Woman charged after abandoning old, visually impaired dog on Arizona roadside

A woman in Arizona has been charged for abandoning her elderly, visually impaired dog on the roadside last month, authorities said.

A 62-year-old Phoenix resident was charged with animal cruelty and neglect, the Cochise County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The woman was cited and released, clarified a spokesperson of the sheriff's office to USA TODAY.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and his wife Nickie spotted the dog on August 26 in Benson, 45 miles southeast of Tuscon, walking down the exit ramp.

The couple secured the dog in their vehicle, said the police, before a Cochise County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Officer took custody of the dog.

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The animal control officer determined the dog was chipped, with the last registered owner in Maricopa County. Several attempts were made to contact the owner, but no response was received for the numerous calls and messages, said the police.

On September 6, Sheriff Dannels and Sergeant Ray McNeely continued their investigation while attending a community event in Phoenix and attempted to locate the dog owner in the city, using her last known address.

Their efforts directed them to the owner, who was located at her home in central Phoenix.

The police said that the owner initially denied being in Cochise County, but later admitted to leaving her dog on the I-10, failing to notify law enforcement and ignoring the police's attempts to contact her.

The woman is due in court date later this month in Cochise County to address this charge, said the police. However, they did not provide a specific date.

The dog is being held at a shelter until the criminal case is adjudicated.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.