Cooper was found beneath a wheelchair ramp, struggling to breathe, his muzzle sealed shut with duct tape.
If a stranger hadn’t found him when she did, his story might have ended very differently.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, deputies began investigating after a photo surfaced online showing a dog with tape wrapped tightly around its muzzle.
A woman who found Cooper said he appeared to be hyperventilating.
She and her son cut the tape away themselves, and Cooper immediately began breathing freely again.
Detectives eventually located Cooper’s owner, 57 year old Tammy Annette Roosa, at a property near Old Berkley Road in Auburndale.
She admitted the dog was hers and said she had taped his muzzle shut the night before, claiming he had tried to bite her.
According to the sheriff’s office, Roosa showed no remorse and did not accept that what she had done was wrong. She ultimately surrendered Cooper to authorities.
When Cooper was examined at Polk County Animal Control, veterinarians found scarring from the tape, signs of malnourishment, and marks around his neck indicating he had been tied up for an extended period.
But Cooper wasn’t the only animal in danger. Inside Roosa’s RV, deputies discovered seven cats, three fish, two lovebirds, two finches, and a duck, all living in unsanitary conditions.
Fire crews measured ammonia levels inside the RV at 100 parts per million, a level officials described as extreme enough to cause chronic respiratory problems and eye irritation.
Investigators also found piles of garbage, a leaking septic system, and heavy insect activity throughout the property.
“Cooper the dog had been treated horribly, but I am happy to report that some good things have come out of this ordeal,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “Cooper is getting wonderful treatment and care… and all of his little animal friends have been freed from their horrible living conditions as well. All of the animals are expected to fully recover.”
Roosa now faces a lengthy list of charges, including aggravated animal cruelty, 15 counts of animal neglect, resisting without violence, operating an unpermitted landfill, and three counts of maintaining a nuisance injurious to health.
Cooper’s ordeal has since sparked a push for what advocates are calling Cooper’s Law, proposed legislation that would make it an explicit felony to bind or seal any animal’s muzzle, jaw, or airway with tape, wire, rope, or similar materials, while permanently barring anyone convicted from ever owning animals again.
Cooper survived because someone happened to find him in time. Advocates say protection should never come down to luck.
Do you think binding an animal’s muzzle should carry felony charges nationwide?
Source:
mysuncoast – “Auburndale woman charged after deputies say dog’s muzzle was taped shut”