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GREENSBORO — For about two weeks in the hottest part of August, a mixed-breed pit bull puppy lay dying in a south Greensboro park.

A man walking through Greenfield Park on Aug. 20 stumbled upon her — burned, beaten and covered in maggots. She was about 10 weeks old.

The dog, later named Susie, made a full recovery, was adopted and is expected to begin training as a therapy dog to help burn victims. Last week, the man accused of attacking her, Lashawn Whitehead, was indicted on animal cruelty charges by a Guilford County grand jury.

Susie has become the face of animal cruelty. Her attack left people appalled that someone would commit such an egregious act against a puppy.

Although the case is one of the worst in Guilford County in recent memory, animal advocates say it’s a growing problem that has left uncounted animals to suffer.

“Unfortunately, people get animals and it’s like, 'This towel is old; I’m going to throw it away.’ They get an animal, and they do the same thing,” said Brenda Overman, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of the Triad.

Animal advocates blame several factors:

• Irresponsible owners and breeders.
• Laws and penalties for animal abuse they believe are far too soft or outdated.
• Pet overpopulation. Four million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters across the nation each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States. That’s about one every eight seconds.
• A soured economy. “We are getting calls for abandoned animals that are not being cared for anymore,” said Leigh Anne Garrard, a field supervisor with Guilford County Animal Control.

“In the economic times … the first thing to get shunned is the animals.”

Finding animal abuse

From April through October, Guilford County Animal Control handled 578 cases of animal mistreatment.

Those cases reflect a variety of problems, with many animals left tied up without food, water or shelter, or abandoned in homes when the owners moved.

But the problems can develop into cruelty cases when animals are shot, hit by cars and not treated, become malnourished, or have collars or chains that are so tight they become embedded in their necks. Authorities have to prove intent to bring charges of animal cruelty.

“We’ve seen abuse cases where people would sew up their dog’s vagina because they can’t afford to get them spayed,” said Marsha Williams, executive director of the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

“A lot of people are letting their dogs starve because they can’t afford to feed them or the animal may have a broken limb and is suffering.”

Among the severe cases reported recently in Guilford County:

• Romeo, a mixed-breed terrier who was surrendered to animal control, weighed 17 pounds when he should have weighed 45. A woman who said she couldn’t afford to feed Romeo gave him up. The dog was nursed back to health and adopted. A veterinarian called Romeo’s the worst abuse case the shelter has seen in years in which the animal survived.
• Three pit bulls were found dead in a backyard without food or water. The owner claimed to be feeding the dogs, but X-rays of their stomachs revealed sticks, plastic, rocks and pieces of a shredded basketball.
• Three horses, confiscated on Brim Road, were 150 to 200 pounds underweight.
• Several dogs were taken from a home on West Cone Boulevard, where a woman reportedly ran an animal rescue operation. Some of the dogs lived in small crates piled with feces. The malnourished dogs, including several puppies, lacked food and water and suffered bug-bite wounds.
• Owners of a black lab, Rosco, put panty hose and duct tape around his ears to keep him from scratching an ear infection.
• A collie was found at a home with its mouth duct-taped shut. The owner, charged with felony animal cruelty, reportedly did it to stop the dog from barking. The dog couldn’t eat or drink.

Authorities also have broken up multiple dogfighting and cockfighting rings. Veterinarians treated the animals found alive, and those that could be saved were placed for adoption.

In some cases, the animals had to be euthanized.

“Our hearts hurt for these animals all day long,” Garrard said. “People have no idea it happens here. They see it on (the television show) 'Animal Cops’ and don’t realize that people are sick whether they are in New York or Greensboro.”

Animal control’s role

On one call after another, Alexis Bennett and her colleagues with animal control navigate the county.

Whether a report involves a dog on the loose or possible mistreatment, their job is to educate animal owners on the law and proper care.

“Some people do stupid things, and I’m going to give you a chance to correct the problem,” Bennett said.

If people can’t afford to feed their animals, Bennett refers them to programs that offer food for free or at a low cost.

References also are given for assistance with veterinary care, grooming, and spaying or neutering.

“There are too many organizations out there to help owners,” Bennett said. “I don’t want to take that dog off the property. I want to educate the person.”

If owners don’t follow the law, animal control officers can levy a civil citation and, if needed, take the animal. In the worst cases, they turn to law enforcement officers to bring criminal charges.

A shelter’s dilemma

For Marsha Williams and the rest of the staff at the Guilford County Animal Shelter, each day brings more animals.

They want to help each one, but because of limits on money, space and time, hundreds have to be put to death each year.

“We are trying to be part of the solution,” Williams said. “We can’t win for losing, and it’s really stressful.”

“Even when we saved Susie, we had people saying 'Why did you save this dog?’ or 'Why didn’t you just put her down? Why are you making her suffer going through these baths every day?’

“But if we had euthanized her, we would have gotten calls that we don’t care.”

More animals are likely to fall victim to abuse and neglect until more animals are spayed or neutered.

And that’s where it starts, animal advocates say: teaching animal owners how easy and inexpensive it can be to get an animal spayed or neutered and prevent problems before they begin.

“People don’t spay or neuter their animals because they don’t believe it is necessary,” Williams said.

“We can’t adopt ourselves out of this situation. We have to try and control the pet population.”

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com