Elmer Petition
In February, a Selmer City, TN woman brought a severely emaciated dog to a rescue group, saying the dog had been abandoned at her house. The rescue immediately rushed the dog, now named Elmer, to an emergency veterinary clinic.
Sadly, this young Great Dane passed away within days, despite immediate medical care. Guardians of Rescue received an anonymous tip that Elmer was actually owned by the lady who claimed Elmer was dropped in her front yard. Guardians sent Elmer’s remains to pathology to determine an exact cause of death. The results of Elmer’s necropsy were shocking and heartbreaking. While Elmer suffered from intestinal parasites and heartworm disease, the official cause of death was starvation.
Elmer’s alleged owner watched him slowly starve almost to death before creating the story of him being dumped. Instead of seeking medical care, she callously dumped Elmer, shirking her responsibility as his owner to get him the help he deserved. Social media posts made by the “finder” show Elmer living in her home as far back as the beginning of 2020.
Based on our investigation that showed this lady was the owner of Elmer, and responsible for his gruesome death, the Selmer City Police Department charged the owner with one count of animal cruelty and ordered her to rehome any animals in her custody.
Based on the owner’s history of breeding Great Danes, the presence of a heavy intestinal parasite load, heartworm disease and the intestinal obstruction that caused Elmer to die a slow, agonizing death by starvation, we believe she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
In Tennessee, a first offense for animal cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year and jail and a $2,500 fine. We want this person behind bars, forbidden from ever owning and being able to profit from breeding another animal, and we want her to be denied pre-trial intervention (PTI). PTI is a diversionary program that is generally offered to first-time offenders as an alternative to other prescribed penalties (including but not limited to jail time).
Please sign our petition demanding justice for Elmer. We are presenting our demands that the prosecutor files all available charges and pushes for the maximum punishment allowed by law. Elmer’s death cannot be in vain.
