‘We don’t want to hear excuses...’: Animal shelter wants accountability after dog left taped in box overnight

PEKIN (25News Now) - The Tazewell County Animal Protective Society is asking for the public’s help after discovering a chihuahua cold and petrified that had been left on their property overnight.

“People owe their animals the respect of walking them through a front door and surrendering them with dignity, not taping them up in a box and leaving them to be taped up for seven and a half hours,” said Holly Crotty, the Executive Director of TAPS in an interview.

On Facebook, TAPS says that Sunday night at around 11:01 p.m., a white SUV or minivan was seen on camera footage pulled into the parking lot next to TAPS. A person ran over to the TAPS mailbox and left a box next to it, leaving the scene after four minutes.

“The way the animal was dumped was very intentional. It appeared from the camera that they wanted to do it when no one was here,” Crotty said.

The dog was discovered at around 6:30 a.m. Monday when morning walkers were out and discovered the cold, petrified chihuahua inside.

It had been left in a taped box for around 7.5 hours.

“We have been simmering in our anger all day and we hope that there is someone out there to help us hold someone accountable for their actions,” the animal shelter said.

Crotty explains surrendering an animal for any reason takes time, especially at a ‘no kill’ shelter like TAPS. She says local animal controls that are open intake have more resources to make ends meet faster.

Libby Aeschleman, the director of Tazewell County Animal Control, says they ask owners to make an appointment to talk about the animal and their reason for surrendering it. She says they need as much information as possible to point owners in the right direction or to decide to take in the animal.

“To get as much information as we can, that requires working with people and making them feel comfortable and understanding the circumstances they are in that has led to this decision,” Aeschleman said.

TAPS is asking anyone with information to message them on Facebook, leave an anonymous message at the shelter, call 309-353-8277 or email admin@tapssehlter.org.

“Please share and let’s at least give this dog a name and a back story other than the dog who was taped up in box and discarded.”

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