Tipton County, TN: In some parts of the country, animals are being abused, even to the point of death, yet officials who should be protecting these animals look the other way.  We do not want this to happen to any animal, including Grace, the Tipton County, TN dog that was chained to a tree for months without food or water.

Once discovered and taken from her owner, Grace was examined by a veterinarian. It was determined that along with suffering from long-term starvation, she was also dehydrated, had heartworms, hook worms, round worms and fleas.

 
A 6 month-old puppy was also taken from this owner. The puppy, which had also been tied to a tree, had managed to chew through her rope, and survived by eating beans in a nearby field.

Although the Tipton County Animal Shelter did everything possible to save Grace, her condition was too severe, and she passed away during a blood transfusion.

Who could do this to a dog? And even worse, according to the Tipton County Animal Shelter, Tipton County officials do not support prosecuting individuals who commit animal abuse. According to the shelter, this is a common occurrence in this county. Dogs like Grace, as well as starving horses, arrive at the shelter several times monthly.

Yet according to the local shelter, the Tipton County officials don’t care. They do not press for jail time or probation for people that abuse or starve their pet to death.

Grace’s owner is charged with aggravated animal cruelty for starving an animal. The first court date is set for October 21st. (Note: court date has been postponed). Please let the District Attorney, Mike Dunavant, know that no person should be allowed to harm an animal like this without punishment, and that the owner deserves the maximum sentence under law.  Also, the Tipton County elected officials need to make changes so animal abusers are investigated and charged with their crimes.

For more information on this story:
http://www.abc24.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=2937960

Starved dog - it is time make some noise - National Dogs | Examiner.com​ http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/starved-dog-it-is-time-make-some-noise?CID=examiner_alerts_article#ixzz1b3c6pdjy

And a Facebook page has been set up, “Justice for Grace” https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Justice-for-Grace/298987323460534

Image courtesy of: Penny Eims, Dog News Examiner, Examiner.com

This petition will be updated as more information becomes available; however, the intent will remain the same.