Arizona woman accused of neglecting 11 dogs at Litchfield Park home
Litchfield Park woman accused of neglecting dogs
A West Valley woman is charged with 22 counts of alleged animal abuse, leaving 11 dogs in what one official with the Maricopa County described as 'beyond deplorable' conditions. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach reports.
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. - A Phoenix area woman has been charged with 22 counts of animal abuse, accused of leaving 11 dogs in what officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office called deplorable conditions.
What we know:
According to a spokesperson with MCSO, they first posted a video related to the case on July 14, and that 68-year-old Julie Dimick has been arrested.
"She now faces 11 counts of abandonment, 11 counts of failure to provide medical treatment, and 1 count of aggravated assault stemming from a separate incident in May involving a nurse," read a portion of a post MCSO made on Facebook.
Big picture view:
The incident happened at a Litchfield Park home, with the 11 dogs left abandoned there for about two weeks during the summer heat. Dimick was evicted from the property in June.
On the property, there are still crates and kennels piled up. Inside the backyard, trash is visible, and there is a strong smell of feces and urine coming from the abandoned home.
"It was beyond deplorable," said Dave Evans, who leads MCSO's Animal Cruelty Unit. "I mean, these dogs were stuck in, like, a three-by-five crate, standing in their own feces and urine."
Deputies say the 11 caged and frail dogs were left without any food or water. Evans also said Dimick resisted arrest.
Dig deeper:
One of the rescued dogs was pregnant, according to Evans.
"When we got her to the vet in the MASH unit, she gave birth, and she only had three puppies, which is real small for a litter," said Evans. "The mom was unable to feed them because she's not getting fed herself."
The two puppies that survived are being bottle-fed around the clock. Meanwhile, all the dogs are now quarantined after contracting giardia, a parasite.
"For us, it's about being able to get the animal out of that situation," said Evans. "The laws in Arizona, when it comes to animal crimes, they're not stiff. A majority of them are misdemeanors. It's good we got her. Everyone says, ‘Aw, she’s still 67.' She still punched a nurse. These dogs were living in horrific conditions."
As for Dimick, she was found just a block away from the property, and deputies were able to connect her to a separate case where she allegedly punched a nurse at a Banner emergency room in May.