DOGS LEFT TO DIE … LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE CRITICIZED
The Laurens County, S.C. Humane Society is chiding local law enforcement leaders for failing to take appropriate action in an animal cruelty case involving several dogs left to die on private property.
Two dogs were found dead in their makeshift shelters – chained by their necks.
The Humane Society received images of the animals from a “concerned citizen” on Saturday, February 18 and promptly took the photos to the Laurens County sheriff department.
A deputy was dispatched to the property that day, taking pictures of the two dead dogs and of one living animal that had “escaped (its) chain and was roaming free.”
Take a look …
(Click to view)
(Via Laurens County Humane Society)
Awful …
According to the group, the sheriff’s deputy interviewed the owner of the property where the dogs were found and filed a report.
What happened next? According to the group, a whole lot of nothing.
“We were told that they couldn’t do anything on the weekend because animal control was closed,” Humane Society members wrote on their Facebook page. “When asked about the obviously criminal animal cruelty that had occurred, we were told that animal control had to investigate before any action could be taken and that they would not be open until Monday morning.”
For the next 72 hours, the case apparently ping-ponged back and forth between animal control and the sheriff’s office, the latter office being under the authority of newly elected Republican sheriff Don Reynolds.
Late Wednesday evening (February 22), Reynolds finally responded to messages left on his personal cell phone by Humane Society members.
“I understand the individual who lives at this address is incapacitated with a serious illness,” Reynolds wrote one of the group members. “Where is the living dog at this time?”
Needless to say this belated, inadequate response did not sit well with the activists.
“If dead dogs chained inside of dog houses in someone’s backyard isn’t abuse, neglect, and cruelty, we would like to know, what is???” they wrote. “Are there certain crimes that are given a ‘pass’ if they occur on the weekend or outside of office hours? We cannot comprehend this apparent lack of compassion and responsibility.”
According to the group, Reynolds’ response to the situation has been “simply unacceptable.”
We’re inclined to agree …
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