3 arrested after paralyzed dog’s back legs ‘sawed off’

A woman and two 17-year-old girls have been charged with animal cruelty after authorities said the hind legs of a paralyzed dachshund were “sawed off.”

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office tells reporters that a 50-year-old Slidell woman, her daughter and the daughter’s friend were arrested Monday. A sheriff’s statement says the wounded dachshund, since named Buddy, was found in a trailer park and brought to a veterinarian, who contacted authorities.

Deputies say the woman and her daughter failed to get Buddy medical care after reporting in February that he had been shot and paralyzed.

The owners said Buddy’s legs became infected and later fell off because they were bandaged too tightly. But the vet said the legs were “maliciously removed.”

The girl’s friend is accused of abandoning the dog.