Officers arrested a West Palm Beach woman for abandoning two puppies after she was evicted from her home.
Antonette Washington is facing an animal cruelty charge after one of the puppies was found emaciated and sick, according to a Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control report.
An ACC officer reported finding Bam Bam and Sugar Bear, 5-month-old pitbull mix puppies, in the backyard of the home Washington recently lived in on the 5600 block of Parker Ave in Sept. 2017.
Bam Bam was “in poor health and appeared emaciated and lethargic,” the officer said in the report. He did not have proper shelter, and only a bucket of dirty water with some dry food inside a cage. He had a hard time standing up as officers impounded the two puppies.
Sugar Bear had a dog house and clean water. Sugar Bear was slightly underweight but appeared to be active and healthy.
Records show both puppies were registered to Washington.
Washington’s landlord told officers a moving truck was at the home a day before for her.
An officer was able to contact Washington two weeks later. Washington reportedly said she had been evicted and she was going to move the puppies last out of the property. When she came back for them, she said, they were going and she didn’t know where they were taken.
The ACC officer informed her an impound notice had been placed on her door.
Washington said Bam Bam was sick and she didn’t know why. She said he had stopped eating at one point but started again. She said she brought the puppies to ACC for their shots once but could not afford to do so again.
ACC veterinarians gave Bam Bam a blood transfusion because she was so sick. The veterinarian said he “appeared to have suffered for a period of weeks to months.”
Washington surrendered the puppies to the county.
Sugar Bear was adopted to a loving home and is now known as Yogi Bear.
Bam Bam had to have a tail amputation. He suffered from starvation and hookworm infestation. He was anemic and lethargic.
He has since made a full recovery and was adopted by a rescue group.
According to records, she was initially charged in December. Prosecutors upgraded a charge to felony status and she was arrested on March 1.
She was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on $4,500 bond.
Washington is charged with one count of animal cruelty to Bam Bam and two counts and unlawful abandonment of the puppies.
