Animal lover Reese Witherspoon will be appalled to learn her stepmother was arrested in an animal cruelty scandal uncovered exclusively by The ENQUIRER.
Authorities charged Patricia, 62, with abandonment and neglect after she was taken into custody by the local PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) agency, which foundatricia Witherspoon was taken into custody by the local PAWS (Pets are Worth Saving) agency in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on May 8 after animal control authorities opened an investigation against her for abandonment and neglect after two dogs were found on her property that weren’t properly cared for.
A Shih Tzu named Chloe Bell was found leashed outside Patricia’s home in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on a hot April day.
Although food and water were nearby, authorities discovered a “hard clump of matting” on her back and lack of waterproof shelter. Animal control rescued her and left a warning for Patricia who is also known as Tricianne, that the dog needed to be groomed and seen by a vet.
Authorities also found a stray named Rocko that Patricia had tied to a neighbor’s tree and abandoned. According to the report, she claimed her neighbors gave her the dog, but she “no longer wanted him.”
She gave up Rocko for adoption, but retrieved Chloe Bell from animal control, explaining the dog had cysts on her back and was “mostly groomed.”
Patricia ignored numerous requests to provide information on the dog’s follow-up care, even telling officers she was “tired of harassment,” according to authorities.
A warrant was issued, and Patricia – who married Reese’s dad John in January 2012 – was taken into custody May 8.
All the detail are in the new ENQUIRER!
