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The dog’s owner, 37-year-old Albany resident Robert Simmons, was arrested for animal cruelty Thursday, Dec. 22, following an investigation by Albany Police.
Officers were initially contacted a week prior with a complaint from a veterinarian about a malnourished mixed-breed dog that had been brought to their office.
Investigators learned that a City of Albany employee had seen the dog on the neighborhood social media site Nextdoor, where its owner was looking to re-home the dog, police said.
When the city employee went to look at the dog at Simmons’ Myrtle Avenue home, he noticed the animal’s condition was much worse than was advertised online. The dog was “extremely” malnourished and had several open sores, according to police.
The man took the dog from the owner and brought him to the veterinarian, who immediately called police.
A subsequent investigation determined that Simmons had left the dog inside a crate for an “extended period” of time, and had starved him so badly the dog only weighed 23 pounds, police said.
According to the veterinarian, the dog should have weighed approximately 60 to 70 pounds.
The animal also needed help standing up due to fatigue, according to police.
Simmons is charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. He was arraigned Thursday, Dec. 22, at Albany City Criminal Court, where a judge ordered him held on $30,000 bail.
After receiving proper medical care, the dog was fostered to the man who brought him in for the evaluation.
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