Dog neglected Boca Raton, FL (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005 County: Palm Beach Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Person of Interest: Albert J. Schulz

Case ID: 4390 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Shelter officials confirmed on April 15 that Albert J. Schulz, against whom the city council authorized eminent domain proceedings, had picked up his Bichon dog �Whitey� and promised to treat it for heartworms.

�The man was very nice when he came in here,� said Jeannette Christos, Tri-County director. �He sat there and said, �This dog is my only friend.� He had a hot dog in his pocket for the animal. I gave him some dog food and said he should contact us if he needs help taking care of the dog in the future.�

Schulz, 57, paid his $150 bill and signed legal papers promising to take care of the heartworms by this coming Tuesday. If he fails to comply, animal control will follow up to make sure Whitey is treated.

Boca police confiscated the five-year old dog, which they found living tied to a chair in Schulz�s kitchen, four days after the owner�s March 26 arrest for driving with expired license tags. Schulz was also arrested March 17, Saint Patrick�s Day, for drunken driving.

When Whitey arrived at Tri-County�s Ritter Animal Shelter last week, he was dying from heartworms and thousands of fleas.

�The dog was neglected but not abused, so it wasn�t animal cruelty,� Christos said. �It was just neglect. Big-time neglect.�

Christos said she explained to Schulz that the dog could die without monthly heartworm pills and yearly shots. �He seemed very receptive that he wanted to get the dog treated,� she said.

Schulz reportedly told shelter officials that he often took Whitey to be groomed, only to see the dog scratching at fleas again within an hour of returning home.

Tri-County officials told Schulz that the fleas are living in his house, not on the dog, and that he needs to get the property treated.

Because Schulz claimed the dog prior to a deadline today, Tri-County had no legal choice except to return the dog. If he had not shown up, Tri-County would have treated the dog and put it up for adoption.

Tri-County workers are now among a very small number of city officials who have actually seen Schulz, who has ignored city code fines and skipped several special master meetings concerning his messy house.

Although city hall paid private contractors to clean up the Schulz property on March 28, neighbors said this week that debris and junk cars were again threatening to accumulate.

Christos said she would contact Schulz this Tuesday to make sure he follows through with the heartworm treatment for Whitey.

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References

Boca News - April 15, 2005

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