Chained Dog Case Results in Fine
Update
The animal neglect and tethering charges against John Crosby were
disposed on March 22, 2010. He was adjudicated guilty and ordered to pay
a $385 fine.
(Chatham County, GA) John Crosby’s 64-year-old neighbor says she’d do it all over again. Previously facing theft and trespass charges for entering Crosby’s property in October 2009 and unchaining his dog, Ann Wylene Lam had reportedly informed local authorities of the alleged neglect months earlier. Speaking with reporters in early December, she described her impression of the dog on the day she rescued him: “He’s not eating, he won’t pick his head up out of his bowl, he’s giving up, he’s just quitting.”
John Crosby expressed in a December 2009 news interview that he could not
afford to take the dog to a veterinarian, and was unaware of the local prohibition against tethering. The dog was
given over to Savannah/Chatham County Animal Control by Ms. Lam, but
ultimately did not survive. John Crosby has been charged with tethering
and animal neglect.
Neighbor disputes over animal care are all-too-common and the solutions
are rarely expedient. When an animal’s life appears to be in immediate
danger (due, for example, to temperature extremes and exposure or
starvation), calling 911 is appropriate. Complaints to local law
enforcement authorities should always be made via a formal written
report, and keeping a dated journal of developments is often useful for
witnesses. Here are some guidelines for addressing chronic animal
neglect in your neighborhood:
- How to Help a Neighbor’s Neglected Animal
- Communicating With Law Enforcement
- Confronting Animal Neglect State by State – an ALDF Report
- 20
Ways to Help a Chained Dog from UnchainYourDog.org
Chatham County Courthouse
133 Montgomery Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912-652-7425
Defendant John H. Crosby – case #5138646-01
http://www.chathamcourts.org
