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Thursday, 25 June 2009 |
 Submitted photo/SDN Left, this dog was one of nine pit bull terriers found by Starkville animal control officers Rich McKee and Sarah Hankins at an unspecified home in the area when they responded to a call from a concerned citizen a week ago today. One of the eight dogs — who were all malnourished and were at half their normal weight — had already died. By BRIAN HAWKINS
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Starkville animal control officers Rich McKee and Sarah Hankins are finding it difficult not to become emotional when discussing what they say is one of the worst cases of animal neglect and cruelty they had seen.
A week ago today, the two received a call from a concerned citizen about four dogs left in the backyard of a Starkville area home by owners believed to have moved.
“What we found were nine fully grown pit bulls that were emaciated, extremely malnourished and all still chained. They had obviously not been fed or received any care for several weeks,” said McKee.
“We pulled up to the house after we got the initial call and could tell something was wrong. This has been a tough one because so many dogs have been mistreated.”
Because a criminal investigation is ongoing and arrests are pending, McKee and Hankins would not comment Wednesday on the location of the house where the dogs were found, nor release the name of the owner.
The condition of the dogs will mean that nine charges of animal cruelty are filed, they said.
“They had no food at all, and what water they had we believe was rainwater. The water was hot and green and not fit to drink,” Hankins.
One of the nine dogs, initially believed to have been sleeping, had actually died. The remaining eight were immediately taken to the Starkville Animal Shelter to receive immediate care by Oktibbeha County Humane Society staff members.
The dogs all had to be treated for flea infestation and have the nails in their paws trimmed significantly, Hankins said. “Their nails were so long that they had curled under, which makes it painful to walk,” Hankins said.
Adult pit bulls typically weigh between 35 and 55 pounds, but among the nine dogs recovered last week, the heaviest one weighed 24 pounds. “We could slip the collars right over their head they had lost so much weight,” McKee said. “Many of them could barely walk or not walk at all.”
Over the last six days, the dogs’ physical conditions has improved dramatically, Hankins said. The dogs have seen noticeable weight gain and are seeing some of their strength return, she said.
“If they had gone a few more days without attention, there is no way the dogs would have made it. They were not aggressive at all when we took them in, and they still show no aggression,” Hankins said. “When we’re at the shelter, they will come up to us before they approach anyone else.”
McKee and Hankins say this is not the only case of animal neglect they’ve encountered. In fact, both have responded to multiple incidents in which animals have been mistreated or received little or no care.
That’s why they stress that residents who cannot take care of their animals can call them.
“There is no since in leaving dogs like this. If you can’t care of them, call us,” Hankins said. “People are dropping off animals at the shelter after hours when there is no one there to care for them. There is no need for that when there are people who care and work with animals.”
McKee works from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and Hankins works from noon to 8 p.m. weekdays. Both are on call on alternating weekends and during the evening hours on weekdays. The two can be reached by calling the Police Department at 323-4131.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 26 June 2009 )
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