The
black and white pit bull who lived at 1068 Lavender Road in Grover, N.C. had a
dog house, and food and water dishes, but the heavy, logging-style chain
secured around her neck prevented her from reaching them.
Instead,
day in and day out, through the scalding hot days, she stared at them as her
mouth grew dry and her stomach churned in hunger.
Finally,
dehydration and starvation dropped her weakened body to the ground where she
laid and looked at the bowls and house which could have provided some relief
from her exquisite suffering.
Alas,
death closed her eyes forever - allowing her to slip away from her tortured
existence.
The
man allegedly responsible for this dog's suffering is 31-year-old Bradley
Eugene Short.
According
to Thursday's Gaston Gazette, police arrested and charged him on Tuesday
with felony killing an animal by starvation, misdemeanor disposition of dead
domesticated animal and misdemeanor restraining dog in a cruel manner.
An
animal control officer for Cleveland County stated in a report:
“The
heavy logging-type chain was affixed to a leather collar around the animal’s
neck,”
“The
chain was knotted several times and appeared to restrict the animal’s movement,
where access to the dog house and bowls located near the animal could not be
made.”
Short,
the man responsible for tethering this dog behind a mobile home and allowing
her to starve to death, posted a $5,000 bond and walked out of jail on
Wednesday.
he black dog’s decomposing body is
stretched out under the baking sun, nose pointed at the empty food dish several
feet out of reach.
The heavy chain around her neck is
tethered to a stake pounded in the dirt.
A white plastic igloo sits nearby,
also out of reach.
“It’s a whole different meaning of
neglect,” said Sam Lockridge, Cleveland County health
services coordinator.
“It’s one of the most horrific things I’ve seen in my 26 years, as far as
tethering goes.”
Bradley Eugene Short, 31, was arrested Tuesday and charged with
felony killing an animal by starvation, misdemeanor disposition of dead
domesticated animal and misdemeanor restraining dog in a cruel manner.
Animal’s movement restricted
According to a report by Cleveland
County Animal Control officers, a woman called Animal Control on Monday to
report a dead dog she found at a home at 1068 Lavender Road in Grover.
She said it looked as if the dog
was abandoned.
When an officer went to
investigate, he found a dead black and white pit bull mix tethered about 50
yards behind a mobile home, according to the report.
“The heavy logging-type chain was
affixed to a leather collar around the animal’s neck,” the report states. “The
chain was knotted several times and appeared to restrict the animal’s movement,
where access to the dog house and bowls located near the animal could not be
made.”
The report stated the two pet bowls
had what appeared to be old rain water in them and were full of mosquitoes.
Officers weren’t able to find the
owner Monday but returned the next day and found a white barrel had been placed
over the animal’s body.
While officers were still on the
scene, Short showed up and told officers he found the dead dog that morning and
had returned to bury it, according to the report.
Animal Control officers said Short
did not live at that address.
‘The only relief it had was death’
The dog was dead for at least two
weeks by the time it was found, the report stated.
According to Animal Control, the
dog died as a result of starvation and was restrained in a cruel manner that
violated the county’s tethering ordinance.
Short was arrested Tuesday and
taken to the Cleveland County jail annex. He
posted his $5,000 bond by Wednesday morning.
Lockridge said the animal suffered
for weeks.
“The only relief it
had was death,” he said.
Lockridge said cases such as this
one are the reason the county adopted a tethering ordinance last year.
The ordinance lists the proper ways
to tether an animal, defined as a means to tie or fasten an animal on a chain,
leash or other device so it can only move within a set radius.
The ordinance states the tether
should be at least 10 feet long with swivels on both ends and cannot exceed 10
percent of the animal’s body
weight.
The tether should be attached to a
properly fitting harness or collar to prevent choking, strangulation or pain
and the animal should have access to clean water, food and shelter.
If the ordinance is violated, a
$100 fine is possible and in extreme cases, animal cruelty charges.
Reach reporter Rebecca Clark at
704-669-3344.
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