July 24, 2014
On Wednesday, July 16th a woman came to the Marshall County Humane Society to drop off a dog she didn’t want anymore. The woman was told that the shelter was full and they were not accepting any dogs at this time. The woman left with the dog. A short time later a man came to the shelter with the same dog that the woman had just left with. The man said he saw this dog get dumped in front of his house on 19th Road. He described the car. The shelter told the man where he might find this car since they knew the woman and where she lived. The man went by the residence and identified the car at the house as the same one that dumped the dog.
The Marshall County Police Department was contacted by the Shelter’s director and Sgt. Carter went to the house and spoke with Kim Paul of Marshall Street in Argos who admitted that she had dumped her dog on the side of the road. She said the dog, Lily a terrier mix was given to her by her daughter in February because she couldn’t keep it any longer. Paul told the officer she could not keep the dog anymore as it did not mind and was destructive.
Indiana Code 35-46-3-7 Abandonment of vertebrate animal states in part: A person who has a vertebrate animal in their custody; and recklessly, knowingly or intentionally abandons or neglects the animal’ commits cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor. However it is a defense that the person who had the animal in the person’s custody reasonably believed that the vertebrate animal was capable of surviving on its own.
A case report has been sent to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s office for possible charges.
Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings and are entitled to be represented by counsel and entitled to a trial by jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.