MARIPOSA COUNTY, California – At least six of the seven dogs found in Mariposa County have been humanely euthanized after being found on a property in deplorable condition.
Mariposa County Sheriff’s authorities are investigating the incident where several dogs were found dehydrated, full of ticks and fleas and tied up with ropes and/or chains.
The dogs were severely abused and killed, the Sheriff’s Office says, so after an initial investigation they proceeded to arrest the alleged perpetrator: Marcos Castro-Manzano, 31, a resident of La Grange.
Animal Control Unit officers arrived as far as the 10000 block of Bandarilla in La Grange last week, alerted by an anonymous caller.
Once they arrived on the scene, authorities knew they would need support for an eventual arrest. “Each dog had large numbers of ticks, so many that they looked like tumors to the naked eye,” they say in an official statement. In fact, the number of ticks caused severe anemia in the animals.
Some of the dogs had skin burns around their necks apparently caused by being tied up with ropes, they added.
Unfortunately, the abuse of these animals was so severe that six of the dogs could not be saved. After being checked by a veterinarian, they were humanely euthanized, while a dog remains under observation and care.
Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese was outraged and issued a strong appeal to the community. “Please, if you have animals that you cannot care for, call our office, turn your animals over to Animal Control!”
