That's included seeing firsthand someone throw a dog out of a moving vehicle, leaving it to fend for itself. The lack of accountability for taking care of animals frustrates her to no end.
"I'm just tired of nothing ever being done," Zupan said. "People shouldn't get pets if they're just going to dispose of them like trash."
The case of a two-year-old German Shepherd named Riley was the last straw for Zupan. The owner of Indiana GSD and Siberian Husky Rescue in Quincy, recently filed abuse and neglect charges for the first time against a Columbus couple who she says admitted to his poor condition.
"I've reached out to them and spoke with them," Zupan said. "She (Riley's owner) admitted, 'Yeah, we knew he was skinny and underweight, but he was just stressed out because we were moving.' "
Zupan says her friend and rescue partner, who was a neighbor of the the couple, was the first to notice the condition of the dog when she inquired about adopting him.
Riley's rib cage was visible and struggled to get along with Zupan's rescue partner's dog. She contacted Zupan about getting him medical attention and by Saturday, he was at a veterinarian's office.
The vet told Zupan that Riley was 50 pounds underweight, full of parasites and whipworms, and was beginning to have kidney failure. The doctors did everything they could, but 24 hours later, Riley was dead.
"This was a slow, agonizing neglect and death. It wasn't something that just happened in a week or a month," Zupan said.
Before his death, Zupan says she reached out to Riley's original owners via Facebook Messenger.
"I warned her. I said ... 'You don't know me and that's a good thing but I will be going to the prosecutor's office to file neglect and abuse charges on you and your boyfriend for Riley ... You all need to go to jail for what you have done to this dog.' "
The two exchanged multiple messages as doctors tended to Riley. Zupan says the woman claims she took Riley to a friend who was a vet who told them the dog was fine but stressed and underweight. The woman says they saw improvements with a change in diet.
'We changed the routine, he got better, but I guess we didn't dig deep enough into the issue,' the woman responded, according to Zupan.
After Zupan pressed her on the vet's credentials and then informed her of Riley's death, she says the woman deleted her Facebook account. Batholomew County authorities say are in the beginning stages of their investigation and seeking additional documentation in the case.
In the meantime, Zupan has set up a petition with more than 5,000 signatures as of Thursday morning to draw further attention to the case. She says she wants animal abuse laws to be strengthened.
"Animals don't have a voice. We have to be their voice." Zupan said.
In Indiana, abuse and neglect of animals can result in a Class A misdemeanor. A repeat offense, or “knowingly or intentionally tortures or mutilates a vertebrate animal,” can lead to a felony conviction.
(IndyStar - November 11, 2017)
