Published: July 03, 2009 08:43 am      

Animal neglect is a crime

PICAYUNE — Due to a pet owner’s neglect, a number of dogs have perished in the hot summer sun.

The situation came to the attention of the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department when a citizen called in a complaint concerning decaying and dying animals. The department responded to the call Tuesday evening to find two dead adult dogs and a dead puppy. Three live puppies were described to have been feeding on the carcass of the deceased puppy. An adult pitbull was also found at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Department now has submitted seven affidavits against 33 year-old Alicia M. Goynes, the resident of the home at 8036 U.S. Highway 11 North, said Capt. Kelvin Stanford. Goynes is believed to be out of town, but the department is looking into her whereabouts. Once found she will face the seven charges of animal cruelty.

Thursday morning county crews went out to the home to bury the dead dogs, which were still tied to their leashes in the yard. It appeared as though the animals had been deceased for some time as severe decay had already set in on some of the animals. No one was at the residence at the time, which consisted of a travel trailer parked behind a closed down gas station in McNeil. Water and food bowls near the dogs’ locations appeared to be empty and shade for all of the animals appeared to be limited.

District V Supervisor Sandy Kane Smith said he became aware of the situation Tuesday night and had to acquire a court order from Justice Court Judge Nell Cowart to bring the surviving pitbull to the local animal shelter.

The two puppies also were taken to the Picayune animal shelter but had to be euthanized later due to their poor health and inability to feed on their own, said Picayune Animal Shelter Director Judy Wheaton. The pitbull has five days to be adopted before the shelter will be forced to euthanize it. The shelter has to be careful who is allowed to adopt the dog, she said.

“We wouldn’t want him to get back in that situation,” Wheaton said.

Another alternative would be for a local rescue organization steps in to assist. Wheaton described the pitbull as affectionate and friendly.

Smith said he plans to discuss the problem of animal cruelty with the rest of the supervisors at their next meeting Tuesday. He said there needs to be stricter punishment for such acts.

Currently the charge of animal cruelty in Mississippi is a misdemeanor, Stanford said.

Local SPCA president Maria Diamond said the Picayune animal shelter has a petition being signed to stiffen animal cruelty charges to felonies.

Diamond asks county residents to report incidents of animal cruelty to their local law enforcement agency.

“Nothing can be done if nobody knows about it,” Diamond said.

Diamond said anyone who reports animal cruelty can do so with anonymity.

Animals should be kept inside when possible during the heat of summer. If that is not an option Diamond suggests keeping them in an area with constant shade throughout the day. They require a steady supply of fresh water, which should be secured either by placing a bucket inside an old tire or by putting the bucket in a hole in the ground. Otherwise the animal can unintentionally spill its water.

Pets should also be left at home when going shopping. It only takes a few minutes for a pet to die from heat exhaustion even with the windows of a parked car crackedopen. The back of pickups is not a good place for pets since they get hot, which can damage an animal’s paws, Diamond said.