Tybee Island Police arrest woman in connection with attempted puppy drowning

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - UPDATE: Tybee Island Police arrested Candy Selena Marban on Tuesday.

Local groups in Chatham County say they are ready to help owners if they cannot afford things like food or medical services for their pet.

“It’s not uncommon for us to get phone calls about people need food, people need vaccines,” said Chatham County Animal Services Director Jake Harper. “We have those resources out there to help.”

Chatham County Animal Services Director Dr. Harper says rescues like Renegade Paws Rescue are one of those resources.

“We’re not going to turn down an intake from the community just because a pet needs help,” said Renegade Paws Rescue volunteer and foster Cody Shelley. “We really want to make sure that pet has the best opportunity to survive and thrive.”

Shelley says the rescue offers medical services like vaccinations, spay and neuter operations, food pantries and other services for families who may need extra help. They’ll even take in puppies or dogs and put them in a loving home until they can be adopted, no matter their condition.

“This particular puppy came to us with the rest of their litter full of bugs,” said Shelley. “There were open wounds with maggots and batfly larva found by our volunteers so this puppy has required significant medical attention from us and that’s not a barrier.

Dr. Harper says they’ll even help connect owners with resources like rescues if you can’t afford care. If you get to the point of needed to give up your pet, Animal Services can help there too.

“We don’t want to be the first because there are rescues that are out there that can do it, said Dr. Harper. “We’re pretty open, but if you have a dog or cat that you want to surrender and we’re you’re only option, it can come here.”

Chatham Animal Services says the amount of surrendered animals are up now, but that’s not uncommon this time of year. However there are plenty of animals that can still be adopted. Dr. Harper says they have plenty of cats and dogs available. If you’re looking for a furry friend, Chatham Animal Services is waiving their adoption fees through Sunday, September 26.

Renegade Paws are always looking for volunteers. You can find more information about the rescue here.

Tybee Island Police are looking for a woman who attempted to drown an injured puppy in the ocean because she was concerned she could not pay for its medical care, according to a Facebook post from the department.

On Sunday, September 12, Tybee Police officers responded to the scene on South Beach after reports that people were throwing an injured puppy into the water. The dog’s owner, identified by Tybee Police as Candy Selena Marban, said the puppy had been injured about a week earlier. Marban told police she could not afford medical treatment.

Tybee Police issued a city ordinance citation for Cruelty to Animals to Marban and took the dog into protective custody. The puppy was examined by a veterinarian in Savannah, who decided the injuries were “so severe that the only recourse would be euthanasia,” according to the Facebook post.

Marban has been charged with felony Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, and Tybee Police detectives have warrants out for her arrest. Anyone with information on the location of Candy Selena Marban is asked to contact Tybee Police Detective TJ LeGuin at (912) 786-5600 or tleguin@cityoftybee.org.

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