Warrant issued for man accused of dumping emaciated puppies
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- An arrest warrant has been issued for a man accused of dumping emaciated puppies and leaving them to die.
Christopher Merrick has been charged with animal cruelty. He failed to appear in court on Friday.
Merrick is accused of dumping emaciated and dehydrated dogs in the woods near JBLM. Investigators say the animals' ribs were protruding and their paws were swollen to twice the size. Some had their eyes swollen shut with mucus. Others were bleeding from open sores.
But the accused man's mother says they tried to care for the dogs.
"We didn't abandon our dogs; we took them to go get help," said Lori Merrick.
After their dog had a litter of 9, Lori Merrick says her son tried to drop them off at the Humane Society. But when he was told there was a fee, he left with the dogs instead, according to court documents.
"I couldn't afford no $900," she said.
The Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County says it does charge an owner turn-in fee.
"We do ask that people to put up a fee for several reasons. One is it does cost a lot to care for pets, and also because (we) don't just want to be the easy, free dumping place," said Marguerite Richmond of the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County.
But when people can't afford the fee, the Humane Society does work with the owners, Richmond said.
"You know, that's why we exist. That's why we're here -- so that animals don't get dumped," she said.
After leaving the shelter, Lori Merrick said, her son turned elsewhere for help.
"It was an acquaintance of his friend, and he would take the pups and adopt them out. And the next thing we know, Animal Control is asking about it and telling us they found the pups at Fort Lewis," she said.
During the investigation,Christopher Merrick positively identified two of the puppies found as having come from the litter he claimed to have given to an associate, according to court documents.
"He's not guilty of animal cruelty. I have three dogs now," said Lori Merrick.
One of the nine puppies found did not survive, but the others are all doing well in their new homes.
Christopher Merrick has been charged with animal cruelty. He failed to appear in court on Friday.
Merrick is accused of dumping emaciated and dehydrated dogs in the woods near JBLM. Investigators say the animals' ribs were protruding and their paws were swollen to twice the size. Some had their eyes swollen shut with mucus. Others were bleeding from open sores.
But the accused man's mother says they tried to care for the dogs.
"We didn't abandon our dogs; we took them to go get help," said Lori Merrick.
After their dog had a litter of 9, Lori Merrick says her son tried to drop them off at the Humane Society. But when he was told there was a fee, he left with the dogs instead, according to court documents.
"I couldn't afford no $900," she said.
The Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County says it does charge an owner turn-in fee.
"We do ask that people to put up a fee for several reasons. One is it does cost a lot to care for pets, and also because (we) don't just want to be the easy, free dumping place," said Marguerite Richmond of the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County.
But when people can't afford the fee, the Humane Society does work with the owners, Richmond said.
"You know, that's why we exist. That's why we're here -- so that animals don't get dumped," she said.
After leaving the shelter, Lori Merrick said, her son turned elsewhere for help.
"It was an acquaintance of his friend, and he would take the pups and adopt them out. And the next thing we know, Animal Control is asking about it and telling us they found the pups at Fort Lewis," she said.
During the investigation,Christopher Merrick positively identified two of the puppies found as having come from the litter he claimed to have given to an associate, according to court documents.
"He's not guilty of animal cruelty. I have three dogs now," said Lori Merrick.
One of the nine puppies found did not survive, but the others are all doing well in their new homes.
I can't believe some of you are blaming the shelter. You are just as stupid as the family who neglected these poor dogs. Why shouldn't they charge a fee to surrender not 1 but 9 dogs? Oh yea, you created the mess and can walk away scott free? I don't believe for a second that this degenerate even went to the shelter. He was probably smart enough to understand that he would be arrested for animal cruelty based on the pictures of the dogs.  So before you morons bash the shelters in this country whether they charge a fee or not, remember the morons who created this problem and should have their wages, welfare, garnished to pay for the mess they created. Â
This is digusting. Their other dogs need to be removed from the home as well.  This mange did not happen overnight. And if you look at the mother's facebook page you will see that this was not an "oops" litter. They are breeding their dogs for a little extra cash. You will see pics from 2011 of another litter of 9. The mother selling them for 100.00 and saying that she "needs the money, cause I am flat broke until next month". She should have had those dogs spayed and neutered at that time. I hope the prosecutor looks into these people a little deeper.Â
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And don't blame the shelter, they take in thousands of unwanted pets every year. It's extremely costly to clean up someone elses mess (ie the morons dumping their pets). Tacoma Shelter is overflowing with pets who need homes. And the Tacoma shelter is not the ONLY option for this family. There are hundreds of rescues in our area who would have gladly taken the puppies FOR FREE to get them well and find proper homes for them.  Â
 @jdb You're right. They are probably lying and keeping those other dogs to breed as soon as the attention is off of them.
Didn't have the money to take care of the dogs, tried to do the right thing by taking to Humane Society - who says they can't take them without a fee. If he had the $900 fee they probably would be taking care of the dogs better ! Did you offer financial assistance ? or is it that one has to ask for it - and if you don't know it's an option you don't know to ask ! So Tacoma Humane Society - guess this didn't work out so well for the owner, the dogs and you (with rather unflattering PR).
The suffering these poor puppies went through makes me physically ill. Day after day for a while to get like that.
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I also feel that the Humane Society did these dogs a disservice. She can say they will "work" with owners if they can't afford it all she wants, but if they saw these pups, anyone could see that this was an emergency.
