Terri Bordeaux of Washington, DC, was arrested Friday by the Metropolitan Police Department and charged with animal cruelty for failure to provide adequate veterinary care for a dog, following an investigation by Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) humane law enforcement officers.
On June 12, 2018, the Humane Rescue Alliance received a call from a concerned citizen about a dog that was missing all of its fur and bleeding in SE Washington, DC.
Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) Officer Russell responded to the address and spoke with a witness who stated that a dog who lived in that neighborhood had been seen one month prior with a small amount of fur loss. At the time of Officer Russell’s visit, the witness stated the dog had almost complete fur loss and its skin appeared to be extremely irritated and bleeding. After conversations with the witnesses and attempts to contact the dog’s owner over the course of several days, Officer Russell returned to the residence. On June 15, the dog was surrendered to Officer Russell.
The dog was taken by HLE officers to a veterinarian, who determined the victim had swollen lymph nodes, mucous discharge from its eyes and severe alopecia impacting all 4 limbs, head, ears, and face. The dog was diagnosed with demodex mange and the veterinarian determined that the skin lesions were likely associated with self-excoriation. The veterinarian prescribed a number of medications for the dog, including antibiotics, antihistamine, pain reliever, eye ointment, ear drops, topical ointment and medicated shampoo for weekly bathing.
On June 21, 2018, HLE officers took the dog back to the veterinarian, where it was re-examined, and the dog’s overall condition appeared to be improved. With continued treatment that was recommended by the veterinarian, by August 7, the victim’s fur had regrown and other medical conditions had resolved.
During the investigation, Officer Russell determined that the dog had been examined by a local veterinarian on April 8, 2016 and was diagnosed with demodex mange and placed on a treatment plan. Records obtained from the veterinarian showed the dog was taken for two of four prescribed treatments, however additional treatment was prescribed after May 24. The veterinarian did not have any medical records associated with the dog after May 24, 2017.
On July 28, 2018, Officer Russell confirmed in a conversation with Bourdeaux that she had not been following prescribed treatment for the dog, but had been using home remedies. Bourdeaux also stated that she had an appointment set with the veterinarian for the dog to be treated again. Officer Russell followed up with the veterinary clinic, who stated there were no records of upcoming appointments.
The dog was surrendered to the Humane Rescue Alliance and remained in our care before being transfered to a rescue. Bourdeaux was arrested at home. Following the arrest, Bourdeaux was arraigned and given a status hearing. She was also given an order to stay away from animals.