Dog Had To Be Euthanized In Animal Cruelty Case

By Veronique Masterson

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico – A disturbing case of animal cruelty has Dona Ana Sheriff’s investigators questioning a woman in Vado, New Mexico.

A male chow was brought to the Mesilla Valley Animal Service Center with wounds to it’s chest and arms, filled with about 100 large maggots and it’s fur badly matted.

The dog was in such bad shape, he had to be put down.

“I said to the cruelty officer that she should hang the owner. Because the owner allowed this dog to lay on it’s property without proper treatment, without proper care. Allowed flies to lay eggs on the skin of this dog which hatched out into maggots and it literally ate holes into this dog’s body,” said Dr. Beth Vesco-Mock, Director of the Mesilla Valley Animal Service Center.

“We just don’t tolerate this kind of behavior. If you own an animal, you need to take responsibility for it,” said Dona Ana County Sheriff’s investigator, Robyn Gojkovich. “Actions speak louder than words. You say you love your animal, treat your animal like you love it,” she continued.

Officers with the county’s Animal Control say they got a call Monday from a woman in Vado asking them to pick up an injured dog.

She later said she was the chow’s owner and told officers the dog got into a fight with another chow on her property last week.

The woman told officers the dog was hurt and she did take him to a veterinarian.

Investigators are trying to figure out the details of the dog’s treatment.

No one has been charged in this case. The investigation is ongoing.