In a somber display of neglect that unfortunately repeats itself in various guises, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered an emaciated dog during an eviction, the deputies' body camera footage released by the department revealed the severity of the situation as they encountered the starving animal. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday within an Oklahoma apartment, showed the clearly malnourished canine who had been seemingly discarded by an owner who faced eviction over unpaid rent. "There was no food left for her," Aaron Brilbeck, with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, told KFOR. The only semblance of care, a bowl of filthy water which the dog had been subsisting on.
Across the state borders in Athens, Georgia, another dog named Oreo suffered a similar plight. Oreo was discovered by Clarke County Sheriff’s Office deputies, her ribs and spine painfully visible from malnourishment, after being left on a back porch without food or water for at least two weeks. According to Online Athens, the dog's owner, who was evicted, failed to provide a new home for the pet before leaving for two weeks. Efforts to contact the woman were futile, leading authorities to consider cruelty to animals charges upon examining the unsanitary and deplorable conditions in which the dog was found.
Moving back to the Oklahoma case, after the alarming discovery, the deputies promptly provided the crucial sustenance the dog desperately needed. The animal was fed, taken for a walk to stretch her limbs long-bound by the confines of abandonment, and then transferred to the care of the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter. As stated by OKC FOX, it is believed that the dog had been without food for about a week—a timeline that nonetheless spelled a grueling eternity for any creature made to endure such neglect.
Oreo, the dog left behind in Athens, received immediate care from Athens-Clarke County Animal Services, who provided water for the dog, until more substantial assistance arrived. Despite the contact with the owner, it appears little was done to ensure Oreo's safety during the owner's absence. With warrants and charges looming, the situation underlines an often painful disconnect between the responsibility pet ownership entails and the actions of those who abandon their animals in times of personal crisis. The status of Oreo has not been updated since the initial reports.