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I was unaware that it cost a fee to relinquish a pet to a shelter (being as I am on the opposite end i.e. rescue). So, I looked up the Everett Animal Shelter - they have different fees depending on the cities you live in, and a few cities can relinquish for free. Surprisingly, Everett residents are charged $25, whereas Snohomish residents are not charged a fee. Other surrounding cities are charged $125.
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Some "friend" took them huh? That's why Jr did not bother to show for court maybe. Some "friend" was supposed to go in for him.
There's something wrong with his picture all the way around. If the humane society is charging that kind of money to do what they're suppose to do in the first place, it's time for an investigation into where all of there donation money goes. People saving animals (or trying to) is big business, because face it, in the eyes of a lot of us, animals are more valuable than most people. As far as these backwoods redneck idiots go? Take ALL animals out of their house, and if "darling Junior" doesn't show up to court and roll over on his imaginary friend......toss his sorry butt in jail until he's emaciated and covered with sores too. I'd love ten minutes alone with ANYONE that treats dogs like this.
""I couldn't afford no $900," she said. " Â Geez. Another bunch of ignorant gomers in Pierce County. Â So is school optional up here? Â People breed pit bulls thinking they'll sell them, then realize that the shelters are filled with them from other opportunists who realized that no one is buying them, and they dump or kill the dogs. Â Get your stupid dogs fixed. Â And the humane society charges $100.00 a puppy to take them in? That's part of the problem. Most people like that can't afford to care for the dogs, and they sure don't have that kind of money. Â Weird.Â
@DT The mother was breeding these dogs to make some extra money. She had another litter in 2011. As for the shelter, it costs a lot of money to operate a shelter and care for the thousands and thousands of pets dumped by irresponsible and selfish owners. Some shelters receive govt. aid, some rely solely on donations. If the Tacoma HS could not take these puppies, there are hundreds of rescues in our area who would have taken them for free and then spent the thousands of dollars that  it will take to get these puppies well again. I think this family needs to be spayed/neutered.
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Sickening....
You know what? Unless if you're God, you can't take care of that many damn dogs, or pets of any kind! This is just one of those times I may accidently shoot the messenger!
This is the one thing I could kill someone over.
Maybe the owner should have done the right thing in the first place and had their animal spayed. For that reason alone I fault the owner. One must realize how animals multiply.
this was a money maker for the mother.
Unflipping believable. I am at a loss for words (hard to do). I've been looking for a puppy for a while now, paying 350 or 450 or more for a mutt on Craigslist.....no way. Then to read this, I want to vomit. Sorry baby puppies, Sorry.
@Magicalwoman I know I am going to stir up some serious nerve endings here but your comment compelled me share the resemblence.
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My wife was a crisis pregnancy counselour to mostly young women for about 5 years. She and I witnessed the very same words coming from families 'desperate' to adopt. They were furious at the ease in which one could kill an unborn child, yet the expense and hassle to adopt was completely overwhelming...
What a piece of crap that owner is. And, as for the Tacoma "Humane" Society - you have your head up..... er.. in the sand. Your job is to rescue and rehabilitate unwanted, abused, neglected pets. Charging the incompetent owners?? Hello? You really think those idiots would pay for you to care for the animals?? If that was true, they wouldn't be surrendering them in the first place. What an idiotic system. Start thinking about the animals and increasing your donation/fund raising program. It sounds like it's time for a changing of the guard in your fumbling, incompetent organization.Â
Makes me wonder how hard the Tacoma shelter attempted to convey that they were willing to work with him on turning these puppies in. Humanely. Seems if someone flat out says they "can't afford the $900", that's a calling card to intervene and prevent someone from doing the unthinkable... By no means am I saying shelters should operate in the red- but people do happen upon desperate situations and need help. The shelters receive numerous donations throughout the year, after all. Certainly there is some leverage?
 @skepticaloptimist Yep--the donations mean that they don't have to charge a $200 drop-off fee.
Humane society is only humane for a fee :-/
 @NickM1979 So you think they can operate without funds,is that it?
Give merrick to me,I'll be happy to show him what it feels like.
 @tthunderstorme Send him my way when you are done, I will finish it!
And Lady, My heart and prayers are with the three you still have!!! Hopefully you wont have them for long!!
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I offer a quote from the former Price is Right game show host Bob Barker: "Get your pets spayed or neutered."
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This is to the "mother" of this so called kid thatt she knows so well.....please explain why you think this is something worth smiling over? YOU should also be in jail!!! An animal does not look like these poor babies do in just 4 days!! Grow up and take responceibility for your own actions, you p.o.s.Would really like to talk to you, ya know so you can laugh and blame someone else....AGAIN...you are a P.O.S.
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@Moms420Time the mother is the one who should be charged. These were here puppies and not the first litter that the mother dog had given birth to. Pictures on her FB page show another litter of 9 in 2011. It was all about the money. Also, her son is not a "kid". Look him up FB, he's a grown adult. Â
 @Moms420Time I wanted to bash her smirking, trashy face in; it's so obvious she could not care less and is lying through her effing teeth (or lack thereof...) about some random, unnamed "acquaintance of a buddy" of her POS son.Â
I'm glad this story made it clear that the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society is all about the money. I took a stray in once who was clearly very ill, I told them it was a stray and they wouldn't take the dog until I paid them $65.Â
At the Humane Society... No good deed shall go unpunished! They'll happily take you to court on abuse charges if you can't afford to pay them.
 @Fooey Patooey! That is why so many dogs are found just outside shelters.