Georgia: Melinda Barahona, 48, charged with animal cruelty after leaving her dog with an embedded collar

GEORGIA -- A Forsyth County woman was arrested for animal cruelty after her dog was found on a tether with an embedded collar.

A passerby spotted the Jack Russell terrier mix at the Porter Lane home in Gainesville "in the same spot, every day and every night," and on Wednesday, Oct. 30, reported to authorities the alleged animal cruelty, according to Forsyth County Sheriff's Deputy Doug Rainwater and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office incident report.

"I walked into the front yard and observed a brown in color male Jack Russell mix lying on the ground. There was a large plate of what looked like several different leftover dinners and an empty white bowl next to the dog," a deputy wrote in the report. "There was no shelter or shade for the dog. The dog’s ribs were showing and it was somewhat skittish.

"The dog was tethered via a red in color plastic coated tie out cable. The cable was attached to a cork screw style stake in the ground. The cable was wrapped around the dog’s neck and was clipped back to itself. As I looked closer at the cable, I could see the clip attached to the cable but I could not see the cable around the dog’s neck. The cable was embedded into the dog’s skin and it appeared the skin was growing back over it."

The dog was rushed to a veterinarian and underwent emergency surgery to remove portions of the cable collar that were surrounded by its skin, Rainwater said, adding it likely had not been fed in a week.

The report states several people lived in the house, including one who said she’d been caring for the dog for the last week “but never noticed the cable.”

The dog's owner, Melinda Barahona, 48, of Gainesville, arrived a short time later, and told police she was homeless and had not seen the dog in about a week.

"I explained the dog was in bad shape and this type of injury takes more than a week to happen," the deputy reported. "Mrs. Barahona could not provide any explanation for the dog’s condition."

She said the dog had followed her children home about 8 years ago, but didn't say how long it had been chained, according to the report and Rainwater.

"Because of the seriousness of these injuries to the dog, we decided at that point to arrest her (Barahona) for animal cruelty," Rainwater said.

She made bond the same day, report Access North Georgia.

As far as the dog, Rainwater said he's expected to recover.

"The dog underwent surgery to remove part of the collar that was embedded into its skin. As of right now, the dog will make a full recovery," Rainwater said.

He said the dog is eating and will eventually be up for adoption.

At trial, authorities are going to ask that Barahona has no further contact with animals, Rainwater told Access North Georgia.

(Forsyth News - November 03, 2013)