MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - A Memphis man is behind bars after animal control officers found his dog, nursing newborn puppies, suffering from an injury that left her leg to rot away.
Memphis Animal Services were called to reports of a stray pit bull at a residence on the 3300-block of Brockcrest Cove on November 27. The responding animal control officer found a female pit bull mix on a blanket in a shed behind the home nursing seven newborn puppies. The officer saw that one of the dog's back legs was severely infected and had begun to rot due to a rope tied around the leg, preventing circulation. The dog and her puppies were taken to an MAS veterinarian, who determined the leg would need to be amputated.
MAS investigators, with the help of the
Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County, found that the person who reported the stray was in fact the owner of the dog. An arrest warrant was issued for 41-year-old Antonio Wilkerson, and he was arrested on Monday, December 3 and charged him with Aggravated Animal Cruelty. Wilkerson was booked at the Shelby County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
The dog has since been placed in a foster home with the assistance of
Hearts of Gold Pit Rescue. She and her puppies are expected to make a full recovery and be available for adoption.
