A New Britain couple has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after someone brought their emaciated Shar-Pie mix with a severe skin condition to animal control, according to police.
Police learned about the dog on May 24.
They said they received a call just after 10 p.m. that day from someone who reported finding an emaciated tan and white Shar-Pei mix on Willow Street in New Britain and it needed a veterinarian, according to court paperwork.
At the request of police, the woman brought the dog to Connecticut Veterinary Center in West Hartford.
Police later determined that the woman who called them knew the dog’s owners and she told them she didn't want to be involved when police asked if she took the dog from the owners because it needed care, according to court paperwork.
When the dog was taken to the vet, he was barely able to walk and each step looked uncomfortable, according to the police report. He was also so thin that his ribs and hips were protruding.
A veterinarian diagnosed the dog with a severe case of mange, a painful condition caused by mites that can be treated with medication.
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In the event that he had not been brought to animal control and fed, the dog’s organs would likely have begun to shut down from starvation within just a few days, the veterinarian told police.
On May 26, soon after the dog was brought to authorities, the dog pound in New Britain received a phone call from Emily Vazquez, of New Britain, who said she was a friend of the person who brought the dog in, fell in love with him and was interested in adopting him, according to police.
She then filled out an application.
In the hopes of identifying the dog’s owner, police posted a photo of the dog on Facebook with information on where he was found. (WARNING: The photo is disturbing.)
A veterinarian then reached out to them with information from a client who reported knowing where the dog lived and the conditions he was kept in, according to the police report.
Police later determined that Emily Vazquez, now 21, and her 23-year-old husband, Emmanuel Vazquez, were the owners of the dog.
When police spoke with him, Emmanuel Vazquez told them he “knew" they "were going to get in trouble” when his wife filed the application to adopt the dog, according to police.
He went on to tell police that they had just gotten the dog and he was in bad shape when they got him, according to police.
However, he was evasive about who they got the dog from and said someone they knew would verify that they’d tried to get help for the dog.
Emily Vazquez then called police and admitted to lying to them, police said. She also said they’d had the dog for about four months and he had a skin condition when they got him.
However, someone who reported having seen photos of the dog from earlier contradicted that, according to police.
Police said it appears the couple had not taken the dog to the vet and instead tried to treat his ailments by giving him baths.
Then there was the issue of the dog's emaciated condition.
Emily Vazquez claimed the dog had stopped eating, but others told police the dog had a healthy appetite when given food and thought he was not being fed, according to police.
After being hospitalized for around 17 days, the dog was transformed and was active, playful and affectionate, according to police.
Charges were filed against the couple and they were arrested earlier this week.
They were both released on a promise to appear and are due in court on Jan. 2, according to online court records. It's not clear if either has an attorney.
