MONROE COUNTY, Ark. (FOX16) — Nearly a dozen pit bulls found starving and locked outside a home is being called one of the worst cases of animal cruelty the Monroe County Sheriff’s office has seen.
On Tuesday an Entergy worked noticed the dogs fenced outside a home in the 8600 block of US-70 in Brinkley and called the sheriff’s office. Investigators found 11 pit bulls, all severely malnourished with no food or water locked up outside the house.
Starlett Watson and Duran Brown, both 36-years-old, are now facing multiple animal cruelty charges.
The dogs have been removed from the house with help from Out of the Ashes Pit Bull Rescue.
“I don’t understand how somebody could care that little,” said Director Katie Miceli. “They’ve been living in dirt. These dogs have been outside with no food, no water.”
Miceli took two dog she says were in the worst condition to her home, the rest are going to foster homes.
“The adult dogs, none of them weigh more than 40 pounds, you can pick them up with one arm,” Miceli added.
Investigators believe the dogs were being used for breeding and some may have also been fighting since they were so scratched up.
Miceli says what’s most concerning is one dog they found who had just had puppies.
“She ate her puppies and that’s why we couldn’t find them. That’s how desperate these dogs were. She ate her puppies,” she said.
All the dogs need a lot of medical care.
“A lot of them need antibiotics, flea and tick medication,” Miceli explained.
But Miceli says the only signs of abuse, are what the dogs carry on their bodies.
“It always surprises me when they wag their tail, and they show me how grateful they are for a bowl of food and a little cheap $10 Walmart bed,” Miceli said. Even after what’s been done to him, he just wants someone to love him and they’re all like that.”
Out of the Ashes Pit Bull Rescue says it relies on foster homes to help take in dog in situations like this, and is looking for more homes. More information on the rescue can be found here.