Police: Man Faces Animal Cruelty Charges
MEDINA, Tenn. – A Gibson County man is facing animal cruelty charges, after police said they found several dogs in cages outside his Medina home with no ventilation, no water, and moldy food. Officers said the dogs were kept outside in cages in temperatures in the 90s without water. Medina police officers were called out to a home on Cumberland Street, Wednesday, to investigate a case of animal cruelty. Police said they could not find the pit bulldogs at first, but then they heard barking from under a plastic sheet. “So when he lifted the tarp, the heat wave came up, and there was six puppies under there, about 10 weeks old,” said Chief Chad Lowery. Chief Lowery said they also found two adult pit bulls in a shed right next to those kennels. Officers said the female was very malnourished – you could even see her rib and hip bones. “All the animals had a little bit of molded food in or around their pen, and all of them had old feces that had changed colors,” Lowery said. Investigators said the owner, Brian Turner, faces two counts of animal cruelty. “The heat, coupled with no water and the tarp over the puppies, creating an oven, that was my main concern,” Lowery said. April Dunning, who volunteers with a local K9 rescue group, said she took one of the puppies home to give it special care. “Some other symptoms showed up, and I took it to the vet and it was positive for parvo, so we had to put that puppy down,” Dunning said. Now, she said they have to worry about the other puppies, since they were exposed, and could be contaminated. “He was in such bad physical condition, even without the parvo, I don’t really know if he would’ve made it,” Dunning said. “He was that badly dehydrated and that sick.” For now, police said the dogs will be kept in the city’s holding kennel. Police advise residents to check on their pets, especially in the heat, to make sure they have plenty of water. Chief Lowery said to contact local law enforcement if you see any animal neglect.
