Chaffee man faces felony animal abuse charge for starving puppy

A Chaffee, Mo., man faces a felony charge of animal abuse as a result of torture for allegedly starving an 8-month-old boxer puppy nearly to death.

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.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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