UPDATE 1/16/12: Here is the link to the article written by the Portsmouth Daily Times after their interview with Tyson's owner. The slideshow (left) shows pictures of Tyson taken today. It has been decided that he will be left in the care of his owner. Decide for yourself whether this decision was made in his best interest.
Here is another article and video from WSAZ 3:
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Portsmouth_Dog_Abuse_Probe_Ignites_Fa...
We have a confirmed time to meet with Tyson's owner, we will be providing an update on the current status of Tyson with Wendy Payton later on in the day ... and we will be including pictures.
Portsmouth, OH - It's hard enough to accept that an owner would cruelly neglect and starve her own pet, but it's beyond unbelieveable when the very people called in to save the animal from further abuse neglect to do what's right.
This heartbreaking picture of a chained dog left outside laying on wet concrete, apparently shivering and in horrific condition, began to pop up on numerous sites and has sparked much attention on Facebook.
After receiving complaints, animal control officer Wendy Payton investigated the call at the home of Carrie Ann DeLotell in Portsmouth. She reported the dog did not appear healthy, but that it had food and water, and ordered the dog be seen by a veterinarian the next day.
The owner claims that without her authorization, the dog was removed from the property, and the next morning she reported that the dog had been stolen overnight.
It was reported that a non-profit organization Hope For Paws brought him to a veteranarian for care and treatment. After contacting several veterinarians, Payton located the dog. But what she did next is totally unacceptable.
She returned the dog to his owner.
Apparently the owner complained to Judge Kirsch and Payton, and they determined the dog was not "that bad."
This sparked upset and a flurry of posts on Facebook protesting that this neglected, chained, starving dog should not have been returned to the very person believed to be responsible for his condition.
At the very least, Payton should have held the dog until further investigation as to how the dog ended up in this state.
The question everyone is asking is "Why?" Why would someone called in to save and protect this animal from further neglect just return him without question?
Apparently the owner claimed on a Facebook post that the dog was sick, not hungry. If that was the case, wouldn't a caring, responsible guardian take their dog for vet care? Would a caring, responsible guardian leave a sick dog chained outside in the cold?
She said the dog was on medication that wasn't working, so he lost weight. That should not mean giving up, and to just allow this dog to continue suffering and deteriorating. It was also stated that she may have been self-medicating the dog; possibly why it wasn't working.
People are calling for Wendy Payton to be fired for failing to handle this case properly by protecting this dog from further abuse.
If you are interested, a petition has been started: Portsmouth, Ohio - Protect animals from their abusive owners, which you can sign here.
Finally, if you would like to share your concerns about this decision, please contact Judge James Kirsch's office at (740) 355-8306. Please be respectful in any and all communications concerning this matter.
We'll have to wait to see what the final decision will be. We hope it will be in the best interest and protection of this dog.
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