Dog Abandoned, Beaten After Owner Let Their Pet Loose

A Chicago woman faces animal cruelty charges after she allegedly abandoned her dog in the streets, reportedly because her new apartment does not allow for pets.

Lashon Parks has been charged with animal cruelty and failure to comply with an animal owner's duties, both misdemeanors, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune reports that Parks and her teenage son began moving their belongings two blocks from their previous apartment via a shopping cart after they let their dog, Isis, off its leash on Saturday. The dog continued to follow them along and neighbors say it barked and paced for hours outside their new home, near the 600 block of North Drake Avenue in the city's East Garfield Park neighborhood, while its owners continued to shut it out.

Police were called to the scene and the dog was seen being attacked by neighborhood children, ABC Chicago reports.

The dog is now being held in protective custody and is reportedly doing much better.

David Dinger of the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society pointed out to ABC that if animal owners can no longer keep their pets for whatever reason, his and others throughout the metropolitan Chicago area are open door shelters which allow the pets the possibility of finding a new home. Chicago Pet Rescue offers this list of resources for individuals considering giving up their pet.