SAN ANTONIO — A foul odor at an apartment complex resulted in the discovery of a dead and "extremely decomposed" pit bull this week, as well as the rescue of a second dog which was malnourished itself.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said 24-year-old Kamryn McKee was arrested after telling deputies she last saw the dogs on Jan. 1, alleging they were healthy when she provided them food and water before going to get her nails done.
"That, to me, is a lie," said Salazar. "The advanced stage of decomposition and malnourishment on the other dog tells me she did not see these dogs alive and well on Jan. 1. This has obviously been in the works for some time now."
According to the sheriff, someone at a far-west-side apartment complex called in the smell to Bexar County Animal Control, which responded to the 5000 block of Mansions Bluffs and verified the odor. Deputies arrived and entered the apartment unit with the help of maintenance staff when they discovered the dogs.
Salazar said there's a "direct link" between animal cruelty and more serious crimes like domestic violence or human trafficking, elevating the urgency of the arrest.
"Anybody that’s capable of just letting an animal be neglected to the point where they’re gonna die of starvation... that just tells me that’s a person with a cold, cold heart that could possibly do something along those lines to a human as well," he said.
McKee faces third-degree felony charges of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. She was jailed on a $2,000 bond, but was released after posting bail Thursday.
If convicted, she could be imprisoned for between two and 10 years and/or have to pay a fine of up to $10,000.
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