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Cruelty Investigations The Washington Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement program investigated over 1900 cases of cruelty and neglect last year, everything from dogs on chains to children torturing cats to animals shot and killed. A few of these cases are described below.
Poochie was surrendered to the D.C. Animal Shelter in March of 2005 by a woman who claimed that he was sick. She told the Animal Control Officer who picked him up that Poochie, a young male Pug, had been throwing up every day since Christmas. She said she did not take him to a veterinarian during the this time but had decided to give him up instead. The Animal Control Officer who picked him up immediately contacted Humane Officer Schindler who, upon seeing how emaciated Poochie was, took custody of him and rushed him to the veterinarian. At the vet Poochie was found to weigh only 9lbs. and when fed ate ravenously. No one could remember ever having seen a Pug as skinny as Poochie. Poochie stayed at the veterinarian's for a few days and did not show any signs of illness. Instead, after two weeks of proper feeding, Poochie doubled his weight and began to look like a true Pug. As he gained weight, he gained energy and soon was happily bouncing off the walls. His new family reports that he is doing great. The case against his former owner is under investigation.
In July of 2004 an urgent call came in to the Washington Humane Society about a dog who was left in the backyard in the sun and "looked half dead." The temperature outside was 87 degrees and Humane Officer Rausch knew that this was a critical situation. She rushed to the address but when she arrived she found a devastating scene. Sheba, a female English bulldog, was dead. She had been chained in the yard and had crawled between two fences in an attempt to reach shade. A neighbor spoke with HO Rausch and told her that the dog had been chained out all day and had been panting heavily and had no water. The yard had no shade at all during the midday and only a small amount of shade on the edge between the fences by the afternoon. Sheba's body was removed and sent for a necropsy. Results came back that Sheba had died from heatstroke. An arrest warrant was issued for the owner of the dog for violating the 2001 law prohibiting cruel chaining in the District of Columbia. The law reads, in part, that an animal may not be tethered in such a way that does not permit the animal access to food, water, shade, dry ground, or shelter; or does not permit the animal to escape harm. Sheba was chained in the direct sun and could not escape the heat. Sheba's owner had been advised previously not to chain his dog after another dog of his, also chained in the backyard, became entangled and injured his leg. In March of 2005 Sheba's owner Pled guilty to Cruelty to Animals- Sentencing is pending.
In January of 2004, a woman called WHS after her dog was dropped off by her ex-husband with a harness imbedded into her flesh. The woman said that she had given Sandy, a seven month old lab mix, to her husband in August of 2003. She said that Sandy had still been a small puppy and she had put a pink harness on her. She said she was horrified when her ex-husband brought the dog back to find Sandy still wearing the same small harness because Sandy had grown considerably. The harness was now too small and had cut into Sandy's flesh. Humane officer A. Parascandola took Sandy to the veterinarian where the wound was cleaned and treated. Sandy was also found to have a luxating patella, a genetic condition which caused Sandy to limp. In the end, Sandy's owner surrendered her to WHS and, after healing from her wounds and having the luxating patella surgically corrected, she found a new home. Sandy was adopted by local author George Pelecanos whose recent book "Drama City" features a main character who is a Humane Officer with WHS. In the end two people were charged with Cruelty to Animals in Sandy's case- the ex-husband and a woman whom the ex-husband gave Sandy to. The case went to trial and both were acquitted of Cruelty to Animals but were admonished by the judge for failing to care for her properly.
