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Case #8150 Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Puppy's ears cut off
Collierville, TN (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006
County: Shelby
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Antonio Malone
» Blake Moore
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Collierville authorities are trying to find the person who mutilated the ears of a puppy and dumped the heavily bleeding dog at a drainage ditch.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering a $250 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"It's pretty much at this point a who-done-it," Collierville Police Capt. Dave Tillner said.
Two young people passing by on bikes found the puppy at Center and Keough about 6 p.m. Tuesday, wrapped it in a T-shirt and pedaled to Collierville Animal Services.
The shelter was closed, but the cyclists called the posted emergency number, Tillner said.
Somebody attempting to crop and reshape the puppy's ears botched the job and discarded the animal, said Nina Wingfield, animal services supervisor.
The puppy was left with an inch-long stub for a right ear and only half an inch for her left ear.
"Someone cut her ears so short, it doesn't have any ears," Wingfield said.
The white-and-tan puppy has received treatment and pain medication.
Once she's healed, she'll be offered for adoption.
Whoever cut its ears apparently tried to perform the ear-shaping that is sometimes done to pit bulls.
Docking the ears of "fighting dogs" is a common practice, making them look more intimidating and giving an opposing animal less of a target, Wingfield said.
"Nothing was done humanely here. And they abandoned the puppy that could have bled to death," she said.
Aggravated cruelty with intent to hurt and kill is a felony.
"The Town of Collierville will not tolerate this sort of cruelty," Wingfield said.
If you have any information about who abused the puppy, call Collierville Animal Shelter at (901) 457-2670. There is a $250 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible.
Case UpdatesTwo teenagers have been assigned 200 hours each of community service for trimming the ears of a pit bull puppy with a razor.
A juvenile court referee in Shelby County also ordered 15-year-old Blake Moore and 16-year-old Antonio Malone to receive psychological evaluations before he decides the rest of their sentences on aggravated animal cruelty charges.
Investigators say the boys tried to trim the dog's ears in a custom normally performed on fighting dogs. That could be legally done by a veterinarian using anesthesia, but the boys used a razor in the kitchen. Moore took the bleeding animal to a shelter for help, saying he found it injured. | Source: WBIR - June 13, 2006
Update posted on Jun 13, 2006 - 10:12AM |
Antonio Malone, 16, and Blake Moore, 15, are charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. A Juvenile Court hearing has yet to be set on the case. They are accused of cutting off one ear of a pit bull puppy and much of another on April 18, 2006..
But after the botched cropping, one of the boys did take the puppy to Collierville Animal Services, shelter officials have said. The ears of pit bulls are sometimes cropped to give them a "fighting dog" appearance, but it's only legal in Tennessee if a veterinarian, using anesthesia, does the procedure.
"Young people who harm animals are a threat to society, and area authorities must send a strong message that violence in the community will not be swept under the rug," Peta's Dan Paden said. "Given the strong connection between cruelty to animals and other forms of violence, it is imperative, for everyone's sake, that this case be taken seriously."
Juvenile Court will probably order a psychological evaluation. As for banning the boys for life from animals, she said her interpretation of state law allows the court to prohibit them from having contact with animals for a length of time the court deems fit.
"I don't know that the court will ban them for life. I think it would be reasonable to age 19," Fratesi said. | Source: Commercial Appeal - May 17, 2006
Update posted on May 27, 2006 - 6:59PM |
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