On December 12, 2005, a scrawny, nearly frozen pit bull was brought in the clinic by the SPCA suffering from severe neglect. The dog appears to have defied the odds and has become the hit of the emergency animal hospital, whose staff decided not to charge the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for his care.
On December 13, 2005, SPCA investigators charged the dog's owner, Jamar L. Lacey, of 739 N. Alvord St., Syracuse, with cruelty to animals.
When the emaciated dog was brought in last week, he was unconscious and his temperature was so low it wouldn't register on the hospital's thermometer for more than six hours. The staff nicknamed him Charlie Brown. The dog was hypothermic and drastically underweight. Intravenous fluids, deworming medication, antibiotics and regular meals have helped get him back on track, she said. "This dog had no body fat or muscle reserves," Estey said. "He was basically skeletal."
But even before the chocolate brown dog was able to stand, he acknowledged the care he was getting, she said. "If he thought you were coming over to see him, his tail would start wagging, and he'd try to get up," Estey said. "He is as sweet as the day is long and just showers everyone with kisses."
SPCA officials charged the dog's owner with two counts of animal cruelty, cruelty investigator Betsie Puffer said. One charge was for Charlie Brown. The second count was because investigators discovered another pit bull at the house, living in squalid conditions with no food or water. They confiscated that dog, too, Puffer said.
Lacey is scheduled to appear Jan. 4, 2006, in Syracuse City Court, she said.
Animal hospital staff and Syracuse police believe Charlie Brown had been used in illegal fights. His ears, muzzle and all around his eyes were covered with dozens of puncture wounds. Given his temperament, "it wouldn't appear he fought back. It just looks like he was bitten and bitten a lot," Estey said. X-rays determined the dog had a badly broken front paw that had never been set and may need surgery to have it amputated once the dog is healthy, she said. He favors that leg but has learned to get around despite the disability. "He just had to learn to make do and he did," Estey said.
The dog cannot be cleared for adoption until his owner signs a form surrendering it, or a judge determines the SPCA should be given custody.
Case UpdatesThe hard-luck case of an abused pit bull nicknamed "Charlie Brown" will come to a sad end today, SPCA officials said. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has decided to euthanize the dog by lethal injection because he has attacked two employees and has been aggressive to people and animals. "We just can't take the chance of trying to place him" in an adoptive home, said Patricia Richards, SPCA executive director. The dog was rescued two weeks ago after he was abandoned in a Syracuse backyard. He was emaciated and bruised, and bite wounds covered his head. His temperature was so low that it didn't register on a hospital thermometer for hours.
Staff at the Veterinary Medical Center of Central New York immediately fell for the chocolate-brown terrier and pumped him full of antibiotics, medication and food to restore his strength. Although the dog responded affectionately to them, Richards said, it's not uncommon for injured animals to feel submissive and express gratitude to rescuers. The animal hospital staff decided not to charge the SPCA for the dog's care and waived hundreds of dollars in veterinary bills. "Once he started feeling better and better, though, his true colors started showing, and it wasn't good," Richards said. The dog gave an early indication of what was to come when he began to be violently possessive of his food, growling and snarling if people came too close.
On two occasions over the weekend, the dog attacked SPCA workers. One employee bringing a blanket into the kennel was bitten on the arm. When another worker entered the dog's cage the following day, the dog leapt on the staff member, gouging a path from the worker's shoulder down to his arm with his teeth. In neither case was the skin broken, and neither worker required medical treatment, but the incidents were troubling to SPCA officials. The dog also began trying to hurt himself, cutting his paws on the fencing, Richards said. Initially, SPCA officials tried networking to find the animal a home with no other animals and
no small children and with owners familiar with the pit bull breed. But they were unsuccessful. As the dog's behavior escalated, they abandoned those efforts.
"There's no way on Earth we could place him anywhere now, knowing what we know," Richards said. "It would be a terrible challenge to the owner." It also would be a liability to the agency if the dog injured anyone after being adopted, and it is a danger to keep him at the facility, too, she said.
"It's just a sad case all the way around," Richards said. "It's not his fault. After all he's been through, he was just so badly damaged emotionally and always will be because of it."
The dog's owner, Jamar L. Lacey, of 739 N. Alvord St., Syracuse, was charged with two counts of animal cruelty. The second count was for another pit bull found at the property, living in squalid conditions without food or water.
That dog, also a male who isn't neutered, is younger and appears to be adjusting better, Richards said. | Source: The Post Standard - December 29, 2005
Update posted on Dec 30, 2005 - 11:01AM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« Back to Search Results
« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
|
