Dothan Police Sgt. Maurice “Mac” Eggleston confirmed police officers arrested Jeffery Wade Crooms, 21, of Donalsonville, Ga., and Ella Smith, 58, of Decatur, Ga., and charged them each with a single count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
“Some people have this nonchalant attitude about leaving animals …,” Eggleston said. “It was rough outside. It was 90-plus outside and you could only imagine if a dog is in a vehicle when it’s not running how hot it might be.”
Eggleston said in an email the charge filed against Crooms stemmed from police discovering a puppy had been left in a vehicle parked at the Wiregrass Commons Mall in Dothan Saturday. Eggleston said the vehicle was not running, and had been left unattended with the dog inside for at least 30 minutes.
He said officers removed the black Labrador puppy from the vehicle, and turned it over to officers with the Dothan Animal Control Department.
Eggleston said Smith’s arrest originated from similar circumstances. Smith allegedly left two dogs in an unattended vehicle parked at the Walmart in south Dothan. Officers were at the Walmart working a separate case when a “concerned citizen” informed them of the poodle and Yorkie inside the vehicle.
Eggleston said both Crooms and Smith were taken to the Dothan City Jail and held on $500 bail.
Dothan Police Sgt. Adrianne Woodruff, the supervisor of the Dothan animal shelter, said the dogs were released back to Smith’s custody on Monday morning. As of Monday, the black Labrador puppy remained at the Dothan animal shelter.
“All the dogs appeared to be in good health, and they were fine,” Woodruff said.
Eggleston said police will be responding to tips they receive from the public about any animals left in vehicles, especially during the hot summer months.
“To some people, their animal is their child,” Eggleston said. “That’s why these laws are in place so that you don’t do this to these animals.”
(Dothan Eagle - July 24, 2014)
Interestingly enough, when you click on their photos, you'll see that Ella Smith has posted an explanation:
Sometimes things are not what they appear. I am Ella. Smith. My husband in an attorney. My father-in-law set on the bench in DeKalb County for over thirty years.
I am known most in the Atlanta area for my advocacy for students' right and fighting discrimination against any human or animal. I feel every animal or homo sapein deserves respect regardless of what animal you are. No one has the right to verbally abuse you or touch you in an aggressive way. Even police officers do not have the right to do this.
I am multiple disabled. When traveling back and forth to Panama City I stop several times a trip and get out and run in the bathroom, get a diet coke or something to eat and get back in the car. My dogs are in no distress at all.
I admit I left my dogs in the car with the windows open for approximate 7 minutes to run in and get a drink and go to the bathroom at approximately 5:45-5:50. I have done this at this Walmart 100s of time. I have a secondary home and Panama City, Florida.
There honestly is no where I can stop that I know of besides the side of the road and use the bathroom without leaving my babies in the car. My babies sleep in the bed with me and are horrible spoiled.
I have filed charges against the mouthy mean officer and have already meet with an investigator.
I have strong connections in the legal community and social injustice personalities. Some of them being family members who are ready to national pounce on the lack of consistency in how they handle cases like this.
Everyone who knows me knows I would never abuse anyone. However, they also know I do not stand for abusive situations on humans and animals. I saw such abuses and lack of kindness to another inmate and myself. I was denied a phone call for hours until my husband an attorney keep calling and then they finally made sure I got a phone call and give me a blanket.
My hands and back and should hurt me so bad and a doctor who examined me indicate they are inflamed and bruised due to the handcuffs being on for so long. He gave me medicines to help me deal with the pain and swelling due to my severe I do not understand why normal procedures were not followed. I will my civil rights have been horrible violated.
Call me at 404-550-5931. I would like to discuss what I saw in my first experience of police abuse of power and lack of medical care to another inmate. I have a story to tell that will be told from my prospective. I feel for the civil rights of so many people abuse by police officers in Dothan.
According to the lady who was in the cell with me who needed medical attention that she had been in the tank since the day before and still had not gotten a phone call. If my husband had not called looking for me and he was not an attorney I am concerned I would have been there days also before getting a call with my family worried sick.
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