Third dog found in dumpster

CREATED Feb. 7, 2013

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  • First Oscar, then Kennedy, and now a midtown neighborhood resident reports finding a third dog left in a dumpster to die. Video by kgun9.com

    video

  • Kimmy, found in a midtown apartment complex's dumpster

  • Kennedy, found in a trash can at Kennedy Park

  • Oscar, found in a garbage can at Reid Park

 Reporter: Liz Kotalik

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Another dog, trashed, like a piece of garbage.

"I opened the door, and she was sitting in there."

Deborah Barlow lives at the apartment complex near Palo Verde Boulevard and Bermuda Street, and she found a Chihuahua, Kimmy, dumped in a trash bin.

She immediately called the Humane Society, and they sent over Tucson police and Pima Animal Care.

Kimmy was lactating, which usually is an indication that she may have just had puppies.

She was not hurt.

After hearing about Oscar, Kennedy and now Kimmy, so many questions remain like how can someone do this to an innocent animal and, is it safe for them to be out in society?

 

"That person lacks that level of compassion that would keep them from doing the same thing to a human," Michael Duffey with the Humane Society said.

Duffey said there is a disheartening link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans.

A 2012 National Link Coalition report found that 36% of abused women with animals reported their abuser threatened or harmed their animals.

Another 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northwestern University said that 70% of animal abusers had committed at least one other crime.

Almost 40% of those crimes involved violence against humans.

 

"By putting forth a significant amount of effort into investigation and prosecution of people who are cruel to animals," Duffey said, "We may be able to take some of the cruelty and violence out of our society."

 

The legislature is set to vote on three bills this legislative season that focus on preventing animal abuse cases, like the ones we've seen recently, from happening again.

Kimmy is staying with a staff member of the Pima Animal Care Center until she finishes lactating and can be sterilized and adopted.

If you don't think you can handle taking care of your pet anymore, you can always drop them off at the Humane Society for a small fee or P.A.C.C. for free.

 

Humane Society of Southern Arizona

3450 N. Kelvin Road

 

Pima Animal Care Center

4000 N. Silverbell Road