Wednesday, July 13, at 3:23 p.m., the Groves Police Department assisted Groves Animal Control on a cruelty to animal call in the 3100 block of Taft, where a deceased puppy was discovered in a wire kennel on the side of the residence. The kennel was located in direct sunlight with no shade, food or water, Groves PD reported.
“The puppy was not breathing and rigor mortis had begun to set in,” an announcement from Groves PD detailed. “A small bowl with no food or water was inside the kennel. The temperature on this date was 94 degrees with a heat advisory in effect, showing a heat index between 108 and 112 degrees at the time of the call.
“The owner of the residence was located and denied having any knowledge that the dog was at her residence. She claimed that the dog belonged to her daughter, who lives in Port Arthur, and the homeowner had no knowledge it had been dropped off.”
Groves police further reported that a neighbor reported that her stepson took a video of the dog at 2:42 p.m., while the dog was still alive. Animal control took possession of the puppy and investigators are waiting for the results of the necropsy to determine cause of death for prosecution purposes.
“Unfortunately, we could not make an arrest at the time, due to the fact that the offense was a misdemeanor and did not occur in the police officer’s presence, so it has to be investigated,” according to Groves PD’s information release. “Our objective here is to establish who was actually responsible for this inhumane act of cruelty and neglect and hold them accountable.
“In this process, we’ll be interviewing suspects, witnesses and gathering any additional evidence to support our case. Once we complete our investigation, the case will be submitted to the Jefferson County DA’s office for review.”
Animal Cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor, charged to animal “caregivers” for failing to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter. A Class A misdemeanor is the most serious type of misdemeanor offense in Texas.
Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the Groves Police Department at (409) 962-0244.