A Multnomah County grand jury has indicted Khadija V. Bradford on two counts of First-Degree Animal Neglect after her dog, Fendi, was discovered starving in a Portland backyard and later had to be humanely euthanized. Responding officers said "Fendi was visibly emaciated, with her ribs and other portions of her skeletal structure clearly visible," according to Portland Police. Forensic testing later found the dog had only about 1% bone marrow fat — compared with roughly 80% in a healthy animal — a sign of extreme, prolonged starvation.

It took a neighbor's video of an underweight dog and two follow-up visits from officers before Fendi was finally removed from that backyard. By the time she reached an emergency vet with help from Multnomah County Animal Services, it was too late to save her.

We're calling on the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office to pursue these felony neglect charges to the fullest extent Oregon law allows, and, if a conviction results, to seek sentencing and conditions — including a ban on future animal ownership — that match the severity of what happened to Fendi. Animals depend entirely on the people responsible for their care. When that trust is broken this severely, the response from our justice system should reflect it.