Animal Watch
Howard Animal Watch
Thursday, October 21, 2004; Page HO26
CLARKSVILLE, Route 108 and Hall Shop Road, 5:36 p.m. Oct. 5. A caller reported that a horse in a pasture appeared to have a split hoof. An animal control officer responded and found three horses in the pasture. One of the horses had an abscess that had ruptured, which apparently relieved pressure from the abscess. The horse was otherwise in apparent good health. Animal Management notified the horses' owner and the caller, who acknowledged having stopped along the road to feed apples to the horses. Animal control officials said that feeding a horse certain foods can lead to colic and death and that animals should not be given food without the approval of an owner or custodian.
GLENELG, Pfefferkorn Rd., 3200 block, 11 a.m. Oct. 7. Animal control officers responded to a report of multiple puppies kept in an alleged "puppy mill." Upon arrival, officers found more than 50 puppies of different breeds in deplorable surroundings, with a buildup of feces and a strong odor of urine. The puppies were in crowded hutches. A caretaker-operator arrived and was able to make some immediate improvements as directed by the officers. Later, more than 20 puppies were impounded. The puppies will be returned to the caretaker-operator upon completion of additional corrections and improvements. Six citations were issued, charging cruelty and neglect.
LAUREL, Madison Ave., 9300 block, 2:35 p.m. Oct. 8. The state Department of Natural Resources asked Animal Control to impound a squirrel being kept as a pet that had reportedly bitten someone. Animal Control responded and found the bite incident had occurred a week earlier. The squirrel had been given to a rescue group and had died. Because the squirrel's carcass could not be recovered for rabies testing, the bite victim had to undergo rabies shots. The squirrel's original captor was charged with possessing wildlife without a permit, a violation of state regulations.
