“She is such a sweet dog and she was licking my face,” on the way to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society after she was seized from her owner’s apartment, said Pittsburgh police officer Christine Luffey. Officer Luffey added, “She weighed 14 pounds” when she was seized on January 21. As of Sunday the dog, named “Effie” now weighs 19 pounds according to Officer Luffey.
Acting on a complaint from an exterminator, Officer Luffey along with Ed Mitchell, a police officer with the humane society, began investigating, attempting to locate the dog’s owner. On January 20, the exterminator reported to the humane society that while in an apartment he “observed a severely emaciated dog,” police allege in a criminal complaint.
A photograph taken by the exterminator and sent to the humane society, “shows the dog’s ribs, back bones and hip bones protruding,” the complaint alleges. The dog was also tied to a wall with a very short leash.
Officer Luffey along with Officer Mitchell were able to locate the dog’s owner identified in court papers as Gerald Walker, Jr., 18 of Pittsburgh. Walker surrendered Effie to the officers on Jan. 21, and according to the complaint, in addition to her being extremely emaciated, “Her toenails were extremely overgrown and she could barely walk.”
As a result of Effie eating anything she could trying to stay alive, she developed an intestinal blockage and would vomit up her food soon after she ate it. She underwent a risky surgical procedure to remove the blockage from which she could have easily died.
Officer Luffey was informed prior to Effie’s surgery that she was at a high risk of not surviving the procedure because of her emaciated condition. as well as being weak. “We decided to give ‘Effie a chance at survival,”‘ Luffey wrote in the complaint.
“Cloth, corn kernels, a few small bones, and several large pieces of orange peels,” were removed from Effie’s intestines during the procedure. Officer Luffy said Effie also “ate ladies underwear to stay alive,” pieces of which were removed during the surgery.
Effie had originally been adopted from the Animal Rescue League by Tonya Jennings, Walker’s aunt, but who gave Effie to Walker three months later because Jennings was moving and couldn’t keep her.
In an interview with police Jennings admitted that by giving Walker the dog she violated the adoption contract she signed when she originally adopted Effie.
“Tonya began to cry and told us she feels responsible for what happened to the dog because she violated the contract she signed with the Animal Rescue League by giving the dog to Gerald Walker instead of returning the dog to the shelter,” Officer Luffy said in the complaint.
Jennings gave Effie to Walker in August of 2013, when he was 15 because “he really wanted the dog,” the complaint alleges.
“Tonya told us there is no excuse for Gerald not to feed the dog because he knows she would have provided it,” Officer Luffey wrote.
Jennings told police that she believes one of the reasons Walker stopped feeding Effie is because he moved back to an old neighborhood “and began associating with bad people,” the document states.
Walker, during a Jan. 27 interview with police told a completely different story than Jennings.
Walker claimed he only had the dog for two months and was “watching it for his aunt because she is on vacation.” Walker also told Officers Luffey and Mitchell that Effie had worms, saying “I see worms in her poop.” Walker told the officers “I don’t have no money.”
In addition to not having any money, Walker said he was not at home for a period of time because he was recently arrested, but didn’t elaborate. Online court records show that Walker was arrested and jailed on December 15, for receiving stolen property, possession of drugs and driving without a license. However, he was released two days later after posting a $5,000 bond.
Another family member told police that back in December she offered to give Walker cereal that she purchased using her welfare benefits, to feed Effie.
Walker’s mother Tia Matthews told Officer Luffey she saw Effie on Jan. 20 and “was shocked to see the dog in the emaciated condition it was in.” Asked why Walker would starve Effie Matthews replied, “my son got caught up in the streets.”
Walker is charged with one count of animal cruelty and faces a preliminary hearing on February 18.
Effie, Officer Luffey said, “Is in a foster home and receiving 24-hour care” from a woman who is always home. She is eating six times a day and is being given a high protein food.
“I can’t change her past, but I can change her future. She is going to have an amazing future,” she said.