Overview
- Deputies responded after residents discovered a severely malnourished puppy locked inside a detached garage on Wednesday and a charging affidavit said she was found without food, water, light or a way to escape and lying in a puddle of urine.
- Animal Control removed the 10-week-old Bluetick Coonhound/Australian Shepherd mix named Sunset and a treating veterinarian concluded she died on July 4 from organ failure caused by starvation with no preexisting medical condition to explain her state.
- Investigators say owner Chance Jones, 18, told deputies he got the puppy in April, was frequently away, fed her only every few weeks, and placed her in the garage on June 30 to hide her condition instead of seeking veterinary care.
- Jones was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty and unlawful confinement of an animal and is being held on a $3,000 bond as the sheriff publicly condemned the neglect.
- Officials continue to investigate how long Sunset was confined and whether other residents or neighbors heard or could have intervened, a line of inquiry that could shape further charges or accountability.