Two charged with animal cruelty after dog death investigation

WALKER  COUNTY — Two individuals have been charged following an investigation into a dog death in Walker County.

33-year old Andrew James Groncki and 23-year old Megan Gibson stand accused of cruelty to animals, improper disposal of a dead animal and failure to maintain responsibility for control of rabies.

They say an investigation began on March 16th after Walker County Animal Control officers visited a residence to perform a welfare check on a dog after the case manager reported no longer hearing it bark during her visits.

Gibson told animal control officers the dog had died after refusing to eat, losing weight and exhibiting symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. She advised Groncki, her fiancé, planned to handle disposing of the dog’s remains.

They say when officers visited Groncki at his place of employment, he told them he didn’t seek assistance for the dog while it was alive and that someone he met on Facebook was supposed to come remove the dog’s remains.

Officers then returned to inquire with Gibson about the location of the dog’s remains.

While on the back porch, officer Terry Helton noticed some paws and legs sticking out from underneath a white comforter-type sheet in the backyard. The remains were transported to a local veterinarian for a necropsy, which revealed the dog had been dead for three to five days and a cloth-like material was balled up with some bones in its stomach, preventing it from digesting properly, according to Walker County.

They say the veterinarian advised this would have caused a slow death from starvation.

Tyler Bishop, animal control director, says based on his conversations with Groncki and Gibson, both were well aware of the dog’s declining health, and they made a conscious decision to not seek veterinary care.

If convicted on all charges, Groncki could face up to three years in prison along with substantial fines. Gibson, meanwhile, could receive up to two years behind bars and owe thousands in fines.