Memphis police are investigating a horrific case of animal cruelty and neglect.
Zangerio Dogan is facing animal cruelty charges after his dog was found in the backyard of his sister's home tied to a basketball goal. The dog had been starved to death and was literally frozen to the ground. Police said the pit bull was skin and bones and probably hadn't been fed in quite a while. There was a frozen bowl of water near the corpse.
Dogan says he thought his sister was caring for the dog he had left at her house. The sister said she thought he had picked up his dog weeks ago.
People in the neighborhood were shocked to learn of the incident. Several neighbors said they don’t remember ever seeing the dog, described by police as a blue pit bull terrier. “That’s sad, that’s really sad. They should go to jail,” said one neighbor.
Animal welfare workers say dogs that are left outside during the cold winter months need to have access to a dog house with straw bedding- at the very least. Pets also need more food and water in the winter because they use more energy just to keep warm-even if they just go outside to play.
It is recommended that you bring pets inside when temperatures drop below freezing, even if they are usually outside pets.
Dogan is being held in lieu of $1,500 bond.
Comments