LATHROP, Mo. (KCTV) – A Missouri woman has been charged with animal neglect and abuse after police found multiple dogs abandoned and underweight at her home.
A probable cause document in Clinton County, Missouri, alleges Katrina M. Bernard left multiple dogs at a home in Lathrop, Missouri. Bernard, according to court documents, “knowingly failed to provide adequate care for the animals by failing to provide good and knowingly abandoned said animals.”
A Lathrop Police Department officer responded to the home on Dec. 3, 2024, after police received a complaint about a dog being kept in a kennel and underweight. An officer who responded to the home was allowed to see the three dogs by an individual who was currently at the residence.
They alleged Bernard was living at the home two weeks prior and said the dog was left behind by her in the kennel.
Once inside the home, a Lathrop Police Department officer observed two dogs in one kennel, both appearing to be skinny. A third dog was found in a bedroom in the middle of the home locked in a kennel.
“The dog appeared extremely emaciated and was laying in its own feces,” a probable cause document read.
The individual living at the home claimed Bernard left her dog when she moved out. The dog, which was taken to emergency veterinary care, was found to be a 2.5-year-old male yellow lab. Court documents claim the dog was 18.14 pounds, well below the 65-80 pound standards for a male labrador retriever of that age and gender.
Authorities said the dog, which was in critical condition, was humanely euthanized after it was decided by all involved that it was in the best interest of the dog.
Court documents filed in Clinton County on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, set a court date for an initial appearance for Bernard at Tuesday, Feb. 25.
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