- Vermont, USA -
On December 4, 2024, the St. Albans Police Department received information about a dog who had been abused and neglected at a residence near Fisher Pond Road in the town of St. Albans.
A Good Samaritan found the furvictim, a 1½-year-old male Rottweiler named Hank, and reached out to the nonprofit organization For the Love of Dogs Vermont, who rescued Hank, and subsequently alerted the authorities.
Hank had been abandoned in the residence for an extended length of time with no heat, electricity, food or water. For the Love of Dogs Vermont said: “He was found alone on a couch in that cold abandoned home, shivering and weak.”
Part of a Facebook post by Vermonters Against Animal Cruelty and Abandonment of December 12, 2024, read: “After being rushed to the vets and provided emergency care, he was moved into a medical foster. He received a body condition score of 1 out of 9 by two separate veterinarians, determining he was in the final stage of starvation before death.”
In a subsequent post, the animal rescue wrote: “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of VAACA’s team of rescues he received immediate medical care and placement in foster with Potter's Angels Rescue, where he will soon be available for adoption. At the time of his rescue, he weighed just 53 lbs and now is a whopping 73.8 lbs and gaining daily!!”
From an investigation into the incident, it emerged that 34-year-old KYLE GRATTON (pictured) was responsible for abandoning Hank.
Police arrested GRATTON on December 24, 2024, and he is now facing felony animal cruelty charges. Police said GRATTON is scheduled to appear in the Franklin County Superior Courthouse on February 4, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.
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Voice For Us Disclaimer: Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.
Hank’s pictures shared from Vermonters Against Animal Cruelty and For Abandonment and For the Love of Dogs Vermont.
GRATTON’s mugshot shared from the the St. Albans Police Department.
