Dog deaths: The not-so-subtle bias of news placement

Given the gut-wrenching descriptions of the excruciating deaths suffered by the family pets whose owners mistakenly thought they were leaving them in the attentive care of the folks running the Green Acre boarding kennel, it would appear that new revelations would be a top priority with the daily’s news department.  But omissions take priority as the range of Page One articles run the gamut from a recent Suns win over the Lakers to Uruguay’s cultural shift to the left.

Flip, flip, flip to Page Five to find the report detailing the nauseating fact that the nearly two dozen dead dogs, held in the “dog room” were also denied food and water. They were crammed into a small, sealed off area with inadequate air conditioning, made worse by airflow limitations and neglect of basic system maintenance —- in the searing June 21 heat. A veterinarian who posthumously examined the dogs said the only one with sufficient food in its stomach was the owner’s dog, who also died. He concluded that these were all elements of a pattern of negligent treatment.

When the dead and dying dogs were discovered, no veterinarian was called. The dying pets were hosed down in a vain effort to cool them. The carcasses of the dead dogs were stacked like cordwood in a storage shed.

The owners of the boarding kennel, Todd and MaLeisa Hughes pleaded not guilty earlier this week to 22 felony counts and 7 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and animal abuse. They were also indicted on a felony fraud charge in the same case.

Logan and Austin Flake, the couple watching the facility while the Hughes vacationed in Florida, are to be arraigned in November. Each faces charges of 21 felony counts and 7 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. Logan Flake is the daughter of MaLeisa and Todd Hughes. Logan’s husband Austin is the son of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake —- which likely accounts for the placement of the news report.

Previous coverage can be read here.