Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Hungry Puppies!

from KOMO News in Seattle, WA

By Keith Eldridge

PARKLAND, Wash. -- Unfed puppies may be to blame for the gruesome attack on the wheelchair-bound cancer patient who was critically injured while trapped inside his own home.


Investigators said 55-year-old Michael Warner was put in an unthinkable situation by his daughter and her friend who was also Warner's unlicensed caretaker.

Warner was attacked after he was left lying on the floor of his Parkland home in the 12100 block of Sixth Avenue East with 18 puppies and several adult dogs who had been given no food for days, investigators said.

Warner is unable to care for or defend himself due to his deteriorating medical condition.

"We believe some animals were left behind that were not fed and some of the puppies got to him," said Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer. "Not intentionally attacked him, but used him as a food source. There's just not a nicer way to say it.
"They just didn't know any better and he was on the floor, incapacitated for a couple of days, and became a victim of that."

Warner is believed to have been alone at the home for several days. As of Monday afternoon, he remained in critical condition and was unable to communicate with detectives.

The case came to light Friday when Yvonne Bell brought her father to Tacoma General Hospital with injuries. Bell and her friend, Jennifer Markwith, were arrested, accused of failing to take care of Warner.

"We believe there may be some drugs involved," Troyer said.

The pair's Monday court appearance was rescheduled as no charges had been filed against them. Possible criminal neglect charges are pending investigation. However, neighbor Anna Bruun believes the pair is responsible for Warner's attack.

"I mean, there's no excuse and it's deplorable," she said.

Bruun said she has complained about the dogs several times to animal control after a woman was bitten a few months ago. She also said Warner had been left alone at the home in the past, and had stumbled over to her house for help.

"Once I had to call 911 because he came over and collapsed in our front yard and so they came and took him away. And there was nobody there (at the home)," she said.

Another neighbor, Steve Majerick, said he talked to some of the officers who came to home, and was sickened by what he heard.

"According to what one of the officers said, there was quite a lot of feces and everything just in the rooms, which is a nightmare," he said.
Some neighbors claim seven or eight of the dogs have been a neighborhood menace for some time, barking and scaring people who walk by and chasing others back into their homes when they tried to go outside.

Warner's relatives, who live in Shelton, said they were shocked and angry to hear the news of their brother's attack. Warner's sisters, who said they had not seen or heard from their brother for some time, said they're now heartsick over his grave condition.

"That's awful that somebody could do that to somebody, not take care of them like you're supposed to. It's horrible," said sister Shirley Adams.

"I hope they throw the book at her (Bell)," said sister Michelle Wishon. "That's pure neglect and if he dies, it should be considered manslaughter. Not only that, but they neglected all those animals."

No charges have been filed against Bell in this case; however, she was to be transferred to the Kitsap County Jail on a domestic violence charge. Markwith was to be released, but faces several complaints through Kitsap Animal Control concerning her dogs.

The dogs, of all different ages and breeds, were rounded up and impounded.

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