13-Week-Old Severely Dehydrated Puppy Found Dead At Colorado Home, Owner And Caretaker Charged

Two women in Pueblo, Colorado, were charged after a 13-week-old puppy was found dead in a home on Thursday (May 7).

Pueblo's Animal Law Enforcement team responded to the home after receiving information about a dead dog. The officers found 13-week-old puppy named Lucias deceased inside the residence. The canine's body was taken to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region where it was examined by the staff.

In a press release, Dr. Patti Canchola, the staff's veterinarian, said the canine was "very dehydrated, had blood coming from his rectum and had freshly deposited fly eggs in his mouth."

The caretaker of the canine was questioned by the Animal Law Enforcement. She told the investigators that she believed the puppy had parvovirus and in order to treat it, she and the owner of the canine used Pedialyte and Pepto-Bismol.

“While this case is extremely sad, it serves as a reminder that seeking veterinary care, including humane euthanasia to end suffering, is part of being a responsible pet owner. Relying on word-of-mouth ideas for treatment, Google searches, and old wives’ tales to care for your pets can lead to serious illness or fatality for your animal,” Dr. Canchola said.

The owner and the caretaker of the canine were charged with animal cruelty.

Animal Law Enforcement Assistant Director Lindsey Vigna said, “Failure to seek veterinary care for an animal who is clearly ill is neglectful and results in undue suffering. We charged both Lucias’ caretaker and owner with cruelty to animals due to the medical evidence that showed he was in a state of distress for a prolonged period of time.”

The incident comes days after two Illinois residents were charged with animal cruelty for starving their dogs to death and feeding rat poison to one of them. A German shepherd was found dead near a ditch in March. Investigation led the officers to the owners of the dog. A few days later, another dog that belonged to them was found dead. Necropsies revealed that both that canines died of starvation. It was also revealed that the German Shepherd was fed rat poison. The owners were arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of an animal on May 5.