Three Maryville residents charged in neglect, death of dog

Three Maryville residents were booked into jail Friday after police say their neglect killed a pet pit bull.

Christian A. Martinez and Kassandra L. Martinez, both 23, and Daniel Randolph Hackler Jr., 27, all of Butler Mill Road in Maryville, face charges of aggravated cruelty to animals after Blount County Sheriff’s deputies say they found one dying dog caged on the Martinez’ property and another dog that showed signs of neglect.

The three reportedly claimed shared responsibility for animals on the Martinez property. Shortly before his arrest, Hackler allegedly told police the dogs were regularly fed.

BCSO deputies note in a police report that when they arrived at the Martinez home, a neighbor showed them a steel cage at the front of the property where a female pit bull lay, surrounded by flies. Deputies say they could see the dog’s bones through her skin; they report that they tried to call her, but she didn’t move.

“There did not appear to be any food or water available to the neglected dogs,” other than food provided by the neighbor, deputies write in the report. The deputies called animal control to collect the dog, but she died after they arrived.

Animal control took both the body of the dead dog and a live dog from the property.

Both a neighbor and the president of the Blount County Animal Welfare Society had serious concerns about the Butler Mill Road dogs, according to the police report. Police write that BCAWS President Kristin Baksa told them the Martinez’ repeatedly failed to follow plans to provide adequate care for their animals.

On talking with Christian Martinez, deputies write: “(He) stated that he understood that what he was doing was wrong and that he did not want the animals at all.”

The three were arrested on individual, $25,000 bonds, pending a 9 a.m. May 31 hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court. Kassandra Martinez was released in lieu of her bond, while Christian Martinez and Hackler remained in custody as of Saturday, May 25.