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Case #4981 Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Two dogs neglected
Grand Rapids, MI (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jul 27, 2004
County: Kent
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Jon Remelts
» Christopher DeVries
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Two Grand Rapids residents are being charged with animal cruelty after allegedly starving one dog to the brink of death and malnourishing another. The residents were informed August 4, 2004 by Kent County Animal Control officials that misdemeanor charges were being filed against them for "failure to properly care" for the two English setter mixes.
If convicted, the two face up to 93 days in jail, a $1,000 fine and 2,000 hours of community service. "It's unlikely they'll get jail time," said Veronica Constantine, the program director for Kent County Animal Shelter. "But it puts us into the steps so that if this happens again, they will be held accountable."A second offense of animal cruelty is a felony and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Neighbors of the residents called Animal Control to report one of the dogs running loose.
When officials found "Lily", she was 17 pounds -- about half of what a healthy dog her size should weigh. She was taken to Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Cascade on July 27, where she still is being cared for by veterinarian Richelle Smith and her staff. The dog is getting healthier by the day, Smith said, "but she's not out of the woods yet.
"It will be at least two months before the animal is in any condition to be adopted, Smith said. She had to be fed through an IV tube when she first arrived at the hospital and slowly is being reintroduced to food before her stomach can handle eating real meals.
When officials went to notify the residents of the charges against them for Lily, they impounded another dog of a similar breed who looked malnourished and didn't have a license. The second dog, whose condition is not as severe as Lily's, will remain in Animal Control's custody until she is healthy and ready for adoption.
Case UpdatesBoth dogs have been adopted into new homes and are doing well. Lily seems to have emotionally recovered from the neglect, however the second dog, Oscar, still shows signs of trauma. Oscar is reportedly frightened of the television and is terrified of men.
Jon Remelts, the dogs' former owner, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and received 12 months of supervised probation, 60 hours of work crew and was fined $580.
His roommate, Christopher DeVries, pleaded not-guilty to misdemeanor charges and was fined $740. | Source: Grand Rapids Press - Mar 25, 2005
Update posted on Jul 9, 2005 - 6:38AM |
References- The Grand Rapids Press - Aug 5, 2004. pg. A.19
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