It’s approximately 8pm at night when I notice that a missed call registers on my phone. Unfamiliar with the number and unsure of whether it is a suspect or witness involved in one of the many cases that I currently have open, I return the call.
The person who answers identifies himself as John, who has a missing dog and a notice left at his door. Initially, John comes across as defensive, but his demeanor quickly changes as I explain the situation and circumstances resulting in my decision to seize the dog from his back yard. Though he is still upset that someone had “broken” into his back yard, my explanation of the laws providing me with the authority to do so quickly dampen his frustration.
John claims that the dog, who he named “Brutus,” was a stray in Roeding park, and had been running loose for several days before employees at the Chaffee Zoo were able to capture him. He advises me that he had elected to take Brutus home with him and try to bring him back to health. He is adamant that he works with animals and cares about them, and would never neglect or abuse an animal. He states that veterinarians at the zoo have provided him with a bag of dog food and instructed him to keep him on a strict diet, as overfeeding him would be harmful. John states that he has now had Brutus for two to three weeks and claims that Brutus has gained some weight.
I advise John that within a two to three week period, if (aside from not being fed) Brutus was otherwise healthy, he should have been more or less at his normal body weight, assuming he was receiving a proper diet. I inform John that Brutus was examined by veterinarians and that we would determine if there are other conditions, such as illness or parasites, that are the cause of his emaciation.
I ask John if he has taken Brutus to see a vet. John says that he cannot afford vet bills, and has a friend who is helping him get a vet to see Brutus for free. I advise John that I understand his desire to help out animals in need, but by making the choice to do so, he is obligated to provide those animals with sufficient care, including medical care. John agrees to meet me tomorrow at Chaffee Zoo to speak with other employees, so that I can verify his statements.
(To be continued…)
By Jesse Boyce, Humane Officer
Editor’s Note: The purpose of this series is to provide you, our supporters, with an opportunity to experience the process that our investigators go through when conducting a complaint of animal abuse.If you have not done so, please read part 1 and