Utah: Puppy's leg was amputated after abuse by Price couple, police say

UTAH --  A man and woman from Price abused a puppy so severely that one of its legs had to be amputated, according to police.

The woman is also accused of killing another puppy in a separate incident.

David Lee Judd, 26, was charged Tuesday in 7th District Court with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony. Carbon County Attorney Gene Strate said he has charged Judd's girlfriend, Candy Mae Taylor, with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty as well.

David Lee Judd

The charges against the pair stem from an investigation by animal control officers and Price police detectives that began in mid-January when Judd and Taylor took a seriously injured Plott hound puppy to a Carbon County veterinarian for treatment.

"It had a festering open wound on its right hind leg," Price Police Capt. Bill Barnes said. "The bone was showing. It was just horrible."

The dog also had what appeared to be chemical burns on its muzzle and its back, Barnes said.

The veterinarian determined that the 7-week-old puppy named Thor could be saved, but the animal's leg would need to be amputated.

Investigators questioned Judd and Taylor about the dog's injuries. Taylor, 22, told a detective the puppy was dirty after playing outside, so she decided to give him a bath, Barnes said.

Candy Mae Taylor
@Candyjudd (Twitter account):
 "Im fun loving and a proud mother of two. One girl, Brittney, 4,
and one boy, Bruce, 5 months. Im engaged to a wonderful man, David Judd".

"She put the dog in the kitchen sink and started washing him with scalding water," the captain said, noting that the puppy licked and bit at the burned area for some time after he'd been scalded, causing the open wound.

"They didn't treat the injury," Barnes said.

The couple also told investigators that the burns on the dog's back were caused when he got too close to them while they were smoking prescription drugs and hot liquid drug residue fell on the animal, Barnes said. Police were also told the burns on Thor's muzzle were caused by contact with hot drug paraphernalia, the captain said.

During the course of their investigation, detectives said Taylor admitted that she killed another puppy — a Chihuahua named False — in late 2013.

"She claims she threw it against a couch," Barnes said. "We believe the evidence will show she threw it against a wall."

Taylor told investigators the puppy survived the initial incident but began to have seizures a few days later and died, the captain said.

Rescued from abusers

Thor was placed in an animal shelter shortly after the alleged abuse was discovered. He has since been adopted and appears to be doing well with his new owners, Barnes said.

"He was renamed Chance, as in second chance," the captain said.

If they are convicted, Judd and Taylor face up to five years in prison. Judd's first court appearance is set for April 14. A date for Taylor's first court hearing has not been scheduled.

(Deseret News - March 12, 2014)