She had a broken paw that was matted so badly, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said, it fell off when her fur was shaved.
Pebbles, he said, were found in her stomach.
Now, three people who co-own the 7-year-old Shih Tzu are facing the toughest charges Smith can levy against them -- torturing an animal, a four-year felony.
Elvira -- named by veterinary workers who provided emergency care to her -- was brought to Macomb County Animal Control on Halloween by one of three people now charged in her abuse.
Christopher Penn, 36; his wife, Sonja Sturdivant, 49, and her son, Demico Knight Jr., 21, each are facing one count of torturing an animal and will be arraigned in 41B District Court in the township at a date to be set by the court, Smith said in a news release today. He said the three shared legal responsibility for the dog's care and protection.
Smith said the mats of fur precluded the flow of air to Elvira's skin. He said she is blind in one eye and partially blind in the other and has a deep skin ulceration resulting from lack of care. She is missing a front foot and has broken bones in her back legs that were left untreated, he said in the release. Smith said that her legs were bent from the matting.
Initially, Knight lied when he brought Elvira to Animal Control. Smith said Knight brought in Elvria and said he found her wandering, but those giving Elvira care realized this could not be true "because the dog could barely walk."
The truth is, according to Smith: Knight said a neighbor girl helping Knight move from the family's home in Clinton Township to one in Macomb Township saw Elvira in a corner of the basement unable to walk or move and told Knight he needed to take in the dog.
The co-defendants were interviewed by police, Smith said, and denied having the dog, but information from other people indicated the dog belonged to the family. Elvira was not registered, he said, and neighbors had not seen the dog in several years.
TOOK PROPER CARE OF ONE DOG, ABUSED THE OTHER
Smith said the family has another dog, a bulldog, that it took for walks and treated well.
"It's really an odd story. It's almost a Cinderella story," Smith said, of the contrast in treatment of the two dogs.
The bulldog remains with the family for now, he said.
HOW MANY YEARS WAS SHE LEFT LOCKED IN THIS DARK BASEMENT?
Elvira, though, he said, was kept in the basement. When asked why, Smith said that "no one could seem to get that out of them."
"That dog was abused in every way possible, except it's heart," he said, adding Elvira is the "sweetest" dog.
He said Elvria has a long road to recovery, but is doing "much better." He said her care is being paid with donations to animal control. According to a post Sunday on animal control's Facebook page, Elvira is "doing well. She is in a foster home now."
"One look at this poor creature will break your heart, and fill you with anger at the individuals who allowed this to take place," Smith said in the news release.
"From within, we should feel a sacred duty to nurture the animals in our care and shield them from harm. Cruelty and neglect on this scale shocks us to the core, and rest assured we will hold them accountable."
(Freep - Nov 7, 2016)
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