poisoned six dogs, according to Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
"This man set out to kill these dogs in a slow and painful way and had no conscience about it until he was caught," Arpaio said in a news release. "It's disgusting that this type of criminal behavior is only a misdemeanor."
According to an investigation by the Sheriff's Office, while Bachand and his wife lived in Rainbow Valley, a number of dogs inexplicably turned up dead.
After the couple moved to Litchfield Park in 2003, two dogs that lived directly behind their home died after eating hamburger laced with gopher poison. A third dog -- a puppy -- also ate the poisoned meat, but survived because his owner was able to get him to the vet in time.
The owners of those three dogs, told deputies at a recent town hall meeting that the entire neighborhood, especially the kids, were scared of Bachand after they found out he allegedly made comments to his wife indicating he had killed at least 16 dogs since 2001.
Sheriff's investigators said Bachand also recently, allegedly, threatened a neighbor in the Litchfield Park area, reportedly telling him to keep his dog quiet or he "would do it for him."
Instead of being cited and released, Bachand was taken to Madison Street Jail and booked on four counts of animal abuse. At this point, there's not enough evidence to charge him with the other two poisonings.
If he is guilty, the Arizona Humane Society would like to see Bachand prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Bachand, who actually owns a dog himself, allegedly, told investigators that he had also poisoned some roosters and hens in 2000 or 2001, according the sergeant of the animal cruelty unit.
The Sheriff's Department said Bachand's dog appears to be very well cared for. The laws regarding pet ownership are very specific. As long as the animal is being fed and taken care of, authorities cannot take it away.
Bachand was released on bail early this morning.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Bachand wrote an apology to the neighborhood after he was arrested. Case Updates| Donald Bachand faces six counts of cruelty to animals after allegedly poisoning his neighbor's dogs. One of the dogs has survived. | Source: fox11az.com - May 24, 2005
Update posted on May 25, 2005 - 7:39AM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« AZ State Animal Cruelty Map
|
