Dog chained, left without food or water
Benton, AR (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 8, 2006
County: Saline
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Angel Ellison
A 21-year-old Benton woman charged with animal cruelty was expected to surrender to authorities on Oct 13, Animal Control Officer Deidre Young said.
The charge against Angel Ellison of 310 Second St. stems from the abuse of a young dog that was left chained to a stake without food or water for an undetermined period, Young said.
Benton police officer Bobby Shell said the emaciated animal was discovered when another police officer responded to Ellison's residence to check out a code violation.
"When we took the dog to Benton Veterinary Hospital, it was able to hold its head up long enough to be weighed," Shell said. "After that, it collapsed. It was in such horrible shape that there was nothing to do for it but euthanize it."
Shell described the manner in which the dog was discovered.
"I responded to 310 Second St. to assist code enforcement officer Bruce Stone after he had located an abused dog. Prior to my arrival, Animal Control Officer Deidre Young responded and was on scene.
"Both of the officers appeared to be upset about the welfare of the dog. Officer Young pointed to the rear of the house and said 'he is back there.' "
Shell said he saw a small, brown dog lying on the ground with a large logging chain hooked to a Day-Glo orange collar. "The dog was extremely thin and appeared to be malnourished. I could see several of his bones ... he was lying in his feces. The logging chain was wrapped around a coop that the chain was locked to. The dog was so weak that he was unable to raise his head or make a sound."
No food or water bowl was in the area, Shell said.
The dog was taken to Benton Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. Howard Foggo examined and weighed it. "Dr. Foggo said the dog should have weighed 20 pounds, but his actual weight was 9 pounds, and 1 ounce."
The animal's temperature was "so low that it would not register on the thermometer," Shell reported. "Dr. Foggo said the dog was infested with hookworms and fleas. ... Numerous fleas were jumping off the dog onto the examining table.
"Dr. Foggo said there was nothing medically he could do to save the dog and that he would recommend that the dog be put to sleep."
Shell's report noted that Ellison had previously been charged with cruelty to animals on Sept. 8 and the case involved the same dog, which at that time was tangled in a fence. Ellison was given a violation warning in reference to several code violations, he said.
Since that time, Shell said, he had been unable to re-establish contact with Ellison.
In addition to cruelty to animals, Ellison is charged with animal abandonment, no city tags, no rabies vaccination, no veterinary care, no shelter provided for the animal and failure to comply with another city ordinance.
Young said the incident sickened her. "I had been out there several times and each time she promised she would take the dog to a veterinarian.
"We try to work with people because, many times, they just don't understand what kind of care animals need, but this was just horrible."
Young said animal control officers were called to Ellison's residence three previous times. "We were called out on Aug. 11 because one of the dogs had gotten loose. She was warned by the officer then to take the dogs to the vet for rabies vaccinations and a general checkup.
"On Sept. 8 we were called back ... this time all three of her dogs were chained with no food, water or shelter.
"Ms. Ellison was cited by myself for no rabies vaccinations, no city tags and cruelty. She was warned again to take her dogs to the vet and told that they were looking bad. She agreed again to take them."
On Sept. 26 animal control was called out again to Ellison's home, where a male pit bull was tangled up in a fence, Young said. "She was warned a third time to take her dogs to the vet for medical care. She said that she would."
Officers have been trying for several days to locate Ellison to serve her with the warrant charging her with the latest offenses, Young said. "We were told that she is planning to surrender today."
She has not been at her residence for several days, Shell and Ellison said. "When she left, she apparently took the other dogs with her and the little brown dog chained in that horrible situation with no food, water or shelter and not even room to move out of its feces." References
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