Mother, daughter arrested after paralyzed dog's back legs 'sawed off'

SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) -- 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 paralyzed.

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.

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.