Empty Nest
Sponsored section ►►PAGE 20
Plan your fourth
Fireworks and steam engines to parade in Cumming ►►PAGE 6
Reading boom
Artist spotlight
Libraries see summer program reading spikes ►►PAGE 9
Bryan White’s work has become a staple of Forsyth County ►►PAGE 11
June 25, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 26
Dog dragged by leash behind pickup truck Owner charged with cruelty to animals By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com
PAIGE ROMAN/STAFF
Vivian Aaron, a Furkids outreach coordinator, holds the latest puppy additions to the dog rescue shelter in south Forsyth County.
Furkids, Sadie’s Place shelter undergoes $400K in renovations By PAIGE ROMAN paige@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — One of the largest no-kill animal rescue shelters in the state has underwent a $400,000 reno-
vation and has now reopened to the public. Furkids, Sadie’s Place, 1520 Union Hill Road, which was formerly known as SmallDog Rescue, kick started the improvements with a
$100,000 matching donation from Choate Construction. In January, the staff, along with dozens of volunteers, began a fundraising
See SADIE, Page 24
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man seen dragging a German shepherd tied to a leash to his pick-up truck was arrested and charged SANCHEZ with animal cruelty Wednesday, June 18. Miguel Lechuga Sanchez, 41, was also charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license in addition to the animal cruelty charge – all are misdemeanors. About 4:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched by 911 responders to Ronald Reagan Boulevard near Peachtree Parkway (Ga. 141) and The Collection at Forsyth to a dog being dragged behind a pick-up truck. A witness who called 911 said a German shepherd was tied with a leash to a pickup truck driving on Ronald Reagan Boulevard less than a mile from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s South Precinct. A Forsyth County Sheriff’s investigator in an unmarked car saw the pick-up truck two minutes after the call was dispatched and stopped the vehicle on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Majors Road, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s news release. Patrol deputies responded minutes later and determined the dog needed immediate attention from a veterinarian.
PAIGE ROMAN/STAFF
The German Shepherd, whose name is still unknown, was signed over to the county.
The dog had fallen off the truck’s bed, and the driver did not see the dog. “There was never any indication that it was malicious,” said Robin Regan, a spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. A patrol deputy rushed the dog to a local animal hospital where it was treated for injuries to the front paws and bruising around the neck. The dog is in good condition and will remain at the animal hospital while recovering from injuries. Sanchez, of Cumming, was arrested, charged and taken to the Forsyth County Detention Center where his bond was set at $4,680.50.