Icabod
Icabod is an 11 month old lab mix. He was taken from his owner in December after the Rhode Island SPCA received a tip regarding an extremely underweight dog living at an apartment in Providence. When he arrived at the Rhode Island SPCA, he was almost dead. Icabod weighed a mere 22 pounds, was severely anemic, dehydrated, emaciated, and demodectic mange which caused patches of his fur to fall off. It was a clear case of failure to provide adequate care, food, and water to this poor animal. Icabod had ingested blankets, clothing, and other household items in an attempt to survive - he was one of the most emaciated dogs we have encountered.
Icabod slowly recovered at the Rhode Island SPCA, with the help of a wonderful foster home, for over two months. When he was adopted in February by a loving family, he had made a full recovery and weighed over 60 pounds. Despite what he had been through, Icabod was friendly and affectionate from the moment he arrived at the shelter.
On Thursday, March 24th, Icabod's former owner appeared in Providence District Court facing one count of mistreating animals and one count of unnecessary cruelty to animals. After nearly starving Icabod to death, she was ordered to make a $50 contribution. Quite simply, the penalty does not fit the crime. This disappointing decision sets a bad precedent and undermines the work done by the Rhode Island SPCA, Animal Control Officers, Police Departments, and other humane organizations throughout the state.
Unfortunately, cases such as Icabod's are not rare. The Animal Cruelty Investigator at the Rhode Island SPCA receives thousands of complaints on animal cruelty each year and goes on countless investigations. Every year, we encounter several cases as appalling as Icabod's right here in Rhode Island.
 December 22, 2010 |
|
 January 19, 2011 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 Items Icabod ingested while trying to survive. |
||