In the fall of 2003 HO M. Battle was checking on some dogs when he drove by an address in NW DC and noticed these four dogs in a small pen filled with feces and flies. He recognized the dogs from a previous address where he had seen them. All of the dogs were very underweight and one old Dachshund/Chihuahua Mix named "Sugar" had one eye which was dried up and covered with dirt and debris. HO M. Battle went to the door and met with the owner who stated she had just come into town that week. She said her kids and her brother were staying at the house and caring for the dogs. HO M. Battle then spoke to the owner's 21 year old son who said he had run out of food a week ago and had called his uncle about the situation but his uncle never brought the food. The four dogs were impounded and in the next two weeks all gained weight at the shelter. Initially the owner contacted WHS about getting the dogs back. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that the owner had a history of neglecting animals in another state. In the end, the four dogs were not returned to the owner and all were adopted out. During their stay at the shelter Sugar stole the heart of WHS' Director of Humane Law Enforcement A. Parascandola. He took her to a veterinarian who said that the eleven year old Sugar would not regain vision in her bad eye due to the length of the time that the condition was left untreated. She also had several mammary tumors and much of her fur was missing due to a skin condition. After surgery to remove her tumors and to spay her, Sugar went home with Director of HLE A. Parascandola. She is now happily putting on the pounds, has a thick, full coat of fur and is acting ten years younger than her age.
In August of this year WHS investigated the case of a dog shot to death with a shotgun. The events that unfolded during the investigation demonstrate how those who commit violence against animals don't stop there. Often they commit acts of violence against people and are sometimes victims of violence themselves. In this case, WHS Humane Officer Battle received a gruesome call from the Metropolitan Police Department. Responding to calls of shots fired on 24th St. NE a Police Officer discovered a dog who had been shot and killed. Humane Officer Battle responded and took photos of the dog. The police stated there was a witness but the witness was afraid to come outside and identify the shooter. The witness only gave them the cryptic message that the shooter was a part of a small group of onlookers watching the police activity. With no suspect identified, WHS posted a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. While posting flyers in the area WHS Humane Officer Hart was contacted by a witness who stated that the shotgun used in the shooting was kept in an abandoned vehicle on a nearby street. She went to the site and found police on the scene already with the shotgun in hand. The shotgun was sent to the crime lab. Information followed quickly in the next few days and several informants identified the shooter and came forward as witnesses. No one could provide an explanation for why the suspect, a 19 year old man, shot the dog. He allegedly told the owner of the dog that he "had something for the dog" and then shot the dog. But a troubled picture of the young man was constructed by witnesses. They all claimed he was known as a troublemaker and one witnesses claimed he had shot cats in the rear of the building some weeks before. He was known to keep many guns in his possession and allegedly routinely robbed and terrorized neighborhood citizens. WHS quickly obtained an arrest warrant for Felony Cruelty to Animals for the man and attempted to locate him. Witnesses stated that he had been seen packing a bag and fleeing the area. Three days later the man was arrested for stealing from a car and was suspected of setting two cars on fire and attempting to set an apartment building on fire. He was arraigned for the Cruelty to Animals charge at this time. Two days after this arrest the man himself was shot and killed in the early morning hours. Five informants subsequently split the $5000 reward, receiving $1000 a piece for the information they provided to WHS during the investigation of the dog's shooting. Without being able to offer a reward it is possible no one would have come forward. The reward money is taken from WHS's Fugitive Fund and is supported through donations.
In May of this year, a police officer was driving down a street in NE when he was flagged down by a citizen. The citizen pointed out a house on the block which she claimed housed a large number of dogs. She said no one lived at the address and the owners were only seen coming once a week. She said there was a strong odor of urine and feces from the house and the area was infested with flies. The police officer called the Washington Humane Society and Humane Officer Hart responded. When she arrived Officer Hart immediately noticed a strong stench coming from the house. She could hear many dogs inside but the windows were covered in plastic and difficult to see into. She posted a notice on the door for the owners to contact her. Over the next week she made numerous attempts to catch up with the owners at the address but to no avail. Because the health and safety of the dogs at the address was in question Officer Hart moved quickly to obtain a search warrant for the address. When WHS Officers entered the premises they found 44 dogs living in the house. The dogs were blocked into separate rooms of the house and the floors were covered with fecal matter. There was no running water in the house and only one room had water available for the dogs. The were several day old puppies along with adults and three month old puppies. Many of the dogs were extremely underweight. Removing the dogs was a slow process as many of them appeared to have never been outside the house and were very frightened. The owners were later found to be living in an apartment nearby where they were keeping three additional dogs. They surrendered all forty four dogs to the Washington Humane Society. Several of the dogs were later adopted into homes where they have done well after a period of adjustment. On December 02, 2003 the owner of these dogs plead guilty in DC Superior Court to two charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty. Sentencing is pending.
