Thurston County man who refused to euthanize paralyzed dog arrested, officials say

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A Thurston County man was arrested Tuesday after sheriff’s deputies found a dog that had been hit by a car last January paralyzed and flea-ridden with a broken back and in “extreme pain,” living outside.  Thurston County Prosecutors have charged Nicholas James Pollard with Animal Cruelty in the First Degree.

Animal Control impounded four dogs from a home in the 11500 block of Nisqually Loop SE after a narcotics task force served a warrant Friday. One of the dogs, named Spaz, was unable to walk but dragged herself under a trailer with her front legs when officers tried to get to her.

“This dog suffered for an extremely long period of time," said  Thurston County animal control officer Erika Johnson. "Lots of people knew she was suffering. Nobody did anything to help her. It’s been some of the longest time I’ve seen a dog in such severe condition and in such pain.   She was forced to live outside under an RV and that’s where she was apparently sleeping on old dirty blanket."

Spaz was taken to a vet, who found that her hind feet were “wrapped in a urine soaked Ace bandage covered with a filthy gym sock." The vet said “the foot and ankle and been degloved, and bone was exposed.”

The vet also found that some of Spaz’s toes had worn off from dragging herself across the ground, because she was paralyzed from the waist down. X-rays found that her back was broken in two places, and the vet said she had no bladder or bowel control and was in severe pain even when trying to lay down.

The dog had to be euthanized.

An investigation found that the dog was hit by a car on Jan. 15, but that her owner said he was “not able to do this,” and decided to take the dog home instead. The owner’s ex-girlfriend said she begged him to put the dog down, but he refused.

The man was booked on investigation of first-degree animal cruelty, as well as several drug-related crimes, and bail was set at $160,000.