Some of you may remember the story I brought you about Panda, the Saint Bernard, who ended up chewing off her own leg to escape entanglement. The case was finally heard by a grand jury and I have to say I'm not pleased with the outcome. This was a horrifying case of animal neglect which occurred in my county and it caught nationwide attention. Since it was such a high profile case, I thought surely appropriate punishment would be meted out. I was wrong...I feel this man merely got a slap on the wrist. I'm also appalled by the fact that he is to have no animals while on probation...how about no animals EVER? I absolutely see red when things like this happen. What do you all think? Did the punishment fit the crime?



Published: 12:53 PM, 09/16/2008

Author: Staff Report
Source: The Monroe County Advocate



A Madisonville man pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals after his dog chewed off its leg to escape entanglement in a lead line.

Adolfo Lopez, Hoyt Sutton Road, was charged after the Monroe County Animal Shelter received a tip about the dog’s condition in March.

At a hearing in May, a neighbor testified he saw the Saint Bernard “Panda” “hobbling around on just three legs with what looked like the bone sticking out.”

Shelter director Vicki Morgan, the shelter’s animal cruelty investigator, Dr. Nancy McIntee, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, went to Lopez’s home. Morgan testified the dog was “hobbling” and added the dog had a foul “rotting meat” smell. She said the stump of Panda’s leg was covered in maggots, which she estimated were at least three days old.

Morgan and McIntee took photos of Panda’s living conditions, which included an empty water bowl, an empty automatic feeder and a bowl of wet, molded dog food.

Dr. Erica Murphy, the veterinarian who treated Panda and eventually amputated the dog’s right hind leg testified Panda appeared to be in mild shock, was a little dehydrated and not at the ideal level of nutritional condition.

She estimated Panda’s leg had been chewed off for five to seven days before it was reported. She said she could not estimate the amount of time the leg had been entangled. But she did say the entanglement cut the circulation off, which allowed the leg to lose feeling. The loss of feeling made Panda see it as a foreign object and enabled her to chew it off in order to free herself.

In Criminal Court Monday, Lopez received an 11-month, 29-day suspended sentence and will be on probation. He is not to own any animals during that time period. He was also ordered to serve 100 hours community service, pay a $100 fine and pay restitution of $535.33 to the Monroe County Animal Hospital.