Dogs found severely emaciated, neglected Evansville, IN (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Jan 4, 2006 County: Vanderburgh Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Theresa Duerson

Case ID: 7111 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in IN (US) Login to Watch this Case

An Evansville woman has been charged with animal cruelty after police found one of her dogs with a collar embedded in its skin. The dog, a Rottweiler, was almost 60 pounds underweight. The collar had to be surgically removed from its neck, according to an Evansville police report. Theresa Duerson, 43, of 1662 S. Garvin St., also owned a hound that was around 65 pounds underweight. Both dogs were between 2 and 3 years old. Duerson has not been arrested. She could not be reached for comment Thursday night because her phone was disconnected.

"It's heartbreaking," said Kendall Paul, executive director of the Vanderburgh Humane Society. "Nobody forces that person to have an animal."

Evansville Animal Control received a complaint in early January from a health department employee, who saw the malnourished animals in an alley behind the home, superintendent Tom Hayden said. Hayden removed the dogs from Duerson's home Jan. 4. The Rottweiler had heartworms and weighed 31 pounds. The hound also had heartworms and weighed 35 pounds. The Rottweiler will need additional surgery to repair the wound on its neck, according to the report. Animals cruelty complaints increase during severe weather and in the winter when temperatures drop, Paul said. The Humane Society has a food bank for pet owners who cannot afford food.

"It's not like the person couldn't have gotten food for this animal," Paul said. "They just didn't choose too.

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References

Courier Press - Jan 20, 2006

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