“WTF…pitiful excuses by this selfish bxxxh! I sometimes wonder what these Judges are thinking about, when all the evidence proves someone guilty…yet they let them get off! I have more to say with each paragraph below; as one needs to know the full story…so read on!”

HAMILTON, Ohio — A 19-year-old woman faces animal cruelty charges for the second time in less than a year, involving the same dog, after her pit bull was found nearly starved to death this week.

Elizabeth Lewis, 19, of Hamilton, faces animal cruelty charges for the second time after her pit bull was found nearly starved to death this week. (Photo: Gannett/Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Cincinnati Enquirer)

Elizabeth Lewis, 19, of Hamilton, faces animal cruelty charges for the second time after her pit bull was found nearly starved to death this week. (Photo: Gannett/Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Cincinnati Enquirer)

But Elizabeth Lewis insists her pit bull was sick with mange and denies starving Bruiser nearly to death. “I see no vet report to say the dog was sick with mange…only pathetic excuses for letting this dog starve to death!”

Butler County Deputy Dog Warden Tonya Hanson ordered the owner, Elizabeth Lewis of Hamilton, to take Bruiser to an emergency vet clinic so he could be put to sleep and no longer suffer, according to a statement from Animal Friends Humane Society.

Hamilton police went to Lewis‘ apartment Monday after receiving a report that an emaciated dog had fallen down the stairs. They alerted the dog warden, who said she was horrified.

“I’ve been doing animal cruelty cases for 15 years and it is the most emaciated dog I’ve ever seen,” Hanson said.

Hanson said when she questioned Lewis about why she let the 10-month-old dog deteriorate so far, “her response was she knew it was being selfish … and that was all she said.” “Selfish…to right bloody selfish, I bet she sat stuffing her face while the poor dog got nothing, not even tit bits..that’s not just selfish, it’s bloody cruel!”

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Warden ordered the emaciated dog put down
  • First charged in August concerning same dog
  • Woman says she couldn’t afford to have sick animal euthanized

Previous charges in August

Lewis was charged Tuesday with cruelty to a companion animal and failure to license a dog, both misdemeanors. She is scheduled to appear March 6 in Hamilton Municipal Court.

The vet clinic that euthanized Bruiser told the warden the dog’s body temperature was so low when he arrived, it didn’t register on a thermometer and he had been starved, according to the humane society. “Starved…that means not feeding on purpose!”

This is not the first time Lewis has been charged with animal cruelty. In August, the same dog was brought to the humane society by the dog warden. At that time, Bruiser was “extremely lethargic and malnourished, weighing in at 17 pounds,” according to the society. “Seriously, is the Judge going to give her another “get out of jail free card”

Since Hamilton Municipal Court Judge Daniel Gattermeyer found Lewis not guilty, the dog was returned to her care. When Bruiser left the dog pound on Oct. 5, he weighed 38 pounds, the humane society said. “This proves the dog had a healthy appetite, there can be no excuse for the dog getting thin again; apart from not being fed!”

A pitbull’s average adult weight typically ranges between 35 and 65 pounds, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

This time, Hanson said she plans to ask the judge to ban Lewis from owning more animals. “I don’t want to give her another chance to mistreat another animal,” Hanson said. “Good, at least somebody cares!”

Hanson referred questions on the August case and why the animal was returned to Lewis to the judge. Gattermeyer said he couldn’t really comment since there was another, similar case now in front of him involving Lewis. “YES there is, because this Judge didn’t do the job properly the first time round, if he had; the dog might still be alive today!!”

“If something happened in the prior case that becomes evidence in this one, it wouldn’t be appropriate and legally ethical for me to comment on it,” Gattermeyer said. “It’s very difficult to comment in any way, but if a person is found not guilty, well, that would be the reason why the dog was returned. But it is sad a dog has died, any time a dog dies.” “Yes it’s very sad, & it could have been avoided had he done his job properly & had the dog taken of this bitch…too late to be sorry about it now!”

Case a misunderstanding, woman says

Lewis, who is 10 weeks pregnant, said the whole situation is a big misunderstanding. “Well it would be wouldn’t it…19 & pregnant, she couldn’t care for a dog but now she’s having a baby!”

She said Bruiser suffered from hereditary mange, a skin disease caused by tiny mites, common external parasites found in dogs. ” WAS this found by a vet then? or is she a qualified vet??” Bruiser also didn’t seem to want to eat at times, so she gave him anti-stress calming tablets.

She said she got Bruiser and a second dog, Buster, from a litter that her brother’s dog had last year and has tried her best to care for them while earning $800 a month working at a convenience store and now a warehouse. “Well if you don’t have the money to care for yourself, you don’t get 2 dogs to care for…how stupid!”

Buster is now at the humane society. They took him in light of the second cruelty charge, Lewis said. “Thank God for that!”

She said the August citation resulted from a misunderstanding between her and her former room mate, who mistakenly thought Lewis had abandoned Bruiser so she took him to the police, who called the humane society. “Sorry…I thought when you had a room mate you told them most things, especially about the pets you own!”

Lewis said the society had the dog checked out by a vet, who couldn’t prove the animal cruelty charge, so the judge found her not guilty. “Interesting to note that the vet didn’t mention or say the dog was suffering from hereditary mange, & a skin disease caused by tiny mites!”

“I feel like they are making it out like I am crazy because I have one dog who was sick,” Lewis said. “You can ask all my friends. He ate dog food and treats. I am 19 and I am pregnant. I have a feeling people are going to look at it like ‘if this is what she does with her dog, what is she going to do with her baby?‘” “WOW…took the words right out of my mouth…but hang on, further up in this story, she said ” he didn’t seem to want to eat at times”, yet in this paragraph she says “he ate dog food & treats”?? which is it???”

She admits she knew Bruiser needed to be euthanized, but said she couldn’t afford the $200 cost, which she wound up paying anyway this week at the dog warden’s order. “I’m sure if you took a dog who needed to be euthanized, to a vets, they would do it, without asking for money, they have a moral code to put the care of animals first…i.e. before money!”

Lewis said she had been trying to arrange for a relative to take the dog. Now she is afraid she will be found guilty of the current animal cruelty charge and sentenced to 180 days in jail and/or fined $1,000. “Sorry I have no sympathy what’s so ever!”

“I should have gotten him put down. I am not going to sit here and deny it,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do, but he’s gotten skinny before and then pulled back up.” Oh, please, didn’t know what to do? what a feeble & pathetic excuse!”

News Link:-http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/01/dog-abuse-death/1957677/