All 20 dogs seized from Memphis groomer Keaton Stuckey have been returned to their families, Action News 5 reported September 17, citing Memphis Animal Services.
The announcement follows WREG’s September 16 report that 12 dogs had been reclaimed or adopted while eight remained in shelter care awaiting rescue placement. The newer update does not give a dog by dog breakdown of those placements.
Separate charges concern four Yorkies who died
Stuckey was arrested September 8 on four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Action News 5, citing a Shelby County arrest affidavit, reports that five Yorkies were brought to him for grooming on August 24. Four died: Jordan, Lala, Mazii Dior and Jayda. The fifth survived.
According to the station’s affidavit coverage, Stuckey said the dogs had ingested hair dye. Investigators reported that necropsies found fatal heatstroke. The 20 dogs later seized from his home are a separate group from the four dogs whose deaths led to the charges.
WREG reports that Stuckey was released on a $20,000 bond and has a hearing scheduled for September 25. He is accused, not convicted.
Sources
- Action News 5: September 17 confirmation that all 20 dogs returned to families ›
- WREG via AOL: MAS update on 20 seized dogs ›
- Action News 5: arrest affidavit and Yorkies’ deaths ›
On the sourcing: Updated September 18 to replace the earlier report that eight dogs were still awaiting rescue placement. The latest report does not distinguish reunifications from the adoptions mentioned in earlier coverage.
How we reported this: Placement information comes from Memphis Animal Services through local reporting. Buddylio has not independently reviewed the arrest affidavit or necropsy reports.
