Dog neglect, starvation
Cape May, NJ (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Apr 30, 2006
County: USA
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 1 files available
Person of Interest: Christa Iames
Malacai is a Rottweiler who needs surgery and a lot of medical attention and now his former owner is facing possible accusations of animal neglect.
The workers at the Cape May County Animal Shelter are hoping to find a new home for Malacai, to whom many people in the community once donated money to help.
Malacai is severely underweight and has trouble walking.
"To have this happen to this dog, it was a tragedy," said Linda Gentille of the Cape May County Animal Shelter Alliance.
Christa Iames used to own Malacai and she said that she did nothing wrong.
"I bought him at 8 weeks old. He was my original dog," Iames said.
However, five years later Iames' ex-husband brought the dog, who was born with a hip problem, to the Cape May Animal Shelter. Iames said she didn't realize her dog was gone until she read about how community organizations were collecting donations to pay for the animal's hip surgery.
Last month after Malacai underwent an operation, Iames adopted him again. But after three weeks, the animal shelter said Malacai was being neglected.
"The dog, basically, was starving," said John Queenan, the shelter's director.
Iames took the dog back to the shelter, claiming the dog had become aggressive at mealtime.
"When the dog arrived at the shelter, it was a completely different dog. It lost about 35, 36 pounds. There's a possibility of animal neglect for letting that condition go as long as it did," Queenan said.
For them to try and say maybe I neglected him, there's no way. He was severely depressed. He was more than well taken care of here," Iames said.
Iames said that after the surgery, the pet was provided with plenty of food, but barely ate.
"He's just a totally loving dog," Gentille said.
The shelter said that Malacai is now eating well and gaining weight. They are now trying to find a home where he can continue to heal.
"This dog will not be let down again," Gentille said.
The dog is currently being cared for at a veterinary clinic in Upper Township. If you are interested in adopting him, call the Cape May County Animal Shelter at 609 465-8923. References« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
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