An elderly man was mauled to death by his neighbors' starving dog, right in his own backyard. Clifford Clark, who was 79, left his kitchen door open while cooking dinner and was attacked by a Presa Canario cross breed, also known as a canary dog -- a rather large breed -- that police say hadn't been fed in 45 hours and was so desperate for food that it had ingested tissues, plastic bowls, cigarette butts, and filthy water.
The dog, named Charlie, wandered onto Clifford's property showing obvious signs of distress: neighbors say he was foaming at the mouth and snarling. He bit off one of the man's arms and left the other one badly mutilated, according to cops. Clifford, who had just celebrated his birthday the night before, died in the most ghastly and painful way possible.
And where were Charlie's owners, you may be asking yourself? Glad you asked: Hayley Sulley, 30, and Della Woods, 29, were enjoying themselves at a barbecue. And they didn't just leave Charlie alone in their home -- they reportedly also own two other dogs.
When police arrived at the scene of the crime, Charlie had gone so mad from starvation that he tried to bite one of the officer's guns. After police shot the dog, he actually got up again and continued to try to fight.
A judge sentenced Charlie's owners to 12 months in jail -- which seems like a light punishment. Obviously, they didn't commit first-degree murder and their sentence shouldn't be 50 years, I get that. But their negligence was directly responsible for this poor, tortured animal seeking food at any cost. Their cruelty was the reason why a retired hospital porter and former athlete, who should be enjoying his golden years surrounded by loving family and friends, suffered the worst death imaginable.
I can't imagine what excuse they provided for denying their dog food for 45 hours. What were they thinking?!
Do you think 12 months in jail is an appropriate punishment for this crime?
Image via Jose Mesa/Flickr