Even a responding Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy was unable to reach the agency after multiple attempts.
According to an MCSO incident report, Deputy Derrick Carroll responded to the 1620 Gratton Blvd. on an animal neglect call at around 4 p.m. Tuesday to find a 10-month old white Akita dead from the heat.
Carroll wrote in his report that while he was en route to the address, he tried to contact Animal Control on both the regular business and after-hours lines to no avail, and he left a message requesting someone get in touch with him.
According to the report, Carroll found the dog – named Hero – deceased in the yard, which also contained a doghouse, empty food and water dishes and a tie-down stake and cable.
But the doghouse and all other sources of shade were out of the large white dog’s reach in Tuesday’s 90-degree heat.
The cable had only about 6 feet of slack, with the rest of it wrapped around the top of the stake. The doghouse was about 20 feet away from the stake, and the next-nearest shade was 50 feet away, according to the report.
Unable to locate contact information for the homeowner, Carroll left the scene, intending to return later.
At about 5:21 p.m., Carroll said, Animal Control contacted him, and he met with an Animal Control officer and the homeowner, Stacy L. Fowler, who advised him of the dog’s age, breed and name.
Animal Control cited Fowler, 32, for aggravated animal cruelty.
Several neighbors also tried to call Animal Control throughout the afternoon – including Diane Emrick. They told The Leaf-Chronicle they never reached anyone with the agency and never received a response to their messages.
Emrick said neighbors began calling in the early afternoon after noticing the dog staked out in the sun with no water and having trouble breathing. And although numerous messages had been left, Emrick said when she finally spoke with the after-hours Animal Control dispatch, they were unaware of any prior related calls.
“If Animal Control had responded when they first got the call, the dog would still be alive,” Emrick said.
Emrick questioned why the agency had a dispatch if nobody was going to answer the phone.
OK, so there are problems with Animal Control, but let's ask why none of these concerned citizens took matters into their own hands and DID SOMETHING?! Untie the dog, move it to the shade, untangle it. Hose it down.... knock on the owner's door. Don't just sit there and watch it die.
Hero’s owner did not respond to messages seeking comment on Wednesday.
In Montgomery County, it is illegal “to unnecessarily and unreasonably expose any such animal in hot, stormy, cold or inclement weather.” And when temperatures exceed 75 degrees, “all domestic dogs must be afforded, in addition to the shelter structure, one or more separate outside areas of shade.”
Animal Control Director Jeanette Farrell was busy responding to another animal abuse case involving livestock on Wednesday, and was unable to respond to requests for comment.
(The Leaf-Chronicle - June 17, 2015)
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