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SLIDELL – A Slidell woman, her 17-year-old-daughter, and another teenager are all facing animal cruelty charges after police say the back legs of a partially paralyzed dachshund were “sawed off.”

The 50-year-old woman and her daughter reported to police that their dog Buddy had been shot in February of this year, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

But they failed to get any medical treatment for Buddy, and the shooting left Buddy partially paralized.

St. Tammany officers were alerted to the dog’s condition on September 25, and when they arrived at the trailer park where the mother and daughter live, they found that both of Buddy’s rear legs had been removed.

The woman and her daughter initially told officers that the dog’s legs had fallen off after they had been bandaged too tightly, but a veterinarian orthopedic surgeon consulted by the sheriff’s department confirmed that the dog’s wounds were “maliciously inflicted.”

The veterinarian also confirmed that the dog’s limbs were not removed by a veterinary professional, and that they did not fall off naturally.

“As a dog owner myself, I was completely appalled when we received a complaint of such horrific animal cruelty in our community. Our investigators acted swiftly, and the parties responsible have been charged accordingly,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.

The 17-year-old daughter was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and booked into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center.

The 50-year-old woman was charged with cruelty to animals and released on a summons.

A 17-year-old friend of the daughter’s was also arrested for animal cruelty, and later released into the custody of a relative, according to the STPSO.

An online fundraising effort to cover the continuing costs of Buddy’s recovery has raised over $14,000 after nearly 500 people pledged money in the Facebook campaign’s first six days.

“I would urge anyone with information about this case or any instance of cruelty to defenseless animals, to contact the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office at 985-898-2338 or St. Tammany Parish Animal Services at 985-809-0183,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.

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