Lakeland Man, Timothy Henderson, Arrested for Animal Cruelty After Leaving Dog in Abandoned Apartment

FLORIDA -- A 40-year-old Lakeland man was arrested Sunday after leaving a dog in an abandoned apartment, according to the Lakeland Police Department.

Timothy William Henderson, 40, (DOB 4-10-1975) lived at 3215 Baird Ave. Apt #32 with his children for about three years, but after moving out he decided to leave the dog alone in the abandoned apartment, the report said.

A Polk County Sheriff Animal Control officer and deputy showed up to the apartment to find the dog, which appeared to be a mixed cur breed, in an apartment left in disarray with the floors covered in dog feces, said the report.

The dog, which had an hour glass shape to its torso, appeared to have some type of mange, its ribs and spine were showing and the Animal Control officer said the dog was a four to five on the Tufts scale with five being the worst, said the report.

The only food in the apartment was a small amount of cat food in a bowl that was full of cockroaches.

The deputy spoke with the property manager, Keila Sanchez-Velez, who said Henderson moved out on Sunday June 21 and gave the deputy a description and information on Henderson which allowed for the deputy to locate him, said reports.

Henderson was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail and faces charges of aggravated animal cruelty and abandonment of an animal, said the arrest report.

His bond for the aggravated animal cruelty charge was $1,000 and the bond for abandonment was $500.

(The Lakeland Ledger - July 2, 2015)

Walter Manuel charged with cruelty after his dog is found to have eaten sand to survive

FLORIDA --  Winter Haven man is accused of starving a dog so severely, the dog is thought to have eaten sand to survive. Investigators say the dog’s stomach was 75 percent full of sand.

On June 24, Polk County Animal Control received an anonymous call from someone who drove by the home of Walter Manuel, 52, and saw what appeared to be a severely malnourished dog.

  

Animal control officers responded to the home on Carefree Cove Drive and found a 3-year-old male, pit bull-cur mix dog that investigators say was in very poor health. Manuel surrendered the dog to animal control officers.

The dog was examined by Polk County Animal Veterinarian Dr. Abby DeGroat, who determined the dog to be in severe distress. DeGroat said the dog weighed only 44.6 pounds and its skeletal structure was visible through its skin. DeGroat also determined that the dog had severe breathing problems and was suffering immensely and would need to be put down.

A necropsy performed on the dog found that its stomach was 75 percent full of sand. It was presumed that the dog was without food to the point where it was eating dirt, according to investigators.

The veterinarian also said that the dog suffered from a disorder that caused its esophagus to thicken to the point that the dog could barely swallow.

“Dr. Degroat stated that the dog suffered for an extended period of time and the dog starved to near death from the disorder of his esophagus not being treated, the loss of weight and the little to no proper diet.

"The dog suffered a cruel life from lack of proper care and veterinarian care over an extended period of time,” said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in a news release about the arrest.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Manuel on June 25 and charged him with one count of felony animal cruelty.

“We take animal cruelty very seriously in Polk County. Anyone who would treat an animal like this—watching it starve to death—deserves to be held accountable by our criminal justice system, and should never again be allowed to own animals,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

(WFLA - June 26, 2015)

Student who 'poured boiling water on his dog for peeing on the floor' charged with felony

ILLINOIS -- A college athlete has been accused of throwing boiling water on his dog after the animal urinated on the floor.

Kyle Voissem, 20, a criminal justice major at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was originally charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty for the October 18 incident.

But due to the severity of the burns, charges have been upgraded to a felony, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said today, Friday.

According to prosecutors, the University of Illinois senior was boiling water to make macaroni and cheese for dinner at his home in mid-October when he saw his dog, Byron, urinate on the floor.

He threw the boiling water at the dog, causing severe burns to the animal.

The dog was described in the Anti-Cruelty Society report as a one-and-a-half-year-old mountain cur mix'.

The pet was put up for adoption after treatment for second-degree burns over 50 percent of its body and third-degree burns on its neck.

Cook County prosecutors said today, Friday, that charges were upgraded against a University of Illinois at Chicago student accused of pouring boiling water over his dog last year after the pet urinated on the floor.

Bond was set at $100,000 for  Voissem, 20, by Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on the felony charge of animal cruelty.

Voissem, who is from Wisconsin, was arrested in December and charged then with a misdemeanor after the Anti-Cruelty Society lodged a complaint against him with police.

Byron the dog will turn 2 in March and was adopted in late October, 2011, according to Anti-Cruelty Society spokeswoman Trisha Trinco.

'He is in a new loving home, which is really good,' Trinco said.

Voissem, a UIC senior, was on the school’s gymnastics team, but was suspended and later required to leave the team following his arrest, according to his attorney, Will Fahy.

He has no criminal record.

UIC spokesman Bill Burton confirmed Voissem has not participated in the gymnastics team since the arrest and was dismissed from the team yesterday.

Voissem is still a student, however, Burton said.

A short biography on the school’s website said he is majoring in criminal justice.

(Daily Mail UK - Jan 28, 2012)