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c.marie
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| Joined: | Thu Apr 24th, 2008 |
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Posted: Thu Apr 24th, 2008 08:14 pm |
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| As a past Officer of the local dog club I can't tell you how many times people contacted us to help with dog abuse or issues concerning abandoned dogs in the Sun City area. We too contacted agencies for assistance only to be told "not our responsibility, try another agency." This is one of the cruelest acts of violence against an animal I have heard of and think it's about time that Sun City residents had an agency to contact that would offer humane assistance, not just the run around. The person responsible for the death of this breed of dog known for their gentle nature should be punished to the fullest extent of the law! All animal cruelty cases should be investigated not just the ones that finally get public recognition.
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RustyBradshaw
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Posted: Mon Apr 21st, 2008 03:54 pm |
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By Rusty Bradshaw
Independent Newspapers
A Sun City parking lot was the scene of a dog killing and dumping April 13 and the event had some residents concerned about what they thought was a lack of support by public agencies.
Volunteers for Sun City Host Lions Club found the body of what appeared to be a golden retriever in one of their recycling bins behind the Dollar General store on the southeast corner of 107th and Peoria avenues Monday morning, April 14, according to Judith Gravlin. The dog’s neck was wrapped with a heavy moving strap and there was a crowbar wedged in between the dog’s neck and the strap.
Ms. Gravlin said it appeared the dog had been beaten in the face and she speculated the crowbar was used to tighten the strap to strangle the dog.
“This was just a horrible thing to do to an animal,” Ms. Gravlin said. “Who would do something like this.”
Calls to various agencies produced no results in helping Lions volunteers dispose of the body or investigate the incident.
“We called the Arizona Humane Society, who referred me to (Maricopa County) Animal Care and Control, who referred me to another department (Maricopa County Department of Transportation), who referred me back to Animal Care and Control, who referred me to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office,” Ms. Gravlin said.
MCSO took the matter seriously, she added. A deputy was dispatched who began interviewing witnesses and took the crowbar with the hopes of obtaining fingerprints, according to Ms. Gravlin. But she claims he later told her MCSO would not investigate because it happened on private property.
The property where the dog was found is managed by Arizona Partners, 6621 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Natalia Cody, Arizona Partners marketing and public relations director, said company officials called MCSO and a deputy was initially sent to investigate but was then called back and told MCSO would not investigate.
However, the sheriff’s office is actively investigating the incident, according to Capt. Paul Chagolla, MCSO spokesman.
“I’m not sure where the disconnect is, but we do have an active investigation going on,” Mr. Chagolla said. “Animal cruelty is a top priority of Sheriff (Joe) Arpaio and his administration.”
Mr. Chagolla said the deputy who went to the scene April 14 was not the deputy who initiated the investigation because MCSO had received a call about it the night before.
“The investigation commenced yesterday (April 13) when the call came in to us,” Mr. Chagolla said.
Lions volunteers continued to be concerned throughout the day April 14 about disposing of the dog’s body.
“At some point, this becomes a health issue,” said Sun City resident Paul Yopps, Lions recycling coordinator.
Ms. Gravlin considered getting other Lions members to haul the body away, but was concerned for health reasons and was not sure if it should be left for investigators.
“We had no idea whether the dog was diseased,” Ms. Gravlin said.
Aprille Hollis, Animal Care and Control spokeswoman, said her department’s responsibilities do not include collection of dead animals.
“We encourage them to call their cities or, if in an unincorporated area, MCDOT,” Ms. Hollis said.
However, MCDOT does not collect dead animals from private property, according to Roger Ball, MCDOT spokesman. MCDOT contracts with a company to remove dead animals from roadways.
“There are companies who do that (remove dead animals from private property),” Mr. Ball said. “We don’t get into competition with private companies.”
Ms. Cody said her company’s calls to the Arizona Humane Society also produced no assistance at first. Arizona Partners officials had their cleaning company remove the dog April 15 and take it to the Humane Society facility on Lower Buckeye Road for disposal, according to Ms. Cody.
“When they (Humane Society officials) saw the dog, they decided they needed to investigate it,” Ms. Cody said.
Post your opinions in the Public Issues Forum at http://www.newszap.com. Lead News Editor Rusty Bradshaw can be reached at 623-445-2725 or rbradshaw@newszap.com.
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