AmandaDi
January, 10th, 2003, 10:45 PM
This has been all over the news as one of the worst animal cruelty cases in central Texas...
74-year-old woman faces animal cruelty charge
By MIKE ANDERSON Tribune-Herald staff writer
A Bell County woman surrendered to authorities Thursday after a warrant was issued for her arrest in connection with an incident in which a dog was reportedly dragged behind an automobile.
Elizabeth Jane Wood , 74, turned herself in at the Bell County Sheriff's Office Thursday and was given the misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. The charge stems from an incident earlier this week in which a dog was badly injured after apparently being dragged for more than two miles before being left in front of the Temple Animal Shelter.
An animal control officer found the male mixed-breed dog still alive in front of the shelter Sunday afternoon, said Walter Hetzel, supervisor of animal services for the city of Temple.
"There was an attempt to save the dog, but the injuries were too severe and there was too much blood loss," Hetzel said. "We had to put it to sleep."
Hetzel said the officer was able to determine how far the dog had been dragged by following a trail of blood along roads leading out of the city limits.
Wood took a written statement to the sheriff's department earlier Thursday explaining her actions, according to a department press release. She stated the dog had become aggressive, at one point killing a kitten at her house, so she decided to take the dog to the shelter. She said she planned to leave the dog tied to a fence at the shelter until the morning, when she was going to speak with employees about adopting it out.
Wood said she tried to pull the dog inside her vehicle, but it was too heavy and resisted. She said she then tied the dog to the outside of the vehicle and drove slowly to the shelter, but when she arrived she saw the dog had been injured. She told authorities she called her daughter, who then called a veterinarian, but the animal control officer arrived before an emergency veterinarian could be located.
A group that has worked with the city to raise money for a new animal control center had offered a $500 reward for any tips that led to the conviction of the person responsible. Association for a Pet Adoption Center President April Jones said public interest in the case had meant donations had boosted the reward up to $1,800. She said although there was a tip in this case, she was not sure if the reward would be paid.
A sheriff's department spokesman said Wood was later allowed to return home without bond being set.
74-year-old woman faces animal cruelty charge
By MIKE ANDERSON Tribune-Herald staff writer
A Bell County woman surrendered to authorities Thursday after a warrant was issued for her arrest in connection with an incident in which a dog was reportedly dragged behind an automobile.
Elizabeth Jane Wood , 74, turned herself in at the Bell County Sheriff's Office Thursday and was given the misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. The charge stems from an incident earlier this week in which a dog was badly injured after apparently being dragged for more than two miles before being left in front of the Temple Animal Shelter.
An animal control officer found the male mixed-breed dog still alive in front of the shelter Sunday afternoon, said Walter Hetzel, supervisor of animal services for the city of Temple.
"There was an attempt to save the dog, but the injuries were too severe and there was too much blood loss," Hetzel said. "We had to put it to sleep."
Hetzel said the officer was able to determine how far the dog had been dragged by following a trail of blood along roads leading out of the city limits.
Wood took a written statement to the sheriff's department earlier Thursday explaining her actions, according to a department press release. She stated the dog had become aggressive, at one point killing a kitten at her house, so she decided to take the dog to the shelter. She said she planned to leave the dog tied to a fence at the shelter until the morning, when she was going to speak with employees about adopting it out.
Wood said she tried to pull the dog inside her vehicle, but it was too heavy and resisted. She said she then tied the dog to the outside of the vehicle and drove slowly to the shelter, but when she arrived she saw the dog had been injured. She told authorities she called her daughter, who then called a veterinarian, but the animal control officer arrived before an emergency veterinarian could be located.
A group that has worked with the city to raise money for a new animal control center had offered a $500 reward for any tips that led to the conviction of the person responsible. Association for a Pet Adoption Center President April Jones said public interest in the case had meant donations had boosted the reward up to $1,800. She said although there was a tip in this case, she was not sure if the reward would be paid.
A sheriff's department spokesman said Wood was later allowed to return home without bond being set.