The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of the woman who released two dogs into the Arizona desert to fend for themselves. Jamie Rae Seehan, age 37, was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies at her East Mesa home, Wednesday, after deputies traced a microchip from one of the rescued Sheppards.
Those dogs are now under the care of Inmates at Sheriff Arpaio’s air conditioned jail for abandoned and abused animals. Sheriff Arpiao said “My office will continue to arrest and charge people who are cruel and inhuman to animals. We will not tolerate it, what this person did is sick.”
Sheehan admitted to Sheriff’s detectives that she had driven the hounds out to the desert at the end of March, left them with a small amount of food, and then left to move to Minnesota. She stated to detectives that she was not able to take the dogs with her and did not know what else to do.
As reported on June 10, 2013, an east valley horseback rider, Susan Andre, appeared on a local TV station to discuss the abandoned dogs she had spotted in the desert. Andre said found the dogs weeks ago and was unable to take the animals into her own home. Andre noted that she been going back to the site each day where the dogs are hunkered down under the shade of a desert tree and providing them food and water. The report was seen by Sheriff Arpaio who sent his deputies to find the dogs and bring them to shelter.
Sheehan has been booked into the 4th Avenue Jail and charged with two counts of animal cruelty.
“With temperatures reaching above 100 degrees, it is cruel and inhumane to leave your animals outside to fend for themselves without food or water” Arpaio continued. “This person will be held responsible for this cruelty to these nice animals.”