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DACC under fire after returning dogs to troubled owners
Kristina Millman Rinaldi is the executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue, and she is now furious because the dogs have been returned to the owner. The puppies were no longer on the porch, Knowledge was back in his kennel, and their owner, Darnell Cotton, is promising better care.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A dog named Knowledge is at the heart of a heated dispute while he and two Malinois puppies that Detroit Dog Rescue called Detroit Animal Care and Control to pick up on Wednesday.
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This all took place a week after Detroit Animal Care and Control had already been there and witnessed the same conditions and warned the owner to make some changes.
"We have pictures of these dogs in the sun, no food, no water. I went out the other day, here we are again, no food, no water," said Kristina Millman Rinaldi. "We had a dog in a kennel on a chain in inches of his own feces, sitting there winter, summer. It was 100 degrees outside, but now we have two Malinois puppies on the porch. Basic health of the neighborhood — from the smell to the flies to the parasites. Enough is enough."
Rinaldi is the executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue, and she is now furious because the dogs have been returned to the owner. The puppies were no longer on the porch, Knowledge was back in his kennel, and their owner, Darnell Cotton, is promising better care.
"I'm a positive dog owner. My dogs like outside more than inside. After 85, they're inside. My puppies staying with me all the time," said dog owner Darnell Cotton. "I'm open to any constructive criticism. If there's anything you think I can do better, call me or tell me, and I'll do it better. It's just that simple."
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As for Detroit Animal Care and Control, they say the dogs were seen by their veterinarian, the owner was educated, there was no legal basis for keeping the dogs, and they will be checking back to make sure they're okay.
"On July 9, the owners did arrive to the shelter, clean the yard," said Crystal Perkins. "Dogs can't be outside, especially in the heat. The owner was given resources. Our number one goal is education. We want Detroiters to be properly educated on how to care for their pets."
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