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Couple Charged With Torturing Dog

Last updated on Friday, March 21, 2014

(FORT WAYNE) - Two people are facing charges for torturing or mutilating an animal, cruelty to an animal, and harboring a non-immunized dog.

According to court records, sometime between June 2013 and October 2013 Chelsey Ormsby and Cameron Marcum abandoned a dog in their home.

Police found the decomposed dog when officers went to serve arrest warrants in October for Ormsby and Marcum at their home in the 5500 block of Allendale Drive. When officers were clearing the house, they found the body of the dead dog in a bedroom under a child's bassinet. There was a large amount of feces and scratch marks all over the wall from where the dog was trying to get out.

The couple said the dog had died about six weeks ago. Ormsby said the dog, Tito, was about a year old. Marcum admitted to hearing the dog bark and scratch at the door. He said he did not feed the dog or let it out of the bedroom.

In an interview, Ormsby said she stopped feeding the dog and that they put Tito in the bedroom because he started fighting with their other dog over food, and they didn't like him anymore.

Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control Officers collected drywall from the room as evidence. A local veterinarian said Tito would have suffered pain as he starved to death.

"People need to understand that they can call us for anything. Don't wait until the dog is already deceased," FWACC Deputy Director Amy Jo Sites said.

"Contact us early. Let us help you through those decisions, and if you do have to surrender your pet to us there are also some things you can do to help ensure that it has a better chance of being adopted," FWACC Education Specialist Peggy Bender explained.

Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control Education Specialist Peggy Bender says potential pet owners need to do some research before buying a pet. Make sure you have enough money to pay for food, vaccinations, obedience training, and other expenses that might pop up. Plus, have a family plan so you can set your future pet up for success.

"Pet ownership isn't something someone should just jump into. There's a lot of research that should be done so that you can get the correct pet for your family and for your lifestyle. But, to also understand all of the things that you should be doing with the pet from the first day it comes home."

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