April 24 , 2006

Washington Humane Society Logs Unusually High Number of Severe Neglect Cases
Dog Owners Failed to Provide Food or Veterinary Care

Washington, D.C. - When a Maryland man turned Blake, his 6-month-old mixed shepherd, over to the D.C. Animal Shelter, he said only that he wasn't able to care for the dog whom he had for two months. Blake was in bad shape. A veterinarian who examined him found him to be "dehydrated, emaciated, and malnourished …with little or no fat or muscle appreciable on the pet." Blake also smelled strongly of urine , leading Washington Humane Society staff to conclude that he had spent much of the previous two months confined in a dog crate for hours on end. Over the next two weeks at the shelter Blake gained 11 pounds. He was adopted by an employee of the Hotel Monaco and now comes to work with her as the hotel's mascot. Meanwhile, Blake's previous owner is under investigation for cruelty to animals.

During the past three months, the Washington Humane Society has confronted multiple cases of suffering due to severe neglect. District of Columbia law requires that owners of companion animals provide them with food, water, shelter, and necessary veterinary care adequate to guarantee a basic level of comfort. Some owners, however, fail to meet even these minimal requirements, typically citing lack of time or money as an excuse.

"When most people think of cruelty to animals, they envision actual physical abuse like beatings," says Adam Parascandola, the Washington Humane Society's Chief Operating Officer. "In fact, neglect is far more common and can cause greater suffering. In the majority of our cases, we are dealing not with what someone did to an animal, but with what they failed to do."

The Washington Humane Society treats neglect cases as seriously as cases of violent abuse. Those responsible for severe neglect (i.e., in which an animal's health and welfare suffers significantly due to negligent starvation or prolonged failure to provide obviously critical medical care) are subject to arrest and prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's office. According to the law, cases of gross neglect can even be handled as felonies.

Should people find themselves unable to care properly for an animal they have, turning the animal over to a humane society or animal protection group is always an option. The D.C Animal Shelter accepts all animals any time of day or night at no charge. District residents without transportation can have an animal picked up at their home, also at no charge.

"There really is no excuse for allowing an animal to languish and suffer," says Parascandola, "when a single telephone call can resolve the problem. We stand ready to respond at any time. The Washington Humane Society even maintains a fund to provide medical care and rehabilitation for adoptable animals who enter the shelter with illnesses and injuries."

The Washington Humane Society reminds the public that they can report suspected cases of animal neglect-lack of food or water, sick or injured animals, lack of shelter from bad weather, animals confined in basements, sheds or garages--24 hours a day by calling 202-BE-HUMANE. Anonymous calls are always welcome.

More information on preventing cruelty to animals can be found at the WHS website, www.washhumane.org. Donations in support of this work, which is 100% privately funded, can be sent to The Washington Humane Society, 7319 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20012 or can be made online.

More Cases in Brief:

• BOWEN ROAD, SE, 4300 block, January 4. Park Police conducting a search warrant for drugs in a residence found a dead dog in a crate in the basement. They called the Washington Humane Society. A necropsy revealed that the dog had died of starvation. The Washington Humane Society is pursuing animal cruelty charges against the man who was arrested for drugs.
  
• BRANCH AVENUE, 2700 block, February 10. A woman called the D.C. Animal Shelter to have her boxer removed from her home because the dog had not been eating and had lost 30 pounds over the last month. An officer of the Washington Humane Society brought the dog to a veterinarian. The veterinarian could not open the dog's mouth, so he gave the dog some food. The dog appeared very hungry and licked at the food but could not eat it due to the fact that a muscle disease had locked the dog's mouth shut. Since the dog could only be fed via a tube to his stomach and would not recover, the veterinarian recommended euthanasia.
  
• NAYLOR ROAD, SE, 2000 block, March 9. A man approached an animal control officer and requested that his old dog be removed from his porch. The officer found a 12-year-old Shih Tzu lying on a dog bed on the porch. The dog was emaciated and smelled strongly of necrotic flesh from advanced skin infections on his stomach and legs. Both of the dog's eyes were swollen closed and oozing discharge. A veterinarian who examined the dog pronounced that the dog's debilitated condition had been long-term and declared that it was "the worst case of neglect" he had ever witnessed. The dog was euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian.
  
• SECOND STREET, SE, 2700 block, March 14. A man surrendered an emaciated pit bull to the Washington Humane Society. He said that the dog belonged to his son, whom he had forced to move out of his house about a month prior. The son had not been back to care for the dog, who lived in the backyard, and the man had not fed the dog either because, he said, he was too busy at work. The dog, who weighed only 29 pounds but should have weighed 50 pounds, was euthanized.
  
• FRANKLIN STREET NE, 700 block, March 20. An officer of the Washington Humane Society impounded a loose rottweiler whose left rear leg was massively swollen. When an owner came forward for the dog, he admitted that he had noticed the swollen leg. Rather than get her medical attention, however, he decided simply to leave her in the yard until she died. The dog suffered from limited mobility and significant pain for several months as her condition gradually worsened. A veterinarian determined that the dog had incurable bone cancer, and the animal was euthanized to save her additional suffering.