- Tennessee, USA -
Authorities have charged 34-year-old DANIELLE DOWNEY (pictured below), with aggravated animal cruelty after she allowed one of her dogs to starve to death.
The Chattanoogan.com reports that the McKamey Animal Center “received notice that two dogs had just died, but their pups were living in a house on Hansley Drive with “pups’ droppings all over the place and untreated parvo”.”
On March 31, police assisted a McKamey Animal Center officer with an investigation.
Police met with DOWNEY, the dog’s guardian.
According to the report, another woman was also present, and DOWNEY refused police entry because it was “a mess.”
Police explained to DOWNEY that the complaint required them to go inside, and at that point police were told there was a dead dog inside the home.
DOWNEY told officers that the dog was last alive about a week before.
She also told them that her ex-husband was the one who harmed the dogs and that the dog who died was the mother of the puppies.
The puppies had also died.
DOWNEY claimed when they were 4 weeks old their mother stopped breastfeeding them and they died when they were 8 weeks old.
According to the report, DOWNEY stated did not have the money to take the dog or puppies to the vet.
Police explained to DOWNEY they would need a necropsy to be performed and that the results would then determine which citations would be issued.
DOWNEY and the other woman present became upset.
When neither woman would give the officer her driver’s license information, Chattanooga Police were called in.
Meanwhile, a male friend of DOWNEY showed up and made alarming statements.
According to police, he blamed DOWNEY’s ex-husband for the death of the mama dog and added she had died a few days ago.
The man then revealed to police that there were several dogs buried behind the residence and a total of nine puppies.
DOWNEY informed police she gave a pair of puppies to friends but does not know whether the dogs are still alive or not.
The necropsy performed on the mama dog revealed she died from starvation.
The children in DOWNEY’s residence were removed by CPS.
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