Odds or Ends

According to the ASPCA, on Tuesday, February 5, ASPCA Special Agent Debbie Ryan arrested Diana Elias, 52, at her home in New York City, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. Following up on an anonymous complaint, Agent Ryan discovered Elias’s six-year-old miniature poodle, Miss Bea, in a closet, encased in a solid cocoon of matted hair laden with urine, feces and filth. Long-term lack of grooming and exercise had rendered Miss Bea unable to stand or walk; she was also suffering from an ear infection and nails so overgrown that they curled around and pierced the skin on her paw pads. Vets at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH) removed three pounds of knotted hair—one-third of the dog’s total body weight.

“This was an extreme case of neglect, one that didn’t happen overnight,” says Dr. Robert Reisman, ASPCA Medical Coordinator of Animal Abuse Cases. “The muscles in Miss Bea's front legs had atrophied due to non-use, and her carpal joints—the equivalent of wrists in humans—became extended to compensate for her immobility. It took at least four months for her to reach this state.”

While Elias, charged with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty, faces up to one year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine, Miss Bea is getting her second chance at life and love. After completing medical treatment, including spay surgery and a thorough grooming, she was made available for adoption. She has been adopted and is now lving with her new family.

If you know of an animal whose health is being compromised by neglect, please report it. You can fo to the ASPCA website for more information. http://www.aspca.org

Source: ASPCA