AVONDALE, AZ — It was a sight that broke hearts in Avondale and outraged so many online: an emaciated dog tied to a home in the scorching heat, without water or food.
Missy, the dog, was rescued. However, now some concerned community members say the case raises bigger questions about protocols when it comes to animals in distress.
Reanna Booth and Reenie Peters are two women who have made it their personal mission to rescue strays.
“We’re going to get you some hot dogs!” Peters told the terrier they received a call about.
“Oh, she’s skin and Bones,” Booth said, once she got the dog secured. “Now she can get medical help and get a good future!”
Last week, when someone sent them a photo of an emaciated dog, they assumed she was living in the streets. They were stunned to discover that Missy had an owner.
“She had no food or water, barely any shade,” Booth said. “She only had about five feet of that wire that she was able to move from.”
They called Avondale Police, who responded, spoke to the owner, and provided Missy with water. However, the women grew concerned when the officers left, deferring to Animal Control to come back the next day.
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“The dog should have been taken out immediately,” Peters said. “Our fear was that something would happen between that evening and the following morning.”
A social media storm followed, and police came back that night. The owner willingly surrendered Missy, who was taken to an emergency vet and was adopted Saturday, according to the Arizona Humane Society.
“They did apologize for not removing the dog sooner. They said that that dog definitely needed immediate help,” Booth said.
Avondale Police tell ABC15 they are glad the community alerted them to the severity of Missy’s situation.
Officer Jaret Redfearn says they are working with the veterinarian to determine the extent of Missy’s condition and expect charges to be submitted against her previous owner.
“Like other criminal investigations, officers’ responses in animal abuse incidents are handled on a case-by-case basis as circumstances dictate,” Officer Redfearn told ABC15. “Our initial response in this incident is currently being reviewed to ensure our officer's decisions were aligned with agency policy and to determine if any opportunities exist for improvements to our policies and procedures.”
He adds that Missy is doing well, and her eating, drinking, and digestion levels have improved.
“We understand how important it is to protect our animals and pets and we want to assure our community that we are committed to Missy’s full recovery and safety,” Officer Redfearn said.
In Arizona, it is illegal to tether a dog in most circumstances unless the owner is present, and it is illegal in extreme weather conditions, like when the heat is above 100 degrees. Yet Sherri Hoffman with Poverty’s Pets says the rescue group sees these scenarios all the time.
“We've had many instances where we've called the police and the Arizona Humane,” Hoffman said. “They'll come out and they'll assess the situation, and they leave. And the animal stays in the horrific situation.”
She says this summer a German Shepherd tied up in Phoenix died, saying Poverty’s Pets called 22 times since 2020 to report the dog. The animal rescue group is pushing for city and county agencies to be more in sync when it comes to animal rescues.
“We call it the Bermuda Triangle,” Hoffman said. “They seem to point the finger at each other like they're responsible for this, they're responsible for that, and really the animals are falling through the cracks.”
Amongst other initiatives, they want new laws put in place to improve the enforcement of animal ordinances when it comes to abuse and neglect.
State Senator John Kavanagh, (R) District 3, has previously gotten animal protection laws passed, and he plans to bring more to the next legislative session.
“We want to increase the training for animal control officers. Have statewide standards,” Sen. Kavanagh said.
He wants to re-introduce legislation that would clarify the definition of inadequate food, water, and shelter. Adding that the Fourth Amendment limits when law enforcement can search private homes, he also wants to create language that would make this possible under “reasonable suspicion” of a horrendous situation.
“I’m not blaming the police, but clearly we need to have better training of police and animal control people concerning when they can take action,” Sen. Kavanagh said. “And perhaps get some protocols in place so officers clearly know when they should act as opposed to calling animal control.”
The agencies that the animal advocates want to see more action from are responding.
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control tells ABC15 they work closely with the Arizona Humane Society every day, as they did in Missy’s case.
In a statement, MCACC said: “We believe in the Five Freedoms; the freedom from hunger and thirst, the freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the medical and physical needs of animals in our community are met.”
Phoenix Police say they rely on the community to call 911 or non-emergency lines to provide information about animals in distress.
“Officers must respect the rights of animal owners as we investigate whether or not to forcefully seize animals found in destressed conditions,” Sgt. Brian Bower, Phoenix Police, said. “I would stress the fact that police cannot just take community members' pets without probable cause.”
Police remind the public that tethering unsheltered animals is illegal in Phoenix (Ordinance 8-3.K.8), and they encourage people to report tied up unsheltered animals to the Arizona Humane Society (602-997-7785) or Phoenix Police (602-262-5151).
The Arizona Humane Society sent the following statement:
"Sadly, these are situations we see far too often. Our community relies on police departments to enforce laws, many of which are woefully inadequate. Arizona's pets deserve better.
Current laws defining food, water and shelter are inadequate and must be strengthened. It's why the Arizona Humane Society spearheaded SB1047 last legislative session which aimed to tighten statewide cruelty statues. We were deeply disappointed, despite broad support, when that initiative failed. Even when advocating for the bare minimum standards—adequate food, water, and medical care for animals—we could not secure the necessary legislative backing.
Missy is just one of 22,000 sick, injured and abused pets that will enter the doors of the Arizona Humane Society this year as animal shelters across the Valley continue to navigate record-breaking capacity. When Missy arrived, she was treated in the Arizona Humane Society's Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital, with a focus on improving her body composition. We are happy to report Missy was adopted yesterday."
