Some dogs relied on the bodies of dogs that had died at the facility by feeding them.
GILABENDO, Ariz. — The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said it was one of the most unsettling cases of animal abuse investigated.
The suspect was taken into custody after the remains of a dead dog were found on Gilavend’s property.
Director Jeff Gentry said deputies responded to Gila Bend’s property on April 5 after an interested citizen reported allegedly neglected the animal. Neighbors reported that the owner was last seen more than two weeks ago. Upon arrival, the deputies allegedly found animals living in poor condition without proper access to food.
“This is certainly one of the most disgusting and deplorable conditions I’ve ever seen an animal,” Gentry said.
Several of the dogs had fed the bodies of deceased dogs on their property, Sergeant Joaquin Enriquez said. Another dog was disassembled until it became merely a skeletal ruin.
Deputies contacted the owner, who identified as 38-year-old John D. Jackson, and said he refused to come to the property. Enriquez said he evaded police for almost five days before being arrested in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Jackson faces criminal charges of animal cruelty allegedly ignoring dogs.
“This is a disgusting, deplorable act by this person,” Gentry said.
In total, the MCSO said detectives found seven puppies, 11 adult dogs and three dead dogs at the facility.
The suspect is allegedly using social media platforms to sell dogs, the sheriff’s office said. Dogs sold and rescued included a cane Corsos and a French Bulldog.
“I am furious at the unimaginable suffering these animals endured and I assure the public that they will take prompt and decisive action to seek justice,” Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said in a statement.
The rescued animals are caring for the MCSO. Gentry was unable to say whether everything would survive, as she faced a variety of illnesses from abuse.
Jackson used social media to sell these dogs, so the sheriff’s office asks people who purchased the animals from him to contact him immediately.
Related: Arizona suspect indicted for abusing a minor more than 20 years ago
How big is Maricopa County?
According to the 2020 census, Maricopa County is the fourth largest county in the United States in terms of population of 4,485,414.
The county includes about 63% of Arizona’s population, weighing 9,224 square miles. This will make the county bigger seven US states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the nation’s largest park systems is also found in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks, including hundreds of miles of trails, a nature center and campsites.
The county seats are in Phoenix. Phoenix is ​​the state’s capital and the fifth most populous city in the United States, designated by the census.
The county is named after Maricopa, or Pipashu, a Native American tribe.
