Socorro owner of severely malnourished dog is arrested

UPDATE: Socorro Police said they arrested the owner of a severely malnourished dog on animal cruelty charges following a meeting Friday with an animal rescue group.

Mario Huereca, 21, was booked Friday into the El Paso County jail on $2,000 bond. No mugshot was immediately available, authorities indicated.

"The dog was (recently) retrieved from the 400 block of Valle Los Coronado, at which time, the rescue organization observed that the dog was extremely thin and malnourished, living on a chain and suffering from an extreme case of diarrhea," police said in a statement.

But Huercea's mother Leticia Rodriguez contacted ABC-7 and maintained there was no neglect; she said they took "Roxy" the dog to the veterinarian twice over the past year and explained the dog was not gaining weight.

The family said the vet bills would've cost upwards of $800, which was money they said they did not have. Rodriguez added that they tried to take the dog to the Humane Society and other animal shelters, but none would accept her.

According to Rodriguez, Tigua Animal Control came and picked up the dog on July 29.

ORIGINAL REPORT: SOCORRO, Texas -- Pawsitive Animal Rescuers of El Paso were set to meet with Socorro Police on Friday afternoon to get details about the case of a severely malnourished female dog named "Roxy" that was surrendered to authorities.

The dog had a litter of puppies, but could not nurse them due to being so malnourished, said Karen Washington of Pawsitive Rescuers.

According to Washington, the puppies have to be bottle fed and are currently in foster care.

"Roxy" was surrendered to Socorro authorities and the owner was reportedly cited, Washington told ABC-7. Her group is seeking more information about the charges and circumstances surrounding the neglected dog.