“Skin and bones”: woman arrested after dog died of starvation in Bartow, 2 rescued

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A woman has been charged with animal cruelty after three dogs were found in squalid conditions at a house in Bartow on Thursday.

Dashong Bonner, 52, was forced to surrender her dogs before being arrested and charged with two counts of animal cruelty and one count of cruelty, authorities said. Bonner is being held in a Polk County jail in lieu of $ 2,500 bail.

The charges stem from an investigation into the gross negligence of the dogs at Bonner’s home on 9th Avenue near Wabash Street. Animal control officers were called to the residence on Thursday and found a dead dog and two others in seriously neglected condition.

A mix of priests named Buster had been kept in a wire kennel on the back porch and starved to death, investigators said.

“The dog had no visible fat on its body and appeared to have skin and bones,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

Authorities said the two surviving dogs were both anemic and could barely stand. Both dogs had heartworms and hookworms, according to the arrest report.

One of the dogs, a 5-year-old pit bull mix, was in such need of food that he ate a plastic dog food bag. The animal was found in a wire kennel, weighing just 24.1 pounds.

“At the bottom of the kennel were pieces of plastic that the dog had digested and passed with his feces,” said the arrest report.

The other dog, a one-year-old mix of dogs, was found roaming the front yard. The dog weighed only 22 pounds and had to be picked up and transported to the transport vehicle.

According to MPs, Bonner said her ex-husband had left her with the dogs and couldn’t remember the last time she looked after them. She said she bought dog food on Monday and once a few weeks ago, but can’t remember the last time she fed them.

She said her children were responsible for feeding the dogs “when she remembered to tell them”. She said she didn’t realize the dog died in the kennel, according to MPs.

“Our Ag Crimes detectives and animal control staff have seen some pretty horrible things, but this is the worst case of animal cruelty they have encountered in a very long time,” the County Sheriff said. Polk, Grady Judd. “It’s a shame we didn’t get there in time to save them all. We appreciate the anonymous citizen who saw something and said something.