Animal abuse charges filed in dog neglect case
By Alex Hummel
of The Northwestern
In the end, Valentine looked nothing like the stocky, stereotyped image of a pit bull. The 5-month-old puppy was hairless, gaunt and bruised.
The photos are hard to look at. And they are one more result of a cruel twist: Long-maligned pit bulls are increasingly the victims – not aggressors – in Oshkosh, part of what Oshkosh Area Humane Society leaders call a "disturbing" trend of abuse and deaths for a stereotyped dog.
Animal cruelty charges are pending against Valentine's owner who so neglected the puppy that she died "emaciated and lethargic with severe skin issues.", according to Humane Society and the Oshkosh Police Department, Valentine.
"Pit bills by virtue of genetics are very social dogs," said OAHS Executive Director Joni Geiger. "They are really sweet social, friendly dogs. To see them physically abused by their owners or other people involved with them – it's a real shame, and it's very cruel."
Valentine was brought to shelter on Feb. 13. She was subsequently euthanized after Lakeside Veterinary Hospital doctors concluded she was too severely malnourished to save.
"This is something that had to occur over several weeks at a minimum to reach such a severe condition," Lakeside's Dr. John Popp stated in a release announcing pending charges against Valentine's owner.
In January, a severely injured pit bull was discovered in the town of Black Wolf. Officials initially thought the dog, dubbed "Sophie" by shelter staff, was the victim of dog fighting because of puncture wounds to her head, feet and body and had one of her ears torn off.
An investigation ruled out dog-fighting, but left unanswered how the dog was injured.
Sophie had to be destroyed based on the severity of the injuries.
Geiger said the humane society ran into another disturbing pit-bull case recently. A younger dog was found decapitated near the city's railroad tracks. The dog was apparently dead before someone deliberately placed it on the railroad line, she said.
Why they are increasing is anybody's guess, Geiger said. It's possible the pit bull violence stems from the breed's popularity and glamorization as pets for a criminal element.
"It's not just because we have suddenly started to notice it," she said. "There has been a rash of this. If it's because there are more of these breeds in our community and therefore they are being mistreated, I don't know."
Alex Hummel: (920) 426-6669 or
ahummel@thenorthwestern.com.
