CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #9305 Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Six dogs neglected
Pukalani, HI (US)Incident Date: Monday, Oct 31, 2005
County: Maui
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Thomas Dudoit
A Pukalani man has been ordered to pay $1,670 to cover a veterinary bill and care of his three dogs that were taken from his home during an animal cruelty investigation in 2005.
Thomas Dudoit, 49, also was fined $150 after he pleaded guilty July 11, 2006 to one charge of animal cruelty.
Five other counts of animal cruelty were dismissed in exchange for Dudoit's plea.
Wailuku District Judge Jan Apo imposed the sentence.
The Maui Humane Society began an investigation last year after receiving reports that Dudoit's dogs were emaciated and not receiving proper care, said Aimee Anderson, Humane Society director of animal control.
She said Dudoit's home is along the Pukalani Country Club golf course.
"We became aware of the situation because several golfers who had seen these dogs contacted us," Anderson said. "They were very concerned � these dogs were skeletal."
She said Dudoit had voluntarily surrendered three female dogs before the Humane Society obtained a search warrant in November 2005 and seized the remaining three male dogs from the residence.
All of the dogs were collie mixes. On average, each dog weighed 32 pounds when they were taken into Humane Society custody, compared with an average of 52 pounds after being cared for at the shelter, Anderson said. She said all suffered from heartworms.
The three female dogs were put up for adoption last year at the Humane Society shelter but were later euthanized after no one was interested in adopting the animals, Anderson said.
One of the male dogs was rushed to a veterinarian for emergency surgery this year, dying of organ failure from a massive heartworm infection, Anderson said.
Dudoit was ordered to pay $670 to Makawao Veterinary Clinic to cover the medical bill for that dog, in addition to $1,000 to the Maui Humane Society for care of the three dogs.
Anderson said the two surviving dogs are available for adoption at the Humane Society.
One of them, Ariba, is a red, brown and tan collie.
"He's a great dog. We are just so hopeful we can get him placed," Anderson said. "He's been through a lot. They've all been through a lot." References |
