Emily's Mama
04-10-2007, 09:35 PM
Discoveries of nine malnourished and abandoned dogs — all of them Staffordshire Terriers commonly known as pit bulls — prompted an investigation by Hamilton County authorities and a call for help this week.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Animal Control Officer Tom Rogers said the scarred animals dropped in Westfield and Noblesville areas over the past three months might have been used in illegal dog fights and were definitely abused.
“They were all skin and bones,” said Rogers, who is asking for the public’s help with identifying anyone responsible for the abandonments east of U.S. 31 between 209th and 221st streets.
“I would think that anybody that owned that many dogs, somebody knows something about it.”
Rogers picked up the most battered of the bunch last week. He said its canine teeth had been cut out.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they were fought or used as bait,” said Rogers, who speculated that the four canines had been clipped on the one dog to avoid damage to the fighting dogs.
The strays, estimated to be 2 to 5 years old, were reported by area residents. Three of them were adopted after being taken to the Humane Society for Hamilton County shelter in Noblesville.
“They were all emaciated,” said the Humane Society’s executive director, Rebecca Stevens, who described the removal of four teeth from the last dog found as extremely cruel.
“They cut them straight across right at the gum,” said Stevens. “So, the rest of the tooth is still up in his gums.”
She said the dog, named “Triumph” after his rescue, is probably no more than 3 years old. He is being treated for a severe gum infection pending surgery to remove the tooth fragments and remains in pain pending recovery. He also needs treatment for heartworm disease.
While the other remaining pit bulls are available now for adoption, she said, Triumph will require temporary foster care while he heals.
“Who knows what goes through people’s heads when they do these types of things,” she said. “But I do hope we find them.”
Rogers believes one person was responsible for the animals because they all wore a 2-inch-wide canvas collar with a large metal buckle made by the same manufacturer.
Eight of the dogs were picked up in January, and Rogers fears the additional dumping last week suggests more may be coming.
He suspects the animals may have lived in a neighboring county before they were turned loose in Hamilton County.
“It’s just off of 31,” he said. “It’s as if somebody was just kind of driving through the area, looking for a secluded spot, and then dropped them off and boogied back toward U.S. 31.”
Rogers wondered, too, if the dumpings might be related to an Indianapolis ordinance that took effect in January and was devised to strengthen controls over dangerous dogs and their owners.
He said the abandonment of even healthy dogs is illegal, and also unnecessary because of municipal shelters and private rescue groups.
Anyone with information on the dumpings is asked to call the sheriff’s animal control officer, (317) 776-4110, or sheriff’s dispatchers (317) 773-1282.
Call Star reporter James A. Gillaspy at (317) 444-5529.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704040525
The article says that the dogs were trained for fighting and starved but the tv report showed fat, healthy, unscared dogs.
In my opinion, if you do a story about skinny dogs, use the injured dogs, not healthy ones.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Animal Control Officer Tom Rogers said the scarred animals dropped in Westfield and Noblesville areas over the past three months might have been used in illegal dog fights and were definitely abused.
“They were all skin and bones,” said Rogers, who is asking for the public’s help with identifying anyone responsible for the abandonments east of U.S. 31 between 209th and 221st streets.
“I would think that anybody that owned that many dogs, somebody knows something about it.”
Rogers picked up the most battered of the bunch last week. He said its canine teeth had been cut out.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they were fought or used as bait,” said Rogers, who speculated that the four canines had been clipped on the one dog to avoid damage to the fighting dogs.
The strays, estimated to be 2 to 5 years old, were reported by area residents. Three of them were adopted after being taken to the Humane Society for Hamilton County shelter in Noblesville.
“They were all emaciated,” said the Humane Society’s executive director, Rebecca Stevens, who described the removal of four teeth from the last dog found as extremely cruel.
“They cut them straight across right at the gum,” said Stevens. “So, the rest of the tooth is still up in his gums.”
She said the dog, named “Triumph” after his rescue, is probably no more than 3 years old. He is being treated for a severe gum infection pending surgery to remove the tooth fragments and remains in pain pending recovery. He also needs treatment for heartworm disease.
While the other remaining pit bulls are available now for adoption, she said, Triumph will require temporary foster care while he heals.
“Who knows what goes through people’s heads when they do these types of things,” she said. “But I do hope we find them.”
Rogers believes one person was responsible for the animals because they all wore a 2-inch-wide canvas collar with a large metal buckle made by the same manufacturer.
Eight of the dogs were picked up in January, and Rogers fears the additional dumping last week suggests more may be coming.
He suspects the animals may have lived in a neighboring county before they were turned loose in Hamilton County.
“It’s just off of 31,” he said. “It’s as if somebody was just kind of driving through the area, looking for a secluded spot, and then dropped them off and boogied back toward U.S. 31.”
Rogers wondered, too, if the dumpings might be related to an Indianapolis ordinance that took effect in January and was devised to strengthen controls over dangerous dogs and their owners.
He said the abandonment of even healthy dogs is illegal, and also unnecessary because of municipal shelters and private rescue groups.
Anyone with information on the dumpings is asked to call the sheriff’s animal control officer, (317) 776-4110, or sheriff’s dispatchers (317) 773-1282.
Call Star reporter James A. Gillaspy at (317) 444-5529.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704040525
The article says that the dogs were trained for fighting and starved but the tv report showed fat, healthy, unscared dogs.
In my opinion, if you do a story about skinny dogs, use the injured dogs, not healthy ones.