Deputy seizes caged local dog covered in feces

WINCHESTER — A Winchester sheriff’s deputy seized a dog covered in feces from a local apartment Thursday.

According to a search warrant filed the same day in Winchester Circuit Court, the property owner at 3 W. Monmouth St. inspected Apt. No. 4 — where the smell of feces and urine emanated from the residence.

A male pug covered in feces was found in the apartment in a wire cage, the warrant states. Numerous photos and a red retractable dog leash were also removed from the residence, where the electricity had been shut off since Nov. 16.

It is unclear if the renter — named in the search warrant as 33-year-old Melissa Springer — was still living at the residence or if the dog had been abandoned.

Sheriff Lenny Millholland was not immediately available for comment, and it is not known if Springer faces any charges in connection with the incident.

— Contact Melissa Boughton at mboughton@winchesterstar.com