After a concerted effort from the Washington Humane Society, with the assistance of the City Council and the United States Attorney's Office, Washington DC passed a Felony Animal Cruelty Law in June of 2001. The first person charged under the law pled guilty in June of 2002. The case began in April of 2002 when the Metropolitan Police Department called WHS to the scene of a domestic dispute. Humane Officer A. Parascandola responded to the address. When he arrived he found Reds, a ten year old male Pit Bull, bleeding heavily from two puncture wounds along the left side of his chest. A woman at the address said that she was the owner of Reds. She said that she had been arguing with her husband and he had pulled a knife on her and threatened her. She said that Reds entered the room and began to bark at her husband who turned and stabbed the dog. She also said that her husband had cut the dog before, during a similar incident, and the dog's injuries had required several stitches. Officer Parascandola transported Reds to a veterinarian who attempted to stabilize him. Despite the efforts of everyone at the veterinary clinic Reds died the next day from his injuries. The owner was very distraught by the death of her dog and stated that he had protected her for ten years. WHS then obtained an arrest warrant for the owner's husband for Cruelty to Animals, while the Metropolitan Police Department obtained their own arrest warrant for weapons and assault charges. In June 2002, the owner's husband pled guilty to one count of Felony Animal Cruelty, one count Simple Assault, and one count Possession of a Prohibited Weapon. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the Cruelty to Animals charge and 90 days for each of the other two charges, to run concurrent with the Animal Cruelty sentence. Before the felony law passed the maximum sentence for Animal Cruelty was six months in jail and/or a $250.00 fine.
The Washington Humane Society received a complaint from a citizen about an injured bird who was languishing without proper care in a cage at a major pet store in DC. Humane Officer Boozer responded to the store and found an injured bird whose feet were bloody stumps and whose wings and tail had been severely clipped. The employees told Officer Boozer that the bird had been returned the day before in that condition by a customer who claimed the bird had been attacked by a larger bird who shared his cage. Officer Boozer spoke with the Corporate Manager who said that the bird had been taken to a vet. Officer Boozer made several attempts to verify the bird had been vetted before discovering the bird had not been taken to a veterinarian but had, in fact, been "adopted" by an employee. The employee who "adopted" the bird said that the Corporate Manager told her to take the bird home. Officer Boozer promptly called the Regional Manager who said he was familiar with the situation and would call to make sure the bird was vetted. Finally, two weeks after arriving at the store with his feet severed, the bird was taken to the veterinarian. The veterinarian recommenced euthanasia and the bird was euthanised. WHS also tried to find the original owner of the bird, who had caused the injuries, but store records turned out to be inaccurate and the purchaser was not found. WHS had been especially eager to find this person because when she returned the mangled bird, store employees sold her another bird. An arrest warrant was issued for the Corporate Manager for failure to provide the bird with proper veterinary care.
