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Dog owner charged with animal neglect By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune An Eagle Point man accused of starving his Saint Bernard dog nearly to death has been charged with first-degree animal neglect. The Jackson County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday announced that Frederick Lorenz Hines Jr., 36, of the 10000 block of East Antelope Road, will appear in court on March 5 at 9 a.m. The dog, a 3-year-old male named Chief, is being cared for by members of the Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation Inc. in Shady Cove. He is expected to make a full recovery. According to reports from Jackson County Animal Control, Chief was chained to a tree and neglected for more than three months while Frederick and Tianna Hines went through divorce proceedings. The neglect reportedly took place after Tianna Hines moved out of the Eagle Point home. Court records show the couple filed for divorce on Sept. 4. It became final on Dec. 7. Shelter officials said Tianna Hines became aware of Chief's condition a few days before Christmas. She contacted the rescue foundation, who agreed to care for Chief, and then signed the dog over to animal control. Chief weighed less than 90 pounds when brought to the rescue foundation. Local volunteers say a dog Chief's size should weigh at least 175 pounds. The district attorney's office also charged Hines with two counts of animal abandonment. According to shelter director Colleen Macuk, Frederick Hines reportedly turned over two Rott-weiler dogs to the county after Chief was removed from his home. Those dogs showed signs of neglect and malnutrition, she added. "(The Rottweilers) had to be put down because they had aggressive and antisocial behavior that didn't make them safe for adoption," Macuk said. A charge of animal abandonment alleges that Hines left the Rottweilers at his home without making provisions for their care. It is a class C misdemeanor. First-degree animal neglect is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $5,000 fine and up to a year in prison. The district attorney's office alleges that by not feeding and caring for Chief, Hines recklessly failed to provide minimum care to the dog, which resulted in serious physical injury. Macuk said during the investigation that animal control officers never learned why Hines allegedly neglected Chief for such a long period of time. Macuk said Hines still owns a few rabbits and a pig, but added that those animals are in good health. Animal control officers make routine visits to ensure their safety, she added. Chief will remain with the rescue foundation until he fully recovers, expected to take up to four months. He will later be adopted by an applicant who passes a rigorous screening process. For more adoption information or to make a donation for Chief's care, contact Carol Varner Beck, local president of the rescue foundation, at 878-8281. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.