Memphis police officer faces animal cruelty charges

TENNESSEE -- A Memphis police sergeant is charged with animal cruelty after animal control officers found two starved dogs in her back yard.

Betty Carter

Sergeant Betty Carter has been charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of failure to obtain licenses.

The charges come after the Memphis Animal Shelter received a recent call about dogs running loose at the officer's home on Aldie.  When the animal control officer arrived at Carter's house, she did not find dogs running loose, but neighbors urged her to look in Carter's back yard. There, the officer found four dogs chained up.

Two of the four dogs were so starved they had to be put down.

Carter was cited on city charges, but animal rescuers say the dogs were in such bad condition, they may be upgraded to state charges.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Animal Shelter will not return Carter's two other dogs to her.

The failure to obtain license charge was because the dogs did not have rabies shots.

Memphis Police say the internal investigation is ongoing at this time and that Carter remains on non-enforcement status.  She will go to trial on April 19th.

(WMC - March 1, 2010)