The president of Downeast Animal Refuge says nine puppies didn’t have to be thrown into a creek earlier this month.
There are alternatives, said Randall Melton, even a pet food bank in Rocky Mount which can help with food needs on an eligibility basis.
Lane
Melton said he will follow the case of Mark Scott Lane, who was charged this week with seven counts of felony cruelty to animals after allegedly bagging nine pit bull and Rottweiler mix puppies and throwing them into a creek off Weaver’s Chapel Road. Two of the puppies were already dead when the bag was fished from the creek and seven died later at a local animal refuge.
Lane reportedly told investigators he couldn’t afford to feed the puppies and didn’t know what to do with them.
“I think it’s the economy,” Melton told rrspin.com this morning.
While churches and other aid groups can offer food assistance for humans, they don’t usually buy pet food.
Animal Crackers in Rocky Mount does provide that assistance. “We work with them quite a bit,” Melton said.
DEAR also has contacts with other humane organizations which can take unwanted animals or whose owners can’t afford to keep them.
Melton said this case is just as bad as the Michael Vick case. “I will watch this like I watched Michael Vick. When I see cases like this in Halifax County, I follow them.”
Melton says he would like to learn why Lane allegedly did what he was charged with. “I would like to learn why someone would do that, why he thought that was a viable way of getting rid of his animals. It concerns me what else is going on, what makes a person think that is the right thing to do. Is the animal abuse just the tip of the iceberg of what is going on in the house?”
Melton said he is willing to discuss the matter with people so they have options. “I’d be happy to discuss with them it’s not the right thing to do. That is a felony count for each animal. I hope they find a judge who is an animal lover. I don’t think he’ll find a very sympathetic jury.”
Lane remains in jail on $35,000 bond awaiting an October 20 court date.
DEAR can be reached at 252-826-3965.
