Written by: E. George
Published December 9, 2023 @ 9:00 PM ET
Warning: The following report describes violence against animals.
WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. – On November 15, 2023, authorities arrested a 37-year-old Dalton man and charged him with animal cruelty for abandoning two dogs in the home from which he was evicted. On December 4, 2021, a Whitfield County Sheriff’s deputy arrived at the W Field Road residence and found the emaciated dogs “contained on the front porch with no food, water, or shelter.”
A maintenance man let the deputy inside to retrieve the pets, which were “extremely malnourished” with bones protruding from their skin. “The front porch also was covered in feces and had not been cleaned up in some time.”
The deputy transported the pets to an animal shelter, and upon arrival, the starving dogs immediately “began adamantly searching for food.” The shelter director explained that the pit bull “scored a one on the Nestle Purina Body Condition System chart, which states ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones, and all bony prominences [were] evident from a distance.”
The pit bull had “no discernible body fat” and suffered from “obvious loss of muscle mass.” The canine also “had sores on its legs and some type of wound underneath its tail.”
The brown boxer, who suffered from an “obvious waist and abdominal tuck,” scored a three on the chart. The dog’s pelvic bones were becoming prominent, the ribs were “easily palpitated,” and the “tops of lumbar vertebrae [were] visible.”
The director said, “The dog’s front legs [are] starting to bend away from the front paw pads due to malnourishment.”
The dogs were given food and treats and ate “quickly as if [they] had not eaten in days.” They were then relocated to kennels.
The deputy initially responded to the residence on December 1, 2021, and the maintenance man explained that the two tenants, Dashan Cabinda Mack and a 28-year-old Tennessee woman, Hailey Millsap, were evicted on November 30, 2021. The landlord had given them “extra time to get the rest of their belongings.”
The deputy “left an orange notification card requesting a callback,” giving the two individuals “48 hours to respond.” After receiving no call, the deputy returned to the home on December 4, 2021, and saw they never returned for the dogs.
This case is pending in court.
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On Wednesday 12/1/21 at 1056 hrs, Deputy Diak was dispatched to [400 BLOCK] W Field Dr to meet with [WITNESS #1] in reference to animal cruelty.
Upon arrival, Mr. [WITNESS #1] stated that the tenants, Dashan Mack and Hailey Millsap, were evicted on 11/30/21 by means of a set out order. Mr. [WITNESS #1] stated that Dashan and Hailey left their two dogs, a brown boxer and a black and white pitbull. Mr. [WITNESS #1] stated the landlord gave Dashan and Hailey extra time to get the rest of their belongings. Due to this verbal agreement, Deputy Diak left an orange notification card requesting a call back which gives Dashan and Hailey 48 hours to respond to the notice.
On Saturday 12/4/21 Deputy Diak went back to [400 BLOCK] W Field Rd. Deputy Diak observed the two dogs were still at the residence and also had not received a call from Dashan and Hailey. Deputy Diak met with Mr. [WITNESS #1] who is the maintenance man for the house and let Deputy Diak inside to retrieve the black and white pitbull. Deputy Diak observed the dog to be extremely malnourished and had sores on its legs and some type of wound underneath its tail. The dog was contained on the front porch with no food, water, or shelter. The front porch also was covered in feces and had not been cleaned up in some time. Deputy Diak loaded both dogs into his patrol vehicle and relocated to the animal shelter.
Upon arrival at the shelter, Deputy Diak met with Animal Shelter Director, [WITNESS #2], to assist with both dogs due to their unhealthiness. The white pitbull was brought
