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Chaffee man faces felony animal abuse charge for starving puppyTuesday, November 4, 2008
Ryan McGuire, 21, brought the dog to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri on Oct. 18, hoping they would take the animal off his hands, according to a probable-cause statement. The dog, which considering his age and breed should have weighed about 40 pounds, weighed only 15.8 pounds, said Requi M. Salter of the humane society. He was unable to stand on his own and was severly emaciated, "bones easily visible, stomach drawn in," Salter wrote in the sworn statement. In 17 years of working with animal abuse cases, Salter said she'd never seen an animal in such a horrific condition. "This dog was actually dying in our lobby," Salter said. In addition to the malnourishment the animal had suffered, he had pressure sores on his body from lying in a crate for so long, Salter said. According to the probable-cause statement, McGuire stated he was going through a divorce and could no longer take care of the dog. He said he'd fed the dog last Oct. 16, but that it wouldn't eat. The animal was so weak, he couldn't even lift his head to find food, Salter said. The dog's stunted bone structure and growth told humane society employees the dog had gone without proper nutrition for a long time. Convulsions had begun by the time the dog's owner brought it to the humane society, and it suffered impaired vision. A veteranarian who examined the dog also concluded it had been severely starved. "Starvation is a painful form of torture," Salter wrote in the probable-cause statement. Salter said they have seen more people relinquishing ownership of their animals because they can't afford to care for them in the floundering economy, but stressed the importance of giving up pets before they get in such bad shape. If convicted, McGuire, a persistent offender, could face up to four years' incarceration. 388-3635 Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
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Oh my God, when...WHEN...will people stop tolerating this and make the laws and punishment stronger? This is a gentle soul who trusted an adult to love, care for, and protect it from harm - the same basic needs any human child has as well! There is no difference in this crime - inflicting torture and painful death is NOT a natural human desire and must be addressed or we are all going to suffer in the end. Punishment should be mandatory, severe, and set at a maximum - otherwise offenders (if actually charged and prosecuted) could fall into the hands of sentencing judges who fail to see the horrific crime here. Today it's this sweetheart - tomorrow it could be a child. People please, if this sickened you, moved you to tears, made you so angry you felt it in your bones...please, DO SOMETHING. Whether helpless child or creature, use your voice so that their voice is finally heard. Contact your local government, your lawmakers, demand that something be done. If you happen to witness this yourself, contact the proper authorities and follow through to make sure someone, somewhere, has intervened - if not yourself! You won't be alone, I'll be there, as will many others. If you can't comfort with your arms, do it with words. If you can't soothe with your presence...give love with your actions. You will never regret it, I promise you.
This is the saddest thing I have seen in a long time! I hope this man gets punished to the fullest extent of the law and is never allowed to own an animal again! He should be starved! I am sure he didnt go without food in his time of poverty-please! Look at this poor things face! How can you not be heartbroken!
This is awful. And to think that we live in a community with people that could do such a thing. I hope he gets to spend some quality time in prison. I only wish that he would get the same treatment that he gave that poor dog!!
Please remove this picture!!! If you want to use a picture, then put the picture of the person that did this.
This picture is in bad taste and I expect more from the Missourian!!!
I don't believe posting this picture is in poor taste, rather I think it shows great integrity to put this out there. Many will never be moved to stop this until they are forced to confront it. As long as it's easy to pretend it's not out there, then this will continue to go on... Every single day another will cry out in agony, unheard. This poor puppy was forced to ENDURE this, to LIVE it, to suffer horribly. We certainly can LOOK at it, FACE it, and maybe - just maybe - it will move those who otherwise would live in voluntary ignorance to finally do something about it... I know it's hard to see, but it's harder to live it.
Why should they remove it, yes it is sick and horrific, made me cry, but he should have to look at the picture everyday and so should his neighbors who didnt do anything! This is REAL! This animal is alive for pete's sake people! Maybe people arent exposed enough to this to realize this isnt just something that happens on tv_ this is happening in our own lil town and needs to be addressed by each of us! If you saw this dog in your neighbors yard, would you do anything?????? Do you honestly think this dog got this way in a matter of days??? I dont think so! Wake up people, if you cant care for a child then dont have children, give them up for adoption or children services takes them, if you cant care for an animal then dont take in an animal or if your circumstances change and you cant continue caring for your pet, find it a home or take it to a shelter so someone else can care for it!
Anyone who is posting a comment on a story like this is a person who loves animals, including dogs. Anyone who LOVES animals would never do anything like this to an animal.
Please tell me how posting this picture is going to help me "deal" with this when I love animals!! So if a woman is rape, or a infant is tortured, we should put a picture of the rape crime scene on the website so that we can "see it" and "feel it". Give me a break.
Do you really think that a person who is going to do this really cares about the picture that is posted?
Please explain to me what I am supposed to say to my child as he pets our dog after he saw this picture in the paper. "A bad man did this to a puppy just like yours."
Again, if you want to "see it" then put a picture of the monster that did this to the puppy. The story was detailed enough, we do not need a picture to "see it".
If you want to make people understand, then write or call the judges that are only going to give this guy a slap on the wrist.
Do you really think that this jerk is going to be worried about the comments on the website or will read these and that will change him?
Just to clarify - the comments and photo are not for the OFFENDER, rather for public awareness. And yes, please do explain this to your children, in order to shape his/her moral fiber. No, we don't need to "see" a human rape photo - but that is because we as human beings tend to have empathy toward our own kind and THAT alone motivates us to do something about it, for the most part. Too many can't tap into empathy for an animal unless they have to be closer to it - i.e. a visual, unfortunately. If reading words were all it took to stop this, then it wouldn't be happening today anywhere. It's going to take many voices to be heard, and yes...visuals, unfortunately.
I cannot believe some Piece of S*** would do this to an innocent animal. I wish people could be tortured in the same manner that they tortued someone or something. This is absolutely disturbing to think that someone could do this! That poor dog, just look at all his bones. The guy must be a real idiot to think anyone would believe him when he says, "the dog hadn't eaten for a few days"!! A FEW DAYS!?!?! Please! I am an animal lover and that photo about made me cry! I feel so sorry for that poor dog! I have 6 dogs and none of them would ever look like that! If I could never afford to feed them, I would find them a new home before they went without food. But I took them on and they have a home for life with food!! If anyone that can make a difference with the laws reads this, please toughen the animal cruelty laws. No more slaps on the hand. They claim that those who torture animals also tortue/kill people.
To the guy who said the picture was in bad taste:
It's ok, I don't think the dog noticed.