Bella Vista man cited for animal cruelty
Posted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63546/
BELLA VISTA — Three young dogs that officials said were neglected and starving were taken into custody by animal control June 30, and the puppies’ owner has been charged in the case.
Kevin Smith, of 5 Minton Lane, was cited by Bella Vista Animal Control officer Merle Weaver for cruelty to animals for allegedly starving the puppies and neglecting to treat them for worms. Weaver issued the citation on July 7, a week after picking up the pitbull-mix puppies and taking them to the Bella Vista Animal Shelter.
The charge, a class A misdemeanor, carries a penalty of one year in jail and / or a $ 1, 000 fine, Bella Vista Animal Shelter manager Donna Miles said.
Ribs, back bones and hip joints protruding on the puppies’ bodies caught the attention of a woman from Michigan, who was visiting her father in Bella Vista, Weaver said.
She was out for a walk on Minton Lane near her father’s home when she got “ a good look at the little ones” and called the police, Weaver said.
When Weaver went to the house, he said he saw the puppies, and he saw vehicles in the driveway, but no one came to the door when he knocked. When he walked back to his truck, two of the puppies followed him, so he picked them up. He went back to see about the third one and found it trying to get up the driveway, but it couldn’t walk, he said. He had to carry the puppy to the truck.
Weaver said he left a notice on the door about the animalcontrol ordinance and a notice listing the reason for his visit as a “ cruelty investigation. ”
The biggest of the three weighed 5. 1 pounds, the middle one weighed about 4. 5 pounds, and the littlest one 2. 8 pounds, Miles said.
Weaver said veterinarian Doug Parker, of Sugar Creek Animal Hospital, reported the dogs were grossly neglected and had hookworm; giardia, a parasite that absorbs nutrients from the small intestine; and coccidia, single-celled organisms that infect the intestine and cause diarrhea. Coccidia can cause a life-threatening situation, especially in younger animals.
Both Weaver and Miles estimated the puppies to be between 8 and 10 weeks old.
According to an employee at the animal hospital, similar dogs of that breed and at that age should weigh, on average, 10 to 12 pounds.