Rubber wire on dog's neck-resulted in death Hernando, FL (US) Incident Date: Saturday, Feb 15, 2003 County: Citrus Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Deleen Houston

Case ID: 6029 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

A Hernando dog put to sleep in February 2003 is gone, but on Tuesday, Aug 26, 2003 its owner was arrested for letting a number of gruesome wounds on its neck go untreated. Sheriff's deputies arrested Deleen Houston, 27, on a Citrus County warrant at 6:52 a.m. at her home, 3438 E. Oleander Lane, Hernando. She was charged with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty at her home through a Citrus County warrant.

Animal Control Director Xan Rawls said Houston brought her 2-year-old dog to the facility to be put to sleep Feb. 15.

In a form Houston filled out at Citrus County Animal Control, she stated that the mixed-breed dog suffered a broken leg and hip in a recent car accident, and that she couldn't afford to care for the dog anymore.

But Rawls showed the dog to a sheriff's deputy because of another injury: cuts on its neck, in some places more than an inch deep.

A necropsy of the animal revealed that the wound was caused by a "non-expandable rubber-type" cord and that it was most likely open for several weeks and became infected.

Rawls said the cuts came from a rubber wire around the dog's neck. As the dog's neck thickened as it grew, from 14.5 to 19 inches, the owner never noticed the problem. The rubbing got worse, eventually cutting deep into the flesh, she said.

Rawls said animal cruelty cases rarely go as far as an arrest. Usually, offenders are given a ticket for $105, she said. "This is the first one I've seen that's been done through the State Attorney's Office, so that tickles me," she said. "There's absolutely no possible way an owner couldn't have known about that cut."

Rawls said that when Houston brought in the 34-pound dog, his wounds were emitting a foul stench.

"Nationally, animal welfare cases might be perceived as a necessary nuisance," Rawls said.
The case is headed for Citrus County misdemeanor court before County Judge Mark Yerman.

Meanwhile, Houston's bond was set at $500

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References

Citrus Co Chronical  - August 26, 2003

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