If anyone needs another reason as to why leaving a dog tied up outside can be inhumane, this story of animal neglect is both shocking and heart-wrenching.
A woman will be serving 6 months in jail after her dog, Golden, perished from being “sucked dry” by thousands of fleas.
Golden had been crying for nearly 8 hours when neighbor Amanda Hios called Prince George Animal Control in Virginia. She told WTVR that she was used to seeing Golden left tied up outside, but on this particular day she told the news channel she “had never heard an animal so sad in my life.”
By the time an animal control officer arrived Golden was unresponsive and breathing irregularly. When the officer moved to pick up the dog she was swarmed by fleas.
Source: WTVR
Golden didn’t make the trip and died on the way to the vet clinic. The doctor who performed a necropsy on Golden said that she had never seen a dog so infested with fleas in her 23 years of practice! Golden died from anemia – blood loss from flea bites.
It was determined that Golden must have suffered from the infestation for some time in order to have been killed by the insects.
Golden’s owner, Josefina Baldera Solis, was convicted and sentenced to 12-months in jail (a 6-month active sentence) and ordered not to own or possess animals in the future.
It’s one of the strongest sentences Animal Control supervisor Job Greene has seen on the job but he believes the sentence was fair given the neglect Golden endured.
It’s terrible what Golden endured, but it’s a powerful reminder to everyone to please act if they see a dog being neglected.
Share this story if you support speaking out against chained and neglected dogs. This is a good reminder to everyone to ALWAYS call for help immediately whenever you see a dog in need. Every minute counts.
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