A woman whose malnourished Belgian Malinois allegedly survived starvation by eating the carcass of another dog will be charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers announced today.
Chambers said Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies will serve Kristy Knecht, 29, a summons for the charges. Both charges are class 6 felonies, meaning they carry a penalty ranging from one year to 18 months in jail for each count.
Chambers said the crimes occurred between May 1 and Aug. 22.
The surviving dog, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois named Neeko, was forced to eat the carcass of a white German shepherd that died of starvation at Knecht’s home in the 1000 block of Uvalda Street, officials said. Up to 2 feet of dog feces was piled up in a utility room, and chewed-up dog bones were strewn throughout the house.
Neeko weighed 80 pounds when an Army soldier headed for a tour in Iraq sold the dog for $100 to Knecht in early July. The soldier had interviewed several people to find a good owner for the dog, veterinarian Barbara McLucas said.
After his new master abandoned him in a home with no food or water, Neeko survived by eating the carcass of another dog that had starved to death, officials say.
Neeko weighed only 30 pounds and was barely alive when he was found Aug. 21, after neighbors became concerned about the smell coming from Knecht’s house.
Cheryl Conway, with Aurora’s Animal Care Division, said in a news released today that division officials believe the charges are appropriate and hope the case will shine a spotlight on Colorado’s animal cruelty laws, which she said are among the best in the country.
Neeko is improving, but is expected to remain in an animal hospital for at least another two months to recuperate. Numerous people have expressed interest in adopting him, Conway said.
In the meantime, Neeko’s care is costing the Aurora shelter thousands of dollars. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to help pay for his care should make checks payable to the Aurora Animal Shelter, attn: vet care and mail them to the shelter at 15750 East 32nd Ave., Aurora, CO 80011-1518.
