 Dog neglected, badly matted
Webster, WI (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 1, 2006
County: Burnett
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Harriet LaSarge
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The Burnett County Sheriff�s De-partment has filed charges against Harriet LaSarge for animal mistreatment.
Detective Julie Turner received an anonymous phone call about a severely neglected dog spotted at the Siren Pet Store on June 1.
She arrived there at noon and discovered Spike, a tan, neutered Lhasa-Apsa with matted hair attached to its skin, along with cherry eyes and feces all over its body.
�Although a friend of the family brought the animal to the Siren Pet Store for grooming, I believe this to be a case of too little too late,� Detective Julie Turner wrote in her report.
The cost for taking care of Spike so far has been $1,000, which includes about $600 for heartworm treatment, along with treatment for staph, Lymes disease, worms and yeast infection.
The mats were so bad, Turner said, they inhibited movement in Spike�s legs and head, blocking his eyes and pulling the lids apart. His eyes were red, swollen, and watering up.
To top it all off, the animal was extremely smelly from the build-up of urine and feces stuck to its fur, along with numerous wood ticks all over its body.
Siren Pet Store owner, Terri Rossow, told Turner that Chuck Peterson, Siren, brought in the animal for LaSarge. Peterson allegedly stated the dog had not been groomed in two years. Lhasa-Apsa breeds are usually groomed every six to eight weeks unless they�re regularly combed, Turner said.
After seeing the condition of the dog, Turner transported the dog to Grantsburg Animal Hospital for immediate care.
St. Croix Tribal Police Detective Tim Frendt is assisting in the case after Turner discovered LaSarge was a resident on the St. Croix Reservation.
At the clinic, Dr. Sarah Garfunkel, DVM, examined Spike and reported the dog tested positive for heartworm and Lymes disease, along with a yeast infection in both ears. A fecal exam for parasites was done at the Washburn County Humane Society.
Garfunkel�s report indicates severe neglect of the coat causing secondary infections of the skin and ears, which also affected Spike�s ability to move.
The dog�s cherry eyes may also be a result of the irritation of the coat. And the dog�s few claws were so long they curled back into the paw pad.
Before removing three-and-a-half pounds of fur, Garfunkel reportedly sedated Spike to prevent him from suffering through the pain of removing the matted fur. Two other veterinarian techs worked nearly three-and-a half hours removing the fur with a surgical blade due to the tightness.
Ticks and a sharp plant stem adhered to Spike�s matted fur, along with the fur, were removed from the clinic and taken in as evidence.
Turner said Monday LaSarge was trying to get the dog back. LaSarge must now apply for a review of seizure. Spike is now at the Washburn County Humane Society.
The report was forwarded to the St. Croix Tribal Police Department and the Burnett County Sheriff�s Department. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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