Police have charged a man with multiple counts of animal cruelty after they discovered dogs in poor condition.
On Nov. 27, officers from the Wadesboro Police Department went to the property of 40-year-old Julius Borden on U.S. 74 after receiving a complaint, finding seven dogs that appeared emaciated with no available food or water, according to a press release. Some of the dogs were also allegedly being restrained with “unnecessarily large chains.”
Borden was arrested and charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of restraining dogs in a cruel manner, both misdemeanors. He was booked into the Anson County Jail under a $9,500 secured bond.
The dogs were taken to the Anson County Animal Shelter.
Maureen Lett, shelter director, said that the dogs were doing better and that some of them have gained five to six pounds in a week. She also said that they are social with the staff, enjoy being inside nice and warm, and love dog cookies.
“We get animals weekly that are not taken care of,” she said. “There are different levels to each case, but we get them every week.”
Shelter workers see a lot of bad things, Lett added, like embedded collars, starving animals, and those with broken, crushed or amputated extremities.
“The community needs to report problems to us, the WPD, and the sheriff’s department,” she said. “It’s going to take all of us working together with the district attorney’s office to start making people accountable for their actions.”
Lett said that the community needs to push and encourage the fact that they want people who commit these crimes to be punished.
“It was a good feeling to see his mugshot with the animal cruelty charges against him,” she said. “He may get off, but at least we are trying to put a stop to the unfair treatment of animals in this county; and we have to start somewhere to make people accountable.”
Lett said that there have been worse cases, but in some instances the WPD cannot locate the owner of the animal to press charges. She said that in one particular case, a female pit bull — that only weighed 16 pounds — was found with her teeth filed all of the way down and her nerves were exposed.
There was another case, Lett recalled, in which acid was poured on the dog and the owner sought medical treatment through the shelter because she could not afford it.
Lett sent both animals to Rescue Dogs Rock in New York City to be helped.
“I believe that if an animal comes in fighting to live, friendly despite its severe injuries or appearance, and a group is willing to help it, it deserves a chance,” she said.
Borden is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 23.
Online court records show he also has other pending misdemeanor charges: two counts of communicating threats and one count each of resisting a public officer and a probation violation.
Borden was convicted in January of communicating threats, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
His criminal record dates back to 1997, when he was convicted on misdemeanor charges of recieving stolen goods and possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance.
The following year, Borden was convicted on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance, landing him behind bars for 10 months.
In 2000, he was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon in Union County. His probation was revoked the next year when he was convicted of felonious restraint and assault on a female in Anson County. He spent nearly 2 years behind bars on those convictions.
Borden was also convicted of driving with a revoked license in 2007.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
