Washington: Kim Olander, 35, said her dogs looked like skeletons because they were "sick" and she couldn't afford vet care. However, once they were seized they gained weight simply by being fed

WASHINGTON -- A 35-year-old Steilacoom woman was charged with first-degree animal cruelty for so badly neglecting one of her dogs that every bone in his body protruded.

The woman is to be arraigned Feb. 20 in Pierce County Superior Court.

Animal control officers received a complaint and checked on Kim Olander’s dogs Jan. 8. The officer said she found two 7-year-old dogs, Angel and Dinks, locked in a urine-soaked bathroom.

Angel appeared thin but Dinks “was emaciated, skin and bones,” according to charging papers. The dog had a sunken face, weighed 39 pounds and was suffering from anemia and liver issues, the documents stated.

He gained 11 pounds in six days after being properly fed, prosecutors said.

The woman said Angel and Dinks had been sick for nearly two months but she hadn’t taken them to a veterinarian. She voluntarily surrendered the dogs.

She had three other healthy dogs in the house.

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(thenewstribune.com - Feb 8, 2013)