Dog neglect resulting in death Terre Haute, IN (US) Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 County: Vigo Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Lynn Price Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 9163 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in IN (US) Login to Watch this Case

Lynn Price may not have known much about the dog she rescued recently, but her intent was to protect it from harm, not cause its death, she said.

Thursday, after a morning in the heat and with almost no water in its dish, the dog died, causing neighbors to alert the Terre Haute Environmental Protection Division.

�The dog didn�t have any shelter and very little water,� said Officer Tim Manley from the division, which encompasses animal control. �But it did have a whole bowl of food.�

Price, 34, of Terre Haute was cited under a Terre Haute City ordinance for not providing shelter and water for the animal.

Price is expected in city court July 7 regarding the alleged violation.

Price could face a fine of up to $300 from the City of Terre Haute, Manley said. In addition, Price was cited by Indiana State Police on Friday for animal neglect, according to Manley. That citation could carry up to a $1,000 fine and/or 180 days in jail.

Price said she didn�t know much about the dog, having taken it in about two weeks ago after finding it was being mistreated by someone else. Price said she had been taking the dog into her home overnight and leaving it outside on a chain during the day.

She said when she left for work on the morning of June 22, the dog was playing and had plenty of food and water. When Price�s children went to water the dog around noon, �everyone was around the dog� and it was dead.

�The water bowl had been tipped over,� Price said. �The officer said the chain could have tipped it over.�

Thursday the temperature reached about 92 degrees.

�We found the dog there with no shelter,� Manley said. �That warrants a citation right there under the ordinance. The main thing is that even though an animal may not need food at all times, you have to make sure it has water at all times and proper shelter, meaning a proper dog house. I�ve been called out and seen cardboard boxes and people say that�s shelter. That�s not proper.�

Price said she wishes there could be an autopsy to determine how the dog died. �It looked like it had been mistreated,� she said. �I�m kind of wondering what they did with the dog. I wonder if any of its internal organs were injured.�

Manley said the city will not provide an autopsy on an animal unless the case is unusual or if more than one animal has died.

Price said she thinks that is unfair. �We aren�t going to know,� she said. �I take care of my animals like I would my kids. They get the lap of luxury.

�Everybody�s got me as a monster,� she said Friday. �I�d never intentionally hurt an animal.�

Price owns one other dog and two cats, and all of them are healthy, she said.

Manley says the problem is one everyone should be aware of.

�Really, people need to pay attention,� he said. �An animal is just like a child in my book. They have to be cared for at all times. The animal can�t pick up the phone and say, �Hey, help me�.�

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References

Tribune Star - June 23, 2006

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