Arizona woman, 62, is arrested after abandoning her elderly, blind dog on highway

An Arizona woman, 62, is arrested after leaving her elderly, blind dog on the highway

  • Karen Black, 62, of Phoenix was arrested by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff and his wife found her dog along an off-ramp
  • She initially denied being in Cochise County, but eventually admitted to leaving the dog along the highway
  • Black is scheduled to appear in court at the end of September to hear the charges against her

An Arizona woman was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after an elderly, blind dog was found walking on a highway by the county sheriff’s office.

Karen Black, 62, of Phoenix, was arrested by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff and his wife found her dog along an off-ramp connecting I-10 and Skyline Road in Benson, Arizona, at 11:30 a.m. on August 26.

The sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post: “Sheriff Dannels and his wife Nickie secured the shaken dog in their vehicle.

“A Cochise County Sheriff’s Office animal control officer took custody of the dog and determined the dog was microchipped with its last registered owner from Maricopa County.”

Black is scheduled to appear in court in Cochise County in late September to hear the charges against her. The unnamed dog is currently at the shelter and will remain there until the end of the case

The sheriff's office wrote in a Facebook post:

The sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post: “A Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer took custody of the dog and determined the dog was microchipped with its last registered owner from Maricopa County.”

Karen Black, 62, of Phoenix was arrested after police found her dog along an off-ramp between I-10 and Skyline Road in Benson, Arizona at 11:30 a.m. on August 26.

Karen Black, 62, of Phoenix was arrested after police found her dog along an off-ramp between I-10 and Skyline Road in Benson, Arizona at 11:30 a.m. on August 26.

CCSO Animal Control attempted to contact Black several times, but to no avail.

It wasn’t until Sheriff Dannels and Community Outreach Supervisor Sergeant Ray McNeely attended a community event in Phoenix on September 6 that he decided to continue the investigation by visiting Black’s home in the city.

When questioned, Black initially denied being in Cochise County, but eventually admitted to leaving the dog along the highway.

She also said she failed to notify law enforcement and ignored the Bureau’s attempts to speak with her.

Black is scheduled to appear in court in Cochise County in late September to hear the charges against her.

The dog, whose name is unknown, is currently in a shelter until the case ends.

Sheriff Dannels and his wife Nickie secured the shaken dog in their car after finding him on I-10 in Arizona

Sheriff Dannels and his wife Nickie secured the shaken dog in their car after finding him on I-10 in Arizona

This comes a month after another woman is charged with abandoning her dog in a Pittsburgh Airport parking lot after being told she couldn’t bring the pet on board without a crate.

The French bulldog was found “unattended in a stroller” near a short-term parking lot at Pittsburgh International Airport around 5:30 a.m.

Officers were able to track down the owner through a microchip in the dog’s neck, but said their attempts to contact the unidentified woman were unsuccessful.

The seven-year-old dog was found to be in good health after the ordeal and was taken to a local animal shelter, where he now hopes to find a new, friendlier home.

Police said they now expect the state dog warden to file charges for animal abandonment, which carries a maximum fine of up to $1,000.