A woman reflects on Dowagiac dog deaths

DOWAGIAC, Mich.--- Three dogs were found neglected in a car at the Four Winds casino in Dowagiac Sunday.         

Two of the dogs died and the one that survived is now being treated at the Cass County Animal Control and Shelter.

Diane Campbell said she still has nightmares after what she saw in the car at the casino.

“I saw that the truck was still there the windows were not down,” said Campbell. When I looked in I found the dog had died.”

Campbell said she was distraught after pulling into the parking lot to find one of the dogs panting in the front seat. Campbell said she tried to comfort the dog as she stood outside of the car and then went for help.

She thought the staff had taken care of the situation after she told them the dog was suffering in the car, but when she went back out to her car about an hour later she saw the dog had not been helped and was dead in the front seat.

Campbell said Four Winds Second Command of Security was upset by how things were handled.

“He was livid,” said Campbell. He said this should have never happened on his property and that he would be investigating this. It shouldn’t have happened. Those dogs should have never died on his property.”

Sherrill Langford has since been charged with misdemeanor and felony charges and is set to appear back in court on April 17, 2019.

Campbell said it’s going to take her time to get past that horrific scene she witnessed.

“I’m such an animal lover, it breaks my heart to know that this happened.”

ABC57 asked the casino how much time elapsed from the time of the report, to when someone actually went to check on the dogs. But we haven’t gotten that answer.