State police have charged a woman who they say intentionally starved her dog and left the animal for dead inside a garbage can
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Nicole Baker is facing charges of animal cruelty and disorderly conduct after a garbage man discovered the female dog inside a garbage bag and garbage can
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Police contend Baker admitted she left the dog in the garbage can and then moved to Texas to be with her boyfriend.
Baker is currently in the Greensburg area where she is staying with a friend
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Investigators reviewed text messages they said Baker sent to friends after the story of her dog went public.
"By reading through the messages and things of that nature, she had intentionally misled people that were offering to help when it came to taking care of Mia, the dog. She acknowledged the fact that at some point in time, she realized what she was doing, she fully knew it was wrong, and still she put a dog, her dog, in a garbage can,"
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Baker's daughter, Brittany Prinkey, lives next door to the trailer where her mother lived before moving to Texas. Prinkey said she has been subjected to harassment and threats since the dog, which humane agents have now named Fauna, was found.
"People have been throwing stuff at my house, at my car, threatening me, telling me I should die. I should be put in a trash bag and left to suffocate without food and water,"
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"I never thought my mom would be able to do something like that. It's my mom. I never thought she would do something like that."
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dog was taken to the Humane Society of Westmoreland County. Humane agent Janet Dillon said Fauna has gained 8 pounds and received donated toys, sweaters and treats from Burton's Total Pet in Greensburg.
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described her relationship with her mother as estranged and said Fauna was healthy when she last saw the dog in July.
"I'm super-upset with her. I just don't understand how someone could do that,"
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"I didn't have any involvement with what my mom did. I didn't even know I was on the application. I was informed later that I was down as a second contact, I wasn't an owner."
Baker apparently put Prinkey down as a contact when she adopted the dog in April, but did not list Prinkey as a co-owner, Prinkey said. She said she found out what happened to Fauna when people called her at work Thursday.
"I was so upset, I felt like I was going to throw up. I was so sick to my stomach about everything. I couldn't believe it. That garbage can is right over there. I didn't hear anything. No one heard anything. No one knew. It's disgusting,"
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No one answered Wednesday at the Hempfield home where Baker is staying with friends.
Dillon said humane agents have received hundreds of inquiries about adopting Fauna and will choose the family that is the best fit for her.
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