Pit Mix Abuse Case in South Carolina

DOG FOUND CHAINED, EMACIATED
AND COVERED IN MOTOR OIL

Police charged a Rock Hill woman with animal cruelty after her dog was found living in squalor. An officer found the dog chained outside Karen Erby's home at 305 Marshall St., a police report said. The dog appeared as if it had been sick for a while, though it did have access to a food bowl, water and shelter, an incident report noted.

On January 21, 2010, police arrested Erby and charged her with cruelty to an animal.

Veterinarians found that motor oil had been poured over the dog's coat. Some pet owners falsely believe motor oil is a cure for mange, said veterinary technician Ramie Pratt, who is helping treat the dog at Ebenezer Animal Hospital. The dog was at least 15 pounds underweight and suffered from a skin infection, intestinal parasites and a heart murmur, Pratt said. Staffers decided to nickname the dog “Hope” because they believe she can recover.

VIDEO: 

UPDATE :Erby was convicted of animal cruelty during a bench trial Thursday and ordered to pay a $470 fine or serve 30 days in jail, members of the group called it a “victory for the animals of York County.”

We are sick and tired of seeing animals abused and neglected,” said Janet Richardson of Richardson Rescue in York. “And we’re not going to stand for it.”

A member of the group, Alicia Schwartz, a representative of Dogs Deserve Better, is one of the people who found Erby’s dog in January, said it’s the group’s goal to bring the county’s animal laws up to date. She said the dog looked dead from a distance, and described her appearance as decaying.

“We’re constantly fighting for a no-tethering ordinance,” she said, “and to have animals be licensed. We’re not picking on people, it’s to make them aware.”

Schwartz was one of many animal advocates who dressed in black and filled a section of the Rock Hill Municipal Courtroom Thursday afternoon to show their support for the dog, now named “Hope,” who was in need of medical treatment when she was found Jan. 10.

Officers arrested days Erby after finding the sickly dog. Although the dog had access to a food bowl, water and shelter, a veterinarian said it was 15 pounds under weight and too weak to raise its head or walk, Judge Ray Long said during the bench trial. Motor oil had been poured over the dog’s coat. Some pet owners falsely believe motor oil is a cure for mange, Ebenezer Animal Hospital veterinary technician Ramie Pratt told The Herald after the arrest.
 
The Animal Adoption League http://www.mynextpet.com/Hope.html has taken very good care of Hope

NOW HEALED AND LOOKING FOR HER NEW HOME - VIDEO:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8maeeVQy7Y