PETITION TARGET: Van Zandt County District Attorney
A puppy’s body lay decomposing in a bathroom filled with excrement inside a filthy mobile home when authorities arrived in Wills Point, Texas, according to KETK News. Three living puppies were also found in the feces-covered bathroom. Throughout the rest of the squalid home, officers found four dogs, eight cats, and two guinea pigs — all left in “deplorable conditions,” according to the authorities.
Images of the scene appear to show sorrowful dogs surrounded by excrement and malnourished animals trapped in filthy cages — unable to escape.
The Wills Point Police Department conducted a welfare check following growing concerns about barking dogs and animal waste odor. Authorities allege the 18 animals had all been abandoned and displayed signs of long-term neglect.
“This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I’ve seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations,” Texas SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns told KETK News about the investigation.
No animal should be locked up in an excrement-filled environment and left to fend for themselves. This apparent act of cruelty allegedly left one innocent puppy dead and 17 other helpless animals likely in emotional and physical pain. A man has been arrested and charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals — and we are calling on prosecution to ensure the person responsible is prohibited from subjecting any other animals to such tragic fates.
Please sign this petition to urge Van Zandt County District Attorney to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law including a lifelong ban on having animals.
