May 20—After several months of physical and behavioral treatment at the SPCA of Texas’ Dallas facility, a dog rescued from a Hunt County home late last summer has been recovered and adopted into a new, loving forever home.
According to the SPCA, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check on a dog on August 21 and upon arrival determined that the dog was unlawfully restrained using a chain.
Officers spoke with the owner – identified as Tonya Alexander – to inform her that she was in violation of the Texas Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, which makes it illegal to have the dog on a chain.
The SPCA’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit was notified by the sheriff’s office at that time and planned to investigate the matter further the next morning to ensure the owner was following the rules.
That same evening around midnight, the sheriff’s office received a call from the dog’s owner, reporting that an unknown man had come through her yard and slit the dog’s throat.
The sheriff’s office immediately responded to the scene and members of the SPCA ACI unit spoke to HCSO personnel via telephone regarding their response.
After reviewing the photos provided by officers based on their initial response of the evening, it appeared to ACI investigators that the dog had an embedded collar and that the injuries to the dog’s throat were consistent with the removal of a such an embedded collar, which probably happened when the owner removed the collar. the dog from the chain.
The dog had an open wound on its neck as a result and officers told the owner to take the dog to a veterinary clinic first thing the next morning and informed her that the SPCA would follow up to ensure the dog received medical treatment. .
The next morning at approximately 9am, the ACI unit attended the property to ensure the dog had reached the vet but the owner was still in bed sleeping. The dog had not received any medical care at that time.
The owner stuck to her story that the dog’s throat had been slit by unknown men who had entered her property the previous night.
Alexander agreed to surrender the dog to the SPCA and the dog, named Lucy, was transported to the Dallas facility for medical treatment and forensic evaluations. The investigation revealed that the collar was embedded in the dog’s neck and the wound was caused by the removal of the embedded collar, causing the dog significant pain and suffering.
After several months, a warrant was issued from Hunt County on April 15 for the arrest of Alexander, who was charged with Cruelty to Non-Livestock – Neglect, a class A misdemeanor. Alexander voluntarily turned himself in to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office on May 10 Sheriff’s Office.
Under Texas Penal Code 42.092 (Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals), a person commits an offense if the person willfully, knowingly, or recklessly unreasonably fails to provide necessary care to maintain the animal in a good condition of health.
“This case was difficult to watch,” said SPCA of Texas ACI Chief Investigator Courtney Burns. “The poor dog was as sweet as could be and was probably in excruciating pain for weeks as her collar worked its way into her neck.”
