Syracuse Man Charged with Mistreating Dog
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Kaitie Vanderpool-
According to a Syracuse Police Department incident report, officers responded to a call on Sept. 30 about the welfare of a dog at 507 E. Edgewater Drive. When officers knocked on the door, a woman answered and told them she and the dog’s owner were going through a “rough time with money” and could not afford dog food at the time. The woman showed the officers the dog – a black and white pitbull – and officers noted the dog had very little muscle with the rib cage very visible. The dog was reportedly also covered in fleas and flea bites.
The woman told officers the dog had been without food for four days but assured officers the owner would buy food for the animal as soon as he received a pay check. She further told officers they would buy the animal flea medication with her disability check. Officers told the woman they would come back to check on the dog on the date their pay check was said to be received.
Officers returned to the residence Oct. 1 and again spoke with the female who explained the dog’s owner had not returned from work, so the dog had still not been fed. The officers then told the woman they would return the following Friday and if the dog was not fed or treated for fleas, they would pursue the couple for abusing the animal.
Later that day, the dog owner, who identified himself as Timothy John Hankins II, 28, and the female subject arrived at the Syracuse Police Department and spoke to officers about the animal. Hankins was reportedly rude to the officers and explained he was not happy they came to his residence asserting he was abusing his animal. Hankins eventually admitted the dog was not under veterinary care so officers follwed him back to his residence. After seeing the dog, officers issued a warrant for Hankins’ arrest.
He was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail Wednesday night on preliminary charges of cruelty to an animal and held on a $500 bond.
Hankins’ arrest comes on the heels of another county resident arrested for the same charge in an unrelated case.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department report, officers responded to a call on Sept. 24 that a Burket woman, later identified as Laci Harper, 26, of 107 E. Center St., Burket, had tied up two German shepherd puppies outside of her residence without food.
The complainant advised one of the puppies had died and the second had begun feeding on it.
Officers noted the surviving puppy was extremely emaciated with hardly any muscle or fat on its back or neck. They also noted that there was no food available for the dog to eat at that time and no water save rain water that had collected in a child’s swimming pool.
Harper was not at the residence at the time of response.
Officers took possession of the deceased puppy and transported it to an area veterinarian who performed a necropsy and concluded the dog had died of starvation. The contents of the dog’s stomach included leaves, hair, sticks, small stones and less than a tablespoon of digested food.
Harper was arrested Oct. 3 on preliminary charges of cruelty to an animal and held on a $1,000 bond.
Hankins and Harper both have bonded out of jail.
Cruelty to an animal is a Class A misdemeanor and punishable by up to 1 year in jail and $5,000 in fines.
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According to a Syracuse Police Department incident report, officers responded to a call on Sept. 30 about the welfare of a dog at 507 E. Edgewater Drive. When officers knocked on the door, a woman answered and told them she and the dog’s owner were going through a “rough time with money” and could not afford dog food at the time. The woman showed the officers the dog – a black and white pitbull – and officers noted the dog had very little muscle with the rib cage very visible. The dog was reportedly also covered in fleas and flea bites.
The woman told officers the dog had been without food for four days but assured officers the owner would buy food for the animal as soon as he received a pay check. She further told officers they would buy the animal flea medication with her disability check. Officers told the woman they would come back to check on the dog on the date their pay check was said to be received.
Officers returned to the residence Oct. 1 and again spoke with the female who explained the dog’s owner had not returned from work, so the dog had still not been fed. The officers then told the woman they would return the following Friday and if the dog was not fed or treated for fleas, they would pursue the couple for abusing the animal.
Later that day, the dog owner, who identified himself as Timothy John Hankins II, 28, and the female subject arrived at the Syracuse Police Department and spoke to officers about the animal. Hankins was reportedly rude to the officers and explained he was not happy they came to his residence asserting he was abusing his animal. Hankins eventually admitted the dog was not under veterinary care so officers follwed him back to his residence. After seeing the dog, officers issued a warrant for Hankins’ arrest.
He was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail Wednesday night on preliminary charges of cruelty to an animal and held on a $500 bond.
Hankins’ arrest comes on the heels of another county resident arrested for the same charge in an unrelated case.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department report, officers responded to a call on Sept. 24 that a Burket woman, later identified as Laci Harper, 26, of 107 E. Center St., Burket, had tied up two German shepherd puppies outside of her residence without food.
The complainant advised one of the puppies had died and the second had begun feeding on it.
Officers noted the surviving puppy was extremely emaciated with hardly any muscle or fat on its back or neck. They also noted that there was no food available for the dog to eat at that time and no water save rain water that had collected in a child’s swimming pool.
Harper was not at the residence at the time of response.
Officers took possession of the deceased puppy and transported it to an area veterinarian who performed a necropsy and concluded the dog had died of starvation. The contents of the dog’s stomach included leaves, hair, sticks, small stones and less than a tablespoon of digested food.
Harper was arrested Oct. 3 on preliminary charges of cruelty to an animal and held on a $1,000 bond.
Hankins and Harper both have bonded out of jail.
Cruelty to an animal is a Class A misdemeanor and punishable by up to 1 year in jail and $5,000 in fines.
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