Auburn Police have arrested two people following the investigation into a report that two dogs had been living in inhumane conditions at a residence in the city.
On March 19th, officers went to the North Division Street home of Laura Hendrickson and Kenneth Sulgar after it was reported a two-year-old small Pitbull mix and an 8-year-old Chihuahua mix had been spending all day in crates. A two-week, multi-agency investigation that included the State Humane Association Animal Cruelty Task Force, found the dogs had been left in crates for 10 days while the residence was condemned. The dogs were abandoned and not adequately fed or checked on by their owners during that span.
It was learned through the investigation that Stella, the Pitbull mix, had lived in a crate too small for a dog her size for most of her life. The investigation also revealed that Hendrickson and Sulgar failed to provide adequate sustenance by depriving her of food since at least November. Due to the conditions of the create, Stella had no pads left on her paws, swollen and infected paws, loss of hair, and was severely underweight and malnourished. The two-year-old was not able to take more than two steps on her own when removed from the crate and will have to wear boots on her paws for the rest of her life.
Hendrickson and Sulgar were charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony, two counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, two counts of abandonment of animals and failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounding animal
Both were released on appearance tickets.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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