Sheriff says employee placed on administrative leave

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, March 01, 2008
Updated: Friday, June 13, 2008 1:49 PM CDT

The Missouri Humane Society is now investigating the Washington County Sheriff’s Department’s care of its bloodhound.

On Thursday, Washington County Sheriff Kevin Schroeder said the department’s investigation is “well under way” and the Missouri Humane Society will be joining the investigation Friday.

Schroeder said an employee has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

He said they are in the process of sending copies of their vet records to the Midwest Bloodhound Rescue Inc. He said they are trying to work with the group in any way possible.

Sandi Singer of the Midwest group said she received a phone call from Schroeder’s attorney and indicated she would be “lawyering up” as well. She said the sheriff has blocked access to the veterinarian’s records. She said they need to know from the vet if the dog has had its shots and what other treatment it has received.

In addition to those investigations, the Missouri Police Canine Association is still investigating as well. President Gary White has talked to the sheriff several times.

White said he would like to thank the citizens of Washington County for demanding justice. He said he’s never run across this situation in his 20 years of canine involvement.

White said the dog has gained 20 pounds and is being treated. He said the dog will likely be on medication the rest of his life because the malnutrition affected his thyroid. The dog is staying with a foster family in Louisiana, Mo.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department adopted 1-year-old Mosley from the Illinois-based Midwest Bloodhound Rescue Inc. in January of 2007. They planned to use the bloodhound for search and rescues and public relations events.

A year later, Capt. Charles LaLumondiere, who had signed the adoption agreement, contacted the group to let them know the dog was unhealthy and the department wanted its money back or a new dog.

On Feb. 13, a volunteer went to pick up the dog. According to their Web site, the dog was found in a 4 by 4 dirt-floor pen outside a trailer. The dog had no food, water or bedding.

“His condition was such that we rushed him to an emergency vet that night,” the Web site states.

The dog reportedly suffered from frostbite, malnutrition and dehydration, severe hair loss (mange), ear and eye infections, seborrhea of the skin, cellulitis, and anemia.

If it was just mange, White could understand the situation. The dog had an outbreak of mange before the adoption, but now the dog was 30 pounds under weight and had frostbite. He said the person responsible should be disciplined and/or prosecuted for animal abuse and the department should pay for the $700 emergency vet bill.

Schroeder said the dog had lived with LaLumondiere until the week after Thanksgiving. The only problem the dog had until then was what the vet determined to be a skin allergy. The dog was treated and had recovered by the time it was handed over to the department’s handler for dog obedience training.

Soon after, the handler told Schroeder that the dog was losing hair and weight. Schroeder said he told him to take the dog to the vet. He said the dog was then diagnosed with incurable mange.

White said the mange is treatable.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.

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