Tuscaloosa Woman Charged With Aggravated Animal Cruelty After Dog Found Chained, Neglected

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa woman has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after police discovered a severely malnourished pit bull chained in a backyard with injuries that indicated prolonged neglect.

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A deposition obtained by Tuscaloosa Patch shows that Mary Ann Lawson, 40, was charged after Tuscaloosa Police officers executed a search warrant Wednesday at a residence in the 1500 block of 42nd Avenue Northeast in Holt.

Officers reported finding a blue and grey pit bull tethered to a tire on a short chain with no access to water or adequate shelter.

According to the deposition, the dog’s ribs and hip bones were visible, and officers noted the animal was “very weak.” The chain had also become embedded in the dog’s neck and a metal chain link was later surgically removed.

TPD Lt. Susan Curvin told Tuscaloosa Patch that law enforcement was at the house for an unrelated search warrant and came across the neglected dog in the backyard.

"We immediately got in contact with the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter and McLendon Veterinary Clinic, which is where he was taken straight from the house for treatment," she said.

At McLendon Veterinary Clinic, a veterinarian determined the pit bull had been neglected for weeks.

The dog was given a body condition score of two out of nine, indicating extreme malnutrition and neglect.

Police said the conditions documented at the scene supported probable cause to charge Lawson with aggravated animal cruelty — a felony offense under Alabama law.

She was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail and released after her bond was set at $2,500.

Curvin told Patch that the rescued pit bull, who is estimated to be between one and two years old, has been named Chance and is still fighting for his life after testing positive for parvovirus.

She also said that the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter is looking into finding a medical foster for Chance when he recovers, as opposed to keeping him at the shelter after his parvovirus diagnosis.

"McLendon has an account set up specifically for if anyone in the community wants to call and donate directly to his care," she said. "He will have to have parvo treatment as well as heartworm treatment but he is not strong enough to start that yet, so that'll be kind of on down the road. But all of this cost is being incurred by the Metro Animal Shelter. They're already overrun and overworked as it is. If anyone wants to donate directly to his care, they can call McLendon Veterinary Clinic and and it will go directly to Chance."

Curvin also encouraged vigilance in the community and for those who are aware of animal abuse to report it to the proper authorities.

"If they suspect cruelty or they see any kind of mistreatment like this, whether it be in the city or the county, they can call the police department on our main line at (205) 349-2121, and give as much information as they can," she said. "Information like the address, at a bare minimum, and what's going on with the animal that they've seen. When our officers are on patrol and driving around, they can't necessarily see into a backyard to be able to see that there's something like this going on. So if somebody calls, we take this kind of stuff very seriously."

Those wishing to donate to Chance's medical care can call (205) 553-8306 or visit McLendon Veterinary Clinic, located at 1525 University Boulevard East in Tuscaloosa.

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