On February 17, 2002, the Washington Humane Society received a report of pit bulls fighting in the woods. Humane Officer Parascandola arrived on the scene and saw a man enter the woods along a dirt path. The officer followed the man, and came to a gully. Looking down into the bottom of the gully, Officer Parascandola could see and hear pit bulls fighting inside a makeshift ring made of boards propped together. There were several spectators present. The officer called for police assistance, and while he waited for them to arrive he saw four men exit the woods with a pit bull and leave in two vehicles. The Washington Humane Society was able to trace the license plates on one of the vehicles, and on March 3, 2002, WHS obtained and executed a search warrant for a home in Northeast. Officer Parascandola identified the man who resided at the home as one of the men present at the pit bull fight. Five pit bulls were removed from the address and were examined by a veterinarian and found to be suffering from mange and infected ears. One dog, a female, had infected gums, her mouth was riddled with ulcers, and her temperature was elevated. She had numerous scars on her front legs and neck. A third pit bull had open sores and skin lesions. One pit bull had a large 2 millimeter thick scar on her neck, numerous old scars on her head, and a skin infection. The fifth pit bull suffered from a skin infection, and had numerous old scars on her muzzle, head, and forelimbs, consistent with wounds from dog bites and scratches. The owner was arrested on May 1, 2002 for dog fighting, a felony offense punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to $25,000, or both, and failure to provide veterinary care, which carries a maximum sentence of 6 months in prison or a $250 fine, or both. He pleaded guilty to being present at a dog fight, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 45 days in jail suspended, 18 months probation, and was ordered to own no animals for the probation period. He was also given 40 hours of community service, and ordered to reimburse veterinary fees to WHS and to pay court costs.
On September 25, 2001 the Washington Humane Society received a complaint about a thin pit bull chained to a tree. Humane Officer Parascandola responded, and met with a man who claimed ownership of the dog and showed him "Earthquake", an adult male pit bull, who was extremely underweight, his ribs, backbone, and pelvic bones all clearly visible. The dog also suffered from a skin condition -- the majority of the dog's body was raw and oozing blood. The owner stated that the dog had not been taken to a veterinarian. Earthquake was impounded and transported to a veterinarian, who found the dog in emaciated condition, weighing only 17.6 lbs, and when offered food the dog ate ravenously. Additionally, the dog was found to be suffering from a severe skin condition. The affected areas of the skin were bleeding, dripping blood onto the floor whenever touched. The vet estimated the severe condition had been present for at least two weeks. After being held at WHS for a few weeks and receiving food, medicine, and love Earthquake gained weight and his skin cleared up. Earthquake's owner was arrested on April 12, 2002, for failing to provide food and veterinary care for Earthquake. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 90 days suspended, 2 years of probation, and was ordered to not own animals for that period.
On June 6, 2002 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Z. Mitchell-Rankin, the man was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with all but 30 days suspended. He was to serve the 30 days in a work release program. He was also given two years of probation during which he may not have contact with any animals.
On December 10, 2001, the DC Animal Control Agency (DCAC) received a call from a man asking for assistance with his two dogs, which he believed were dying. An animal control officer responded to the call and found two dogs, an adult male pit bull and an adult female rottweiler, dead in the back yard. The officer contacted the Washington Humane Society and turned the case over to Humane Officer Battle. The pit bull was found attached to a post by a chain and was emaciated. The second dog was lying halfway out of a doghouse. The yard was filthy with fecal matter, both old and new, and the yard smelled strongly of feces and urine. There was no food present, and the only water available was filthy with dirt and other debris. The owner of the pit bull and said his mother owned the rottweiler. He said he fed both dogs most of the time and his mom fed the dogs some of the time. He said he noticed the pit bull's appetite had changed two weeks previously and noticed he lost weight the week before. He said he had noticed that the pit bull limped. When asked if he took the dogs to a veterinarian he said he had not, and he said that he thought the dogs were poisoned. The veterinarian's report showed that the pit bull was profoundly emaciated, with no body fat present whatsoever, and there was no food found in the dog's stomach or intestines. It was concluded that the cause of death for the pit bull was a direct result of starvation. The veterinarian reported that the rottweiler died of hypotensive shock, caused by gastric torsion. The owner was arrested on February 13, 2002 and was found guilty in DC Superior Court for starvation of the pit bull. He was acquitted on the other charge of starving the rottweiler. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, all suspended, one year probation, drug testing/treatment, mental health counseling, and court costs. Click Here To View Archived Rescue Stories
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