Injured Bend puppy’s owner cited for animal neglect
(Update: Adding revised formal charge, arraignment date)
A Bend man who claimed he’d found a seriously injured puppy in southwest Bend has been charged with animal neglect after police determined it actually had been injured by another dog at his home and he failed to get the dog urgent treatment.
The suspect, Dallas Urig, 29, of Bend, brought the puppy to the Humane Society of Central Oregon on Jan. 25 with substantial facial injuries, Lt. Jason Maniscalco said Friday.
The puppy was immediately transferred to veterinary care where it was determined he had multiple skull fractures and an orbital (eye socket) fracture, Maniscalco said.
The Bend Police Department was advised of the substantial injuries due to suspicion that the puppy had received the injuries as a result of abuse, he said.
Urig initially denied ownership of the puppy and said said he found it near The Pavilion the previous night, according to police.
But an investigation determined Urig was the owner of the puppy and had failed to provide veterinary care that the puppy urgently needed after sustaining injuries from another dog in his household.
Urig was arrested by citation on Thursday on a first-degree animal neglect charge for failing to immediately seek veterinary care for the serious physical injury to the puppy, Maniscalco said.
The “The puppy is resting well and any long-term effects from the injuries are yet to be determined,” Maniscalco said in a news release. “At this time, the puppy is still under medical care, and is not available for adoption. Any information regarding adoption will be released at a later date.”
The Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office charged Urig with second-degree animal neglect instead of a first-degree charge. His arraignment is scheduled for March 19.
The lieutenant said Bend police “would like to thank our local veterinary partners and the community for their support in this case. We would also like to remind the community that as a pet owner, there are certain responsibilities that must be met in order to provide ‘minimum necessary care’ under Oregon law.”
The links below have more information about those laws